🏊‍♀️ MCSL Coaches’ Long Course Invitational: How Seeding & Scratching Work (with Examples)

SwimGPT

With the 2025 MCSL Coaches' Long Course Invitational coming up on Tuesday, July 8, here’s a clear guide to help swimmers, parents, and coaches understand:

How swimmers are selected
What “scratching” means
How to navigate strategic choices
Two real-world examples to show how this plays out

Who Gets Invited?

The top 8 swimmers in each individual event across MCSL are invited, based on:

The best legal SCM times from the first three A meets
No swim-ups are allowed — only times in your age group count
The next two swimmers (9th and 10th) are listed as alternates

View All-Star Rankings here — these are the pre-scratch rankings used to determine selections and seeding for the Long Course Invitational.

What If There’s a Tie for 8th?

Ties for 8th place are broken using each swimmer’s next best time from the first three meets.

Example:
Swimmer A: 30.10 and 30.30
Swimmer B: 30.10 and 30.50
Swimmer A gets the 8th spot.

How Many Events Can a Swimmer Swim?

A swimmer can compete in up to two individual events at the Long Course Meet.

If you qualify in 1 or 2 events, you're automatically entered.
If you qualify in more than 2, you must be reduced to two events.

Is Scratching Required?

No — scratching is optional (voluntary) before the deadline.

Swimmers may voluntarily scratch events they don’t want to swim by contacting the MCSL Automation Chair by the deadline ( Monday, June 30 at 9:00 PM).
If a swimmer qualifies in more than two events and does not scratch, MCSL will automatically scratch down to two events using the lowest time-to-record ratio.

After the deadline, swimmers can only scratch from the entire meet, not individual events.

Can I Hold Out for an Alternate Spot?

If a swimmer is already in the top 8 in two events, they cannot “opt out” of one to become eligible for a third event where they placed 9th or 10th.

You’re only considered for an alternate spot if you were never top 8 in more than two events.

EXAMPLE 1: Safe Strategy — Keep Control

Swimmer Jane is:

6th in 50 Back
7th in 50 Free
9th in 50 Fly

Jane really prefers 50 Fly. She could:

Voluntarily scratch 50 Free or Back before the deadline to make herself eligible as an alternate in 50 Fly.

️ Pros: Full control over which event(s) she might swim
️ Cons: Risky — if no one scratches from 50 Fly, she won’t get to swim it

EXAMPLE 2: Strategic Gamble — Let MCSL Decide

Swimmer Max is:

7th in 50 Breast
8th in 100 Free
9th in 50 Fly

Max prefers 50 Fly, but it’s 9th — not guaranteed. He decides not to submit scratches.

Then, after the deadline:

Several swimmers ahead of him scratch from 50 Fly
Max moves up to 6th place in all three events

Now qualified in three events — MCSL will automatically scratch one using the time-to-record ratio, and Max might keep 50 Fly if it ranks best against the record.

️ Pros: Keeps all options open
️ Cons: No control — MCSL chooses which event gets dropped

Final Tips for Families

Check Top Times after Week 3 to see where your swimmer stands
If your swimmer is in 3+ events, talk with coaches about whether to scratch
Submit voluntary scratches before Monday, June 30 at 9:00 PM
Remember: MCSL will drop extra events for any swimmer entered in more than two

Have questions? Reach out to your Team Rep or Coach. Good luck to all swimmers — we’re cheering you on at Long Course!