SECTION 12
SWIMMING AND DIVING
GENERAL INFORMATION
:A. Swimming and Diving is a classified event with two state championships (AAAAA and the combined AAAA/
AAA/AA/A).
1. Boys and girls compete for separate championships in each class.
2. Beginning and ending dates for practice and competition can be found at the front of this publication.
3. The maximum number of contests for swimming is ten (10) exclusive of the state meet.
4. Only one meet may be held per week on a night preceding a school day. A night meet is defined as
beginning at 6:00 p.m., or later.
5. It is permissible for coaches to use “split squads” during the regular season. However, the use of split
squads will count as two (2) of that school’s maximum allowed competitions.
B. The National Federation Swimming Rules shall be the official rules for all GHSA competitions with the exception
of any special regulations found in this section.
C. In those school systems where facilities are limited and one coach is hired to coach more than one high school
team, or coaches from several schools use the same facility, the gathering of these students for practice
GEORGIA HIGH SCHOOL ASSOCIATION 81
purposes will not violate GHSA regulations. Competitions between schools during these practice sessions
must be avoided unless they are counted within the number of allowable contests.
D. Each school with a participating student(s) must have a school representative present at all GHSA meets.
E. ORDER OF EVENTS: (boys events precede girls events)
1. 200-yard Medley Relay
2. 200-yard Freestyle
3. 200-yard Individual Medley
4. 50-yard Freestyle
5. 1 Meter Diving
6. 100-yard Butterfly
7. 100-yard Freestyle
8. 500-yard Freestyle
9. 200-yard Freestyle Relay
10. 100-yard Backstroke
11. 100-yard Breaststroke
12. 400-yard Freestyle Relay
STATE MEET (GENERAL INFORMATION):
A. In order to participate in the State Swimming and Diving Meet:
1. A participant must qualify at a meet governed by National Federation and GHSA rules.
2. Qualifying times are listed at the end of this section, and entry deadlines must be met.
3. Proof of performance (POP) for swimming events must be verified by two GHSA coaches who are in
attendance at that meet.
B. All eligible relay swimmers must be listed on the entry form. It shall not count as an entry unless the competitor
actually competes in the event. Any individual listed on the entry form may swim in the prelims, swim-offs, and/
or finals provided he does not exceed the permitted entry limit for the meet.
C. Qualifying standards for the State Meet will be established by the GHSA Executive Director.
D. A coaches’ meeting will be held at the site preceding both the diving competition and the swimming competition.
E. Only the coaches/faculty members listed on the entry form will have access to the pool deck.
F. Rules and Restrictions for Meet Entries:
1. A school may enter only one (1) relay team per event.
2. A school may not have more than four (4) entries in an event in which the contestants compete as
individuals.
3. A contestant may enter a maximum of four (4) events, no more than two (2) of which are individual events.
G. No team points will be allowed to a swimmer or relay team if the qualifying standard for that event is not met or
bettered in either the prelims or the finals. No team points will be awarded to divers if they do not equal or
better the qualifying point total for eleven (11) dives.
H. Reservation of seating space for spectators is not allowed.
I. The State Diving Championships will be held February 6-7, 2008, and the State Swimming Championships will
be held February 7-9, 2008 at The Westminster School, Atlanta.
SCHEDULE OF EVENTS:
Wednesday, February 6 1:00 p.m. Diving – AAAA/AAA/AA/A
Thursday, February 7 10:00 a.m. Diving – AAAAA
5:00 p.m. Prelims – AAAAA
Friday, February 8 5:00 p.m. Prelims – AAAA/AAA/AA/A
Saturday, February 9 1:00 p.m. Finals – AAAAA
6:00 p.m. Finals – AAAA/AAA/AA/A
82 GEORGIA HIGH SCHOOL ASSOCIATION
J. Team championships will be determined by scoring sixteen (16) places as noted in the National Federation
Swimming Rule Book. The top eight (1-8) qualifiers will compete in the championship heat, and the next eight
(9-16) will compete in the consolation heat.
K. The lead-off 50-yard Freestyle split in the 200-yard Freestyle Relay, and the lead-off 100-yard Freestyle split in
the 400-yard Freestyle Relay will be considered for State records in their respective events. NOTE: If the relay
team is disqualified for any reason, the lead-off time will not count for qualifying or for a state record.
L. Admission fee for the GHSA State Swimming and Diving Championship is $7.00 per day, or, 2 days for $10.00,
3 days for $15.00, 4 days for $20.00.
M. Free admission will be allowed for the following: 1. Swimmers and divers qualified and entered in the State
Meet; 2. Coaches that are listed on the Swimming and Diving Coaches list; 3. Four girls and four boys designated
as substitutes by the coach on the team list; 4. Two team attendants or trainers as listed on the team
roster; 5. Those normally allowed free admission, such as with GHSA passes, will continue to be admitted by
signing the pass list.
