Anchor: The fourth and final swimmer in a relay

Block: The starting platform.

Bull-pen: The staging area where swimmers wait to receive their lane and heat assignments for an event.

Circle Swimming: Performed by staying to the right of the black line when swimming in a lane.

Championship Meet: The meet held at the season’s end. Qualification times may be needed to enter.

Cut: Another term for qualifying time, a time standard necessary to attend a particular meet or event.

DQ or Disqualification: Occurs when an official observes a rule violation by the swimmer. A disqualified swimmer cannot receive awards or use the result as an official time.

Drill: An exercise involving isolation of a portion or part of a stroke, used to improve technique.

Dry Land Training: Exercises and various strength regimens swimmers do out of the water. Aids and enhances swimming performance.

Dual Meet: Type of meet where two teams compete against each other.

False Start: Occurs when a swimmer is moving at the starting signal. In USA Swimming, one false start will generally result in disqualification.

Finish: The final phase of the race: the touch at the end of the race.

Goal:  A specific time achievement a swimmer sets and strives for. Can be for the short term or long-term.

I.M.: Short for individual medley, an event in which one swimmer swims equal distances of each stroke in the following order: butterfly, backstroke, breaststroke, and freestyle.

Interval: A specific elapsed time for swimming or rest used during practice.

Meet: Competition designed to be a learning experience. By implementing what has been learned in practice, swimmers test themselves against the clock to mark improvement.

Official: A judge on the deck of the pool at a competition who enforces rules.

Pace Clock: Large clock with a large second hand and a smaller minute hand, used to check pace or maintain intervals in practice. May also be digital.

Qualifying Times: Published times necessary to enter certain meets.

Relay: An event in which four swimmers compete together as a team to achieve one time.

Short Course: A pool 25 yards or meters long. USA Swimming conducts most of its winter competition in short course.

Streamline: The position used to gain maximum distance during a start and/or push-off from the wall in which the swimmer’s body is as tight as it can be. Very important!

USA Swimming: The national governing body for amateur competitive swimming in the United Sates.

Warm Up: Low intensity swimming used by a swimmer prior to a main practice set or race to get muscles loose and warm and gradually increase heart rate and respiration.