In the wetsuit thread Kurt Dickson wrote:
The rule on minimal officials at meets is interesting as I think you are supposed to have an official for postal swims
I've never seen such a requirement. I thought the only requirement was that you have a person to record your 50 (yards) or 100 (meters) splits. Can someone elaborate/clarify/correct?
Thx,
Skip Montanaro
In the wetsuit thread Kurt Dickson wrote:
The rule on minimal officials at meets is interesting as I think you are supposed to have an official for postal swims
I've never seen such a requirement. I thought the only requirement was that you have a person to record your 50 (yards) or 100 (meters) splits. Can someone elaborate/clarify/correct?
Thx,
Skip Montanaro
You can cruise the rule book online. Look under publications in the home page tool bar. I skipped through it looking for postal events. Didn't find anything, but I might not be looking in the right place. Postal events don't seem to fall under the definitions of "meet" in the rule book.
The requirements for each event are set by the organizers. The rules for the Jon Steiner Memorial Mile swim by TAM Masters are really simple, no officials required. www.pacificmasters.org/.../08tamow.pdf
You can read that rule in a way such that you only need one person.
It says that for your "official", that the person may be the "head timer", who has no other responsibilities. It doesn't say what the prescribed responsibilities are, though. Presumably, the responsibilities of the "head timer" would be to time. As such, you could interpret that rule such that you just have one person - a head timer. It doesn't say the individual timer can't be the "head timer".
-Rick
Postal events are covered in the long distance rules: www.usms.org/.../part3.pdf
304.3 is the rule that mentions officials:
304.3. OFFICIALS
304.3.1—There shall be an adult acting in the capacity of a starter/head timer/referee
(may be one person) who shall be present at all times, having no other responsibilities
during the period of the swim.
304.3.2—Each swimmer shall have a counter to record split times for every two
lengths during the swim for both time-based and distance-based events. One person
may serve as a counter for a maximum of two swimmers per heat.
So, basically, there should be at least two people (other than the swimmer) on deck during your one hour swim: a timer and an "official." Let's be serious, though. I'm betting in 99% of postal entries there isn't someone who totally meets the requirements of an official witnessing the swim. The most likely candidates are a lifeguard or a coach and it would be a stretch to say either of them has "no other responsibilities" during the swim.
"adult acting in the capacity of a starter/head timer/referee"
Don't you need special training to be a starter/referee?
Actually, I think you need some special training to be an adult. Most of what we are doing for our youth isn't working in later life.
"adult acting in the capacity of a starter/head timer/referee"
Don't you need special training to be a starter/referee?
I believe the wording of "adult acting in the capacity of...." is designed to allow adults to be an official who are not certified as an official.
-Rick
