The Difference Between Sanctioned, Approved, and Observed Swims

[SwimGPT]

As the high school and college swim season progresses, many swimmers and coaches wonder whether their times can be entered into the USA Swimming SWIMS database. The classification of a meet determines whether times are officially recognized.

Below is a breakdown of the three types of meets and what qualifies for official USA Swimming times.

Sanctioned Events
Sanctioned meets follow the full USA Swimming technical and administrative rules and are fully recognized by USA Swimming.

Key Requirements & Benefits:

• The meet must follow USA Swimming rules.
• All times achieved are recognized by USA Swimming.
• All participants (swimmers, officials, coaches, meet staff) must be USA Swimming members.
• Full insurance coverage is provided for USA Swimming members and the host organization.

Approved Competitions
Approved meets follow USA Swimming technical rules but may not require all participants to be USA Swimming members (e.g., YMCA meets).

Key Points:

• The meet must follow USA Swimming technical rules (e.g., proper timing equipment).
• Times are recognized, but only for USA Swimming members.
• Non-USA Swimming members can participate.
• Insurance coverage depends on the host:
  • If hosted by a USA Swimming club, full insurance applies to USA Swimming members.
  • If hosted by a non-USA Swimming entity, insurance applies only to USA Swimming members participating under a USA Swimming club.

Observed Swims
Observed swims occur in meets run under other organizations' rules (e.g., high school, NCAA, IPC) but have USA Swimming-appointed officials observing swims to ensure compliance.

Important Notes:

• The meet does not follow full USA Swimming rules.
• Only times from observed and approved swims are recognized.
• Only USA Swimming members’ times are eligible for SWIMS.
• No requirement for participants to be USA Swimming members.
• No insurance coverage for swimmers or the host, except for designated USA Swimming Observers.

Which Times Count for SWIMS?

Type of Meet	Times Count for SWIMS?	USA Swimming Membership Required?	Full USA Swimming Rules?
Sanctioned	Yes	Yes	Yes
Approved	Yes (Only for USA Swimming members)	No	Yes (Technical rules only)
Observed	Yes (Only for observed swims & USA Swimming members)	No	No (Non-USA Swimming rules)

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️ Final Thoughts
If you're aiming for times that qualify for USA Swimming rankings, records, or national meets, make sure your meet is either sanctioned or approved. If you're competing in high school or college meets, ensure USA Swimming officials are observing if you want those times to count.

For more details, refer to 2024 of the USA Swimming Rules & Regulations.

Have questions? Drop them in the comments below! ️