Our Club could not organise its programme of annual meets without the support of  our ASA qualified Officials. These meets are important in providing our swimmers with competition and in the case of our Annual Autumn Open Meet, are an important source of funds for the Club. 

Becoming an Official is a rewarding way to get more involved in the sport and helps you to play an active role in the well-being of the Club. A brief description of the ASA roles follows on below:-

Look at the bottom of this page for regional information on organising officials qualifications and training.

 

Timekeeper

This is an introduction into the world of the swimming official. It covers the practical aspects of what is required of a timekeeper by means of a short theory session, which can be delivered face to face or undertaken online, followed by a demonstration of practical competence.

The minimum recommended age for candidates to undertake this training is 14 years, and all need to be registered members of a British Swimming affiliated club or member of the Institute of Swimming (IoS).

Judge level 1

The theory element of the training is delivered online and can be accessed at www.swimming.org/ios/courses-officials-volunteers/

(If you are already a qualified timekeeper and wish to undertake Judge 1 training, you can request access to the appropriate course from [email protected] ).

Once their theory training is complete and registered, candidates will be provided with a log book which explains the next part of the process, along with local contacts to guide them through their practical experience. Clear guidance is now included on suggested timescales for completing each competence, with a time limit of 11 months being introduced.

Upon completion of all Judge 1 training individuals will automatically be issued with their first licence, which will be valid for 4 years, which then enable them to apply to volunteer at all events up to and including National level.

Access to additional support is available on request at any point during the training process, either from your Club, County or Regional Officials Coordinators or via [email protected]

(If you have been provided with a voucher to access a closed course for your Region/County please ensure that you register using the link provided with the voucher and not the one above, which is for the national course.)

Judge Level 2

This is the second level of qualification. It encompasses the role and duties in relation to all aspects of judging and the theoretical role and duties of Starter.

The minimum age to start training is 16 years and candidates must a have already qualified as Judge Level 1 and undertaken 20 hours post qualification poolside work in the role of a Judge 1. The training is made up of instruction on the theoretical aspects of the role and mentored pool side training with a workbook, which allows the candidate to demonstrate practical competence prior to qualification.

When qualified, candidates will be attributed with the qualification Judge Level 2 on the British Swimming Database.

Judge Level 2S - Starter

Candidates wishing to qualify as a Starter will be required hold the Judge Level 2 qualification and have completed a minimum of 20 hours post qualification experience as Judge Level 2.

Training will consist of a prescribed number of practical experiences as a Starter before undertaking a formal practical assessment.

Successful candidates will be attributed with the Starter qualification: Judge Level 2.

Referee

The minimum age for training is 19 years providing the candidate is aged 20 years as at 30 November in the year of the theory examination.

This course contains theoretical instruction and specified practical experiences. It is followed by a formal examination in November after which successful candidates take a final poolside practical assessment leading to qualification as a British Swimming Referee.

Several months have been allocated between registration and the formal examination to enable candidates to undertake all the practical experience required to complete the course as well as the theoretical instruction.

The closing date for application for training in 2025 was 31 January 2025.

2025 Exam Dates

 

  • Saturday 10 May 2025 (2024 candidates only)
  • Saturday 8 November 2025