How to Enter a Meet

Before you enter a meet, talk to your coach about the entry procedures your club uses. In Pacific Swimming, clubs usually decide what meets they will attend, then the entry forms are filled out and submitted (either online or by mail) by each family. However, for some meets (league and zone championships, for example) and on some clubs, all of the individual entries for the club are submitted together by the coach. Your coach can tell you what procedure is used at your club.

Generally the deadline for entries into a meet is about 10 days before the meet, but it may be advisable to get your entries in much sooner than this, especially in cases where the meet has an entry cap and is expected to fill up. Again, talk to your coach for details and advice.

If you are a new swimmer, you will need to complete your registration with Pacific Swimming/USA Swimming before you will be able to check in and swim at your first meet. Follow this link for more information on becoming an athlete member of Pacific.

Please note also that meets in Pacific normally do not permit deck entries (that is, entries on the day of the meet). If deck entries are permitted or required, the option will be described in the meet information sheet, or publicized on the Meet Schedule page of this website.

Online Entry & Entry Forms

Most meets offer you the option of entering the meet online or by mail. Entering a meet online allows you to receive immediate confirmation of your entry into the meet. The online entry web site will also tell you if the meet has reached its entry cap and is no longer accepting entries. Please note that online entry services normally charge a processing fee for the use of their service in addition to the entry fee you are required to pay to enter the meet. The use of online entry services is voluntary and in no way required or expected of a swimmer.

If you enter a meet online, print out a copy of the confirmation e-mail that you receive from the online entry service provider and bring it with you to the meet.

Please note that Pacific Swimming does not provide online entry services. These services are provided by third party vendors independent from Pacific Swimming. If you have questions or problems related to entering a meet online, you should address them directly to the service provider.

You may also choose to enter a Pacific Swimming meet by filling out a hard-copy entry form that includes information on the events you want to enter and your times, and submitting it to the meet host by mail or in person. A copy of the entry form is provided on the meet information sheet. The sample to the right shows a completed entry form of this type. If you are asked for the code for your LSC (Local Swimming Committee), Pacific's two-letter LSC code is PC. You will need to mail or hand deliver this entry form, with the appropriate fee, to the address on the meet sheet by the deadline given.

When you complete the online or hard-copy entry form, be sure to enter your name and your registration number just as they appear on your current Pacific Swimming registration card. Use the correct code for your club.

Also, be sure to enter only individual events for which you qualify. For example, in a B/C meet you may not enter events in which you have equaled or bettered an A time. Also as an example, in an A+ meet you may only enter events in which you have achieved an A time or better. Enter your best time for each event. If you are using times achieved in a short course meet to enter a long course meet, or vice versa, please read the section on short course times and long course times below.

Short Course & Long Course Times

Meets in Pacific Swimming are swum in both short course (25 yard or, occasionally, 25 meter) and long course (50 meter) pools.

Pacific's Rules and Regulations do not require time conversions when using a time achieved in one course to enter a meet in another course, but they do specifically require that when you have achieved a specific class level (for example, B or A) in an event in one course, you are considered to be qualified at that same level in all courses. Accordingly, you must always enter a time which maintains the class for which you've qualified in an event.

For example, if you've achieved an A time in an event at a short course meet but have never swum the event or have never achieved at this level in the event at a long course meet, you must enter at least a minimum long course A time when you enter this event in a long course meet.

For higher-level meets that require that entry times be proved (such as Junior Olympics, Far Westerns, and certain meets in Pacific's senior program), meet entry time standards will be provided in both short course and long course, and you may enter a qualifying time achieved in either course.