4 Hour Rule Clarification For 12 & Under Swimmers

Coaches & FL Chartered Clubs,

Over the past few weeks, I have received multiple questions regarding the 4-hour rule for 12 & under swimmers (USA Swimming rule 205.3.1(F), FS Rule 233.5). I would like to clarify the rule, and hopefully answer any questions that have arisen, or may arise in the future.

USA Swimming’s rule 205.3.1 (F) states:

“With the exception of championship meets, the program in all other age group competition

shall be planned to allow the events for swimmers 12 years and younger to be completedin four (4) hours or less for a timed finals session or in a total of eight (8) hours orless per day for a preliminaries and finals meet. “and Florida Swimming’s rule 233.5 states:

“Clubs hosting meets, other than FS Championships are required to complete each session withinfour (4) hours. Exceptions: 1) those events, 800 or longer, offered at the end of a session forswimmers 13 years of age and older; 2) League/Area Championships; 3) weather conditions orautomatic timing machine problems that delay the meet. Verification is per Meet Referee Report,with consideration of pre-meet computer timeline with thirty (30) seconds between heats.”

Much of the question about the rule has been as to whether a new session, on the same day, with the same 12 & under swimmers, would be counted independently or included in the overall 4-hour time listed in both rules. Any session including the same 12 & under swimmers in a day would count toward the overall 4-hour rule. For example, if 9-10 age group swimmers are listed in the Saturday morning session as well as the Saturday afternoon session of a timed finals meet, the total time of both of those sessions (except as noted in FS Rule 233.5) would count toward the rule. Each of those sessions would only be counted independently if the 12 & under swimmers in each session were of different, exclusive, age groups (i.e. 11-12’s in the morning, 10 & unders in the afternoon). This clarification has been confirmed with Dan McAllen, USA Swimming Rules Committee Chairman.

I hope that this has addressed many of the issues/questions regarding this matter. If you have any additional questions, please feel free to contact me.

Sincerely,

Matt Wilson
Florida Swimming
Officials Chairman