How to Host a Meet

There are 2 x main costs with hosting a competitive club meet:

1. Technical Officials to run your meet
2. Timing system equipment and operators to run it

The New Simple Structure

We’re introducing two categories of Technical Officials in Swimming Wide Bay, Lead and Support Technical Officials. 

Lead Technical Officials (Paid Positions)

These are our accredited Technical Officials who keep meets running smoothly and according to Swimming Queensland guidelines. A meet requires a minimum of seven (7) Lead TOs, including:

• Referee
• Starter
• Inspector of Turns (x2)
• Judge of Strokes (x2)
• Timing Operator

Note: Lead TOs can choose to volunteer their time unpaid to support their home club swim meet. If you have any difficulty sourcing or funding your TO team please reach out directly with Swimming Wide Bay.

Support Technical Officials (Volunteer Positions)

These roles now require no formal training and are unpaid, making it easier for clubs to engage their volunteer community & manage meet costs:

• Check-starter
• Chief Timekeeper
• Clerk of Course (Marshall)
• Announcer
• Timing Operator
• Assistant/Runner
• Back-up Timekeepers for Friday/Distance events

Although there are no formal training requirements for these positions, we do encourage people interested in these Support TO roles to become accredited. This will enable them to be eligible to officiate and be remunerated at our Swimming Wide Bay championship events, as well as continue on a pathway to officiating at State and National events. Please note that if your club needs to source Support Technical Officials from another club they are entitled to be remunerated for their time.

Remuneration schedule

• Trainee TO (with online COES certification): $60/day
• Accredited Level 1 (6+ full-day meets experience): $125/day
• Accredited Level 2 (2+ years experience): $175/day
• Accredited Level 3 (Referee & TOs with 4yrs+ experience): $250/day*
• Timing System Operator/Meet Manager: Individually negotiated

*Note: Maximum of two Level 3 TOs at $250/day per meet

Swimming Wide Bay Championships

For our Championship events, all officials (including Support TOs) will need SwimCentral accreditation and will be paid for their time.

New Structure Summary

• Aim is to reduce meet costs for host clubs and allows clubs more flexibility to engage their volunteer base
• Lead TOs can choose to volunteer their time unpaid to support their home club swim meet.
• You can now nominate your own Lead TOs or ask Swimming Wide Bay to help source them for your meet
• We’ve removed the mandatory requirement that to be eligible to host a meet, clubs would need to nominate at least one (1) club member to be a Lead TO or Trainee TO on the day

Timing Equipment and Operators

Running a successful Swimming Wide Bay meet requires the right timing equipment and a qualified operator. Here’s what you need to know:

Timing System Requirements

Different meets have different timing needs.

Development meets: You can use manual (stopwatch) or semi-automatic systems

Transition and Preparation meets: Semi-automatic systems are required

Hiring Equipment and Operators

Need timing equipment or an operator? Here’s how to get help.

Equipment Hire: When you complete the ‘SWB Swim Meet Host Expression of Interest Form’, let Swimming Wide Bay know if you need to hire a timing system.

Timing System Operator: You’ll need an accredited operator who can:

• Bring and set up equipment
• Load the meet file
• Test the system before the meet
• Check times for every race
• Run the Meet Manager system throughout the event

Extra Support

If your club doesn’t have someone who can create the meet file, the timing operator can help – but this will be an additional charge.

Don’t have an accredited operator? Swimming Wide Bay can help you find one.

Training Opportunity

Swimming Wide Bay encourages clubs to train their own timing system operators. They offer mentoring and on-the-job training to help your team become confident and self-sufficient.