STATE MEET (ELIGIBILITY/PROCEDURES):
DIVING
A. A diver may become eligible for the State Meet using a 6-dive sheet or an 11-dive sheet.
1) 6-DIVE FORMAT: This format is slightly different than the normal 6-dive dual meet format as defined in the
NFHS Rule Book. If the 6-dive format is utilized and submitted, the first dive will continue to be from the
group as specified by the NFHS and in the NFHS Rule Book. The first dive will maintain its assigned
degree of difficulty, unless it is more than 1.8, in which case it will receive no more than 1.8 degree of
difficulty. Dives 2-6 shall be one dive from each of the 5 groups (forward, backward, reverse, inward, and
twisting). The degree of difficulty of dives 2-6 when totaled shall be equal to or more than 10.4 for both
boys and girls. The score to be achieved must be 200 points or more.
2) 11-DIVE FORMAT: If the 11-dive format is utilized and submitted, it will be on the official 11-dive sheet.
For girls, the minimum degree of difficulty for optional dives shall be 11.5 when totaled and the score to be
achieved must be 270 points or more. For boys, the minimum degree of difficulty for optional dives shall
be 12.0 when totaled and the score to be achieved must be 270 points or more.
B. In both the 6-dive and 11-dive formats, the meet must be scored by at least, but not limited to, 3 judges. The
official dive sheet that is submitted must be completed with all necessary signatures and information provided,
such as phone, and e-mail information for the coach and diver.
C. Proof of Performance:
1. Only one Proof of Performance (POP) diving sheet per diver may be submitted to the GHSA office. The
coach of a diver who has qualified for the state championships via a six or eleven-dive meet must record the
diver’s performance with no point total on the gasports.com link from the ghssca.com website within seven
days of the performance.
2. If the diver meets a qualifying score with the proper degree of difficulty required and with the diving sheet
approved and signed by an official from a recognized GHSA officiating organization, the coach must submit the
performance as a qualifier for the state championships on the gasports.com link from the ghssca.com website.
3. The coach must also fax a copy of the qualifying dive sheet and the intent dive sheet for the state championships
to the GHSA office, in the time required, for confirmation that the diver did indeed qualify for the state
championship.
4. If the dive sheet is in any way incorrect, the name of the diver will be removed from the gasports.com
website and the coach notified of the infraction that denied the diver from qualifying.
D. To prepare for the diving competition, the 11-dive sheet to be used in the state meet must be submitted for the
eligible diver to the GHSA office by 4 p.m. on Monday, January 28, 2008. This sheet must be completed with
the signatures, phone number and e-mail address of both the diver and the coach. A diver will automatically be
entered in the State Meet upon receipt of the actual diving sheet by the deadline, and approval of the actual
diving sheet by the GHSA. If changes are to be made, they must be made at the championship venue by 6 p.m.
Tuesday, February 5, 2008.
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E. If a school has more than four (4) divers per gender that have been deemed eligible after official approval of
the POP sheet, the school may submit a maximum of four (4) and only four (4) diving sheets per gender by the
deadline.
F. The Meet Director for the State Diving Meet will have jurisdiction over the method of announcing the diving.
G. The Westminster diving pool will be available for diving practice from 4-6 p.m., Tuesday, February 5.
H. Boys will dive first in the odd-numbered years (2009, 2011), and the girls will dive first in the even-numbered
years (2008, 2010).
SWIMMING:
A. Coaches shall submit all of their Proof of Performances on the Georgia High School Swimming Coaches
Association (GHSSCA) web site found at www.ghssca.com. All eligible relay swimmers must be listed on the
site. It shall not count as an entry unless the swimmer actually competes in the event. Detailed submission
instructions are also available on the web site. At the end of the dual meet season, the web site will be closed
to accepting new submissions and time will be given for coaches to make their final entry decisions. The coach
must make the actual entry for the swimmer to compete in the State Meet on the GHSSCA web site by Wednesday,
January 30, 2008 at 4:00 p.m.
B. Qualifying times are as follows:
BOYS EVENT GIRLS
1:52.00 200 yard Medley Relay 2:08.00
1:56.00 200 yard Freestyle 2:08.00
2:12.00 200 yard Individual Medley 2:24.00
23.50 50 yard Freestyle 26.50
58.00 100 yard Butterfly 1:05.00
52.00 100 yard Freestyle 58.50
5:20.00 500 yard Freestyle 5:40.00
1:41.50 200 yard Freestyle Relay 1:54.00
1:00.00 100 yard Backstroke 1:06.00
1:08.50 100 yard Breaststroke 1:16.00
3:46.00 400 yard Freestyle Relay 4:14.00
DEADLINES:
SUBJECT DATE TIME
Dive – POP Within 1 week of performance
Swim – POP Within 1 week of performance
Dive – Last POP Monday, January 28 4:00 p.m.
Swim – Last POP Monday, January 28 4:00 p.m.
Dive – Dive sheet for State Monday, January 28 4:00 p.m.
Swim – Actual meet entry Wednesday, January 30 4:00 p.m.
Dive – Changes on State sheet Tuesday, February 5 6:00 p.m.