A worked example – updated for 2018
So it used to be that your swimmer launched off the block like a scalded cat, won the race by miles, gets a brilliant PB and er… cost the team five points for his or her trouble! No more! As of the beginning of the 2018 season the maximum penalty for swimming too fast is scoring zero points.
The example below may help explain.
| Event No | Event | Boy/Girl | Penalty (0) |
| Event 1 | 9U 4 x 25 bc/br/fc/fc | Boys | 01:38.50 |
In this event six teams of four swimmers compete in a 4 x 25m relay.
Ordinarily points are awarded on the basis that first place gets 6 points and sixth place gets 1 point. So everybody gets some points right? Wrong!
Penalties for swimming too fast
In this example if a team swims faster than 01:38.50 ‘Penalty (0)’ they are penalised – they get zero points; and first place goes to the fastest team which was slower than 01:38.50. In theory if five teams went faster than 01:38.50 then the team that came last would get six points.
It may seem odd at first sight but it is the coach’s job the pick the swimmers who will get closest to the threshold and it stops swimmers who are too fast spoiling it for less experienced swimmers.
