JRAC Starter Training�2024 Season

Job Description Found in the JRAC Rulebook

5.07 Starter. The starter must be a USS (Va. LSC) certified starter or have attended at least one JRAC starter clinic within the past 24 months. If a JRAC-certified starter has served in that capacity for a minimum of three consecutive years with a JRAC Member Club, he/she may complete the available JRAC on-line Starter training and must pass the accompanying on-line starter quiz with a minimum score of 80% in order to maintain his/her JRAC starter certification currency, unless otherwise directed by the JRAC Vice President of Swimming, or the JRAC President.

Starter Responsibilities

• Equipment familiarization
• Starter role overview
• Starter relationship with other meet officials
• Flyover starts
• Starter command sequence
• Start rules & commands
• Judging false starts
• Miscellaneous

Equipment familiarization—Infinity start unit

Infinity start unit connection panel�

• Battery life indicator LED

Green—fully charged

Flashing green—charging

Yellow—needs charging (5-6 hrs use remaining)

Red—Almost out of power (1-2 hrs use remaining)

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• Battery Charger Input receptacle

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Used with charging cord for charging the unit’s internal battery

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Battery charging only—unit won’t work if plugged in to an AC power source

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Make sure connections are aligned before putting pressure on hook-up

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Power switch must be in the off position to enable charging

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• CTS Timer Output —not used at this time

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• Speaker Volume Control—self explanatory

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• Microphone input jack—plug microphone in here (#1 is preferable).

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***Make sure the power switch is in the OFF position when plugging in or

unplugging the microphone***

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• External speaker jack—not used at this time
• Power switch

Must be in OFF position when:

Charging the unit

Plugging in the microphone

Unplugging the microphone

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• Tripod

Use care when unfolding the legs—don’t apply pressure until unfolding correctly or braces will snap

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• Microphone/cord

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Be aware of how much cord you have so you can manage it during the meet to avoid a trip hazard

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• Microphone button to talk
• Microphone position should be almost touching your mouth
• Beware of feedback by standing too close to start unit

• Start signal

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While holding down the microphone button, press once on the red button—beep and strobe flash will occur.

• False start/recall signal

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While holding down the microphone button, press and hold down the red button until recall is completed—no strobe flash and a continuous beep will occur.

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Starter role overview

• Have unit positioned in clearly visible location for timers and clearly audible location for swimmers

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• Your position for each heat

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Clear view of all starting blocks

Focus on Lane 3-4 area—let your peripheral vision watch other lanes

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• Issue specific instructions to swimmers as they begin their events

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• Verify lane arrangement of upcoming swimmers, based on input from the Clerk of Course

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• Using a structured series of commands, initiate a fair start for all heats during the meet

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• Judge false starts, in concert with the Meet Referee

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Starter relationship with other meet officials�

• Clerk of Course

Completes a paper slip WITH CHANGES FROM THE HEAT SHEET, showing all heats within an event and, within each heat, the swimmers’ lane assignments.

Each slip is delivered to the Starter via a runner; the runner takes used slips to the Head Table.

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• Upon call to the blocks—

If the COC p/w shows a swimmer assigned to a lane, but no swimmer is on the blocks—Announce, “Is there a swimmer for lane (number)?” A few seconds later: “Swimmer for lane __, event __, heat __?” Then start the heat.

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• If the COC p/w shows a swimmer on the blocks for an unassigned lane—Announce, “May I verify the lane assignment card for lane __? This is event __, heat __, lane __.” If corrected, start the heat.

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• Make simple corrections to the COC p/w to show what lane arrangement actually swam before sending the slip to the Head Table—useful for later swimmer lane verification.

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Starter relationship with other meet officials (cont’d)�

• Announcer

Home club custom as to whether the Announcer announces an event as it starts.

Arrange to have the Announcer quit talking as the last swimmer from each heat approaches the finish.

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• Referee

Know where his/her usual position is.

Mutual decision as to false starts.

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• Timers

Rotate the timers for 8 & under events if there’s a shallow end with less than 4 ft. of water.

For 8 & under heats - arrange with the Head Timer for a signal that timers are ready.

If high noise - arrange an arm signal to timers for the “Take your marks” command (usually for 8 & under).

Reminder to timers when starting a 100 meter event.

Flyover Starts

• The purpose of fly-over starts is to conserve time and to establish and maintain meet momentum.

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• Under ideal conditions and with appropriate cooperation from the swimmers, intervals between heats can be held to less than 20 seconds.

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• Fly-over starts are utilized only for 9/10 and older individual events that utilize a forward start (IM, FREESTYLE, BREASTSTROKE & BUTTERFLY).

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• Not to be used for all 8 & under events, Backstroke and relays.

Flyover Starts (cont’d)

• Conditions required:

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As swimmers finish their race, they MUST stay in the water, in a corner of the lane (not directly under the block), and close to the wall as the next heat is started over their heads. They should align their bodies straight up and down along the wall.

As soon as the outgoing race enters the water—but not before—the previous swimmers must promptly exit the pool. If there’s a false start, all swimmers exit (previous and outgoing), and the outgoing swimmers step up again.

Flyover Starts (cont’d)

• The procedure:

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When the final swimmer of the current heat touches the wall the Starter issues the “Step up” command to the next heat.

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Starter views the heat lane arrangement and within 4-5 seconds issues “Take your marks,” followed by the starting signal.

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The same process is then repeated for each additional heat. Intervals between events are similarly managed so as not to create delays.

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Flyover Starts (cont’d)

• Considerations:

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Because this procedure is time sensitive with few or no delays, upcoming swimmers must anticipate their next race, have caps and goggles in place, be properly situated behind their blocks and be immediately ready to mount the blocks on hearing the command, “Step Up.”

