Swimming carnival program template.
Set your lanes and age groups, add events with nomination counts, and get a printable program and run sheet, plus a CSV you can drop into a spreadsheet.
Age groups
Events
Carnival program
8 lanes · 2 events · 5 heats total
| Event # | Event | Age group | Nominations | Heats needed | Swimmers per heat |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 50m Freestyle | 10 Yrs | 24 | 3 | 8 + 8 + 8 |
| 2 | 50m Backstroke | 10 Yrs | 14 | 2 | 6 + 8 |
The rules behind the run sheet.
Swimming Australia's Swimming Rules set out exactly how heats and lanes should be seeded (rule SW 3). The number of heats an event needs comes straight from nominations divided by lanes, rounded up: 24 swimmers on 8 lanes is 3 heats, 17 swimmers on 8 lanes is still 3 heats, just with 7 fewer swimmers spread across the final one. Each heat needs at least 3 swimmers where there are 2 or more heats, and swimmