Swimming timekeeper duties, explained properly.
What a timekeeper actually does, the SW 11.3 rules for when watches disagree, how many timekeepers each lane needs, and the practical habits that stop a bad time getting into the results.
In short
A timekeeper starts their watch on the starting signal and stops it the instant the swimmer touches the wall. Swimming Australia's rule SW 11.3 runs three timekeepers per lane: if two agree, that time stands; if all three differ, the middle time is used. Run two watches instead and they disagree, and the two times are averaged with the thousandth dropped, not rounded (SW 11.3.3). Electronic timing always takes precedence over hand times when it's fitted (SW 11.1).
How to time a swimming race.
Get your lane and watch
Collect your stopwatch (or join your phone to the lane, for a phone-timed meet) and confirm which lane you're on for the heat.
Start on the signal
Start your watch the instant the starting signal sounds, the gun, horn or starter's call, not when the swimmer leaves the block.
Watch the finish, not the approach
Keep your eye on the wall in the final metre or two. Stop your watch the instant any part of the swimmer touches.
Report your time
Hand your card or call your time to the chief timekeeper straight away, and flag anything you weren't sure of before the next race starts.
The SW 11.3 resolution rules.
Two agree, out of three (SW 11.3.1)
Three timekeepers on the lane, two of them show the same time, that time is the official result. The third watch is set aside.
All three differ: the middle time (SW 11.3.2)
Three watches, no two agree, the middle of the three times becomes the result, not an average of all three.
Only two watches on the lane (SW 11.3.3)
Common at club level when only two timekeepers are rostered. If the two watches differ, the official time is the average of the two, with the resulting thousandth of a second dropped entirely rather than rounded up or down.
Electronic timing takes precedence (SW 11.1)
Whenever an automatic timing system is fitted and working, its time is the official time. Timekeepers' hand times become the backup rather than the result, used only if the electronic system fails on that lane.
How many timekeepers, really
SW 11.3 is written around three timekeepers per lane. In practice, many club nights run two per lane. The rule's average-of-two method (SW 11.3.3) is written for when one of three watches fails, and it is also how most club nights settle two watches. Swimming NSW's chief timekeeper training also recommends having two reserve timekeepers on hand for the whole meet, so a watch failure or a volunteer needing a break doesn't leave a lane short.
- 3 timekeepers per lane is the rule's full-strength setup
- 2 per lane is common practice, with the average-of-two rule covering disagreements
- 2 reserve timekeepers for the whole meet, per Swimming NSW chief timekeeper training
Where EasyMeet fits in
EasyMeet runs the same two-timekeeper-per-lane idea on phones instead of stopwatches: every phone starts together on one server-timed GO signal, and two timekeepers per lane are automatically averaged to a hundredth of a second, with a lane flagged for a manual check if the two taps are too far apart. A person still taps the finish, so this stays hand timing done properly, not an electronic touchpad system.
Timekeeper questions
How many timekeepers does each lane need?
Swimming Australia's rules (SW 11.3) are written around three timekeepers per lane. Many club nights run on two per lane, which is common at club level; it just changes how you settle a disagreement between watches (see below). Swimming NSW's chief timekeeper training also recommends two reserve timekeepers on hand for the whole meet, in case someone's watch fails or they need a break.
What happens if my two watches show different times?
If exactly two watches agree, that time stands (SW 11.3.1). If a lane runs on three watches and all three differ, the middle time is used (SW 11.3.2). If a lane only has two watches and they differ, the two times are averaged, with the resulting thousandth of a second dropped, not rounded up or down (SW 11.3.3).
What takes priority, my stopwatch or the electronic touchpad time?
The electronic time, whenever automatic timing equipment is in use. SW 11.1 gives automatic timing precedence over hand times. Hand timing from timekeepers is the backup and the standard method whenever there's no electronic system, which is most club nights and school carnivals.
When do I start and stop my watch?
Start on the starting signal itself, the gun, horn, or starter's call, not on the swimmer leaving the block. Stop the instant any part of the swimmer touches the wall or pad at the finish of their final length. Watch the touch, not the swimmer's approach, your eye needs to be on the wall in the last metre or two.
What if I mistime a race and realise straight after?
Tell your chief timekeeper immediately, before the next race if possible. It's far better to flag a doubtful time on the spot than to let a wrong time go into the results. Nobody will think less of you for speaking up.
Is there an official conversion between hand time and electronic time?
No. Unlike athletics, which has a well-known +0.24 second hand-to-electronic conversion, swimming has no official equivalent. Treat a hand time as its own standard, not an approximation of what an electronic system would have shown. See our guide to hand timing vs electronic timing for more on this.
Sources
- Swimming Australia Swimming Rules V2, 11 Jan 2024, hand timing SW 11: hosted copy (PDF)
- World Aquatics Competition Regulations (general reference): worldaquatics.com
Chief timekeeper staffing guidance (one chief plus ideally three timekeepers per lane, plus two reserves) reflects Swimming NSW's chief timekeeper training materials, cited generally rather than to a single public document.
Read next: hand timing vs electronic timing, every volunteer role, or how to run a swim meet. See phone swim timing in action, or browse the guides hub.
Two timekeepers a lane, auto-averaged, on phones.
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