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Timers—need to be given time to complete the cards; they will adjust to your starting pace (within the 4-5 seconds during which you’re evaluating the next heat’s swimmer lane assignments from the COC p/w).

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Starter command sequence

• All commands:

Remember microphone position—immediately next to your mouth.

Relaxed & conversational delivery.

No jerks or lilts in tone of voice.

Save the songs.

Don’t ask—tell (no question mark on the end of your command).

Don’t yell (you have a microphone!).

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• For the first heat of each event—“Event #, Name of event, Heat #, Step Up” (“Step in” for Backstroke). “There will be # heats for this event.” (Your officials will love it if you add the last part in—at this time, you’re the only one on deck who knows)

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• For subsequent heats within that same event—“Heat #, Step Up/Step In. This is the # of # heats.

Issue this command when the last swimmer touches the wall. Make sure it’s the last swimmer.

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Start rules and commands (IM/FS/BR/BF)

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• “Step up”—Swimmers may assume any position—

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1. On the blocks.
2. Beside the blocks.
3. In the water (if starting there for a forward-starting stroke—must have at least one hand touching the wall or starting block).

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• At this point, some swimmers may go immediately into a Take Your Marks position—that’s OK, but they don’t have to, just yet.

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Start rules and commands (IM/FS/BR/BF)—cont’d

• “Take your marks”—Swimmers must assume a starting position:

One or both feet come to a forward position on the starting block.

Body movement must stop.

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Be patient--Allow swimmers to “set” and motion to stop before initiating the start. Beware of a backward setting motion after the swimmers’ hands come down to the start position.

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Younger swimmers—a variety of starting positions, as long as one or both feet are in a forward position on the starting block and (most) motion stops.

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Start rules and commands (IM/FS/BR/BF)—cont’d

• “Stand Up”—Issued to the field if too much time is taken for TYM to be achieved (3-4 sec.).

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Relieves the swimmer of maintaining “Take Your Marks.”

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Once “Stand Up” is issued, any resulting movement/water entry is not a false start.

Wait 2-3 seconds before the next “Take Your Mark.”

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If the same offender prompts another “Stand Up”, say “Lane ___, on the command ‘Take Your Marks’ please come down together with the rest of the field.”

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Wait 2-3 seconds before the next “Take Your Marks.”

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Start rules and commands—Backstroke

• “Step in”—Swimmers enter the water feet first and return to block.

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• “Place Your Feet”--Swimmers may assume any foot placement position on the wall; toes shall not be curled over a gutter or the edge of the pool (correct before proceeding). This is not necessary to say, but helpful.

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• On command, “Take your marks”, swimmers may assume any backstroke starting position.

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• Command “Stand Down” if too much time taken to assume a starting position.

Relieves the swimmer of maintaining “Take Your Marks.”

Once “Stand Down” is issued, any resulting movement is not a false start.

Wait 2-3 seconds before the next “Take Your Marks.”

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False Starts

• The Take Your Marks starting position rule requires a stationary position—not a motionless position.

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Imagine a swimmer in the TYM position. Extend an imaginary vertical line from above the swimmer, passing down the front just past the most forward part of the top of the head, and extending to the water line—establishing a vertical plane in front of the block.

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Breaking that plane, forward or backward, up or down, before the starting signal is given, results in a false start.

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Watch for movement relative to that plane.

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Twitching muscles, nervous back feet, etc. are “non-disqualifiable motions” and don’t count as false starts, as long as the starting position vertical plane is not broken before the starting signal.

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False Starts—cont’d

• Early takeoff—full-blown start after “Take Your Marks” and before the starting signal.
• Swimmer “rolls in” before “Stand up”.

“Stand Up” command relieves the swimmers of maintaining “Take Your Marks.“

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If a swimmer rolls in after “TYM” and before “Stand Up”, it’s an early takeoff (false start).

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If the command “Stand up” is given after “TYM” and before the swimmer rolls in, it’s not a false start.

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• If you see continued movement after “TYM” and can say “Stand Up” before anything happens—you might save a false start!

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False Starts—cont’d

• Announce:

“False start charged, lane #”.

“No false start charged” and reset the field.

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• Should have both the Starter & Referee agree as to a false start. If the Referee is busy elsewhere and it’s an obvious call, make it yourself. If there’s any doubt, the benefit of that doubt goes to the swimmer (“No false start charged”).

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• If a 2^nd false start is charged to same swimmer, it’s the Referee call to DQ the swimmer and the manner done.

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• If a swimmer (8&under especially) doesn’t recall, the Referee (or you, in his/her absence) to decide on swimming the heat over at later time.

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Miscellaneous

• IM/Relay starts

IM—Start from the blocks; “Event/Heat __, Step up.”

FS relay—Start from the blocks; “Event/Heat __, Leadoff swimmer, Step up.”

Medley relay—Start from the water; “Event/heat __, Leadoff swimmer, Step In.”

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• 8 &Under relays—For swimmers starting off a shallow end (less than 4 ft. of water): “Number 2 relay swimmers, using a feet first entry, please enter the water and take up a starting position on the wall.” The #4 swimmers enter on their coaches’ commands after the #2 swimmers leave the wall.

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• For all relays—“Swimmers, please remember to exit the water promptly upon the completion of your relay swim.” (Optional command)

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• Be ready to help judge early takeoffs for relay swims. Have the Referee provide instruction, if needed.

JRAC Certification Quiz

• Thank you for participating in the JRAC Starter Training. If you are participating in a Zoom training you are not required to do the next steps.

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• Now it is time for the quiz. Click on the link on the training page for Starter. A minimum passing score of 80% is required (28 correct).

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• Once quiz is submitted, certification is complete.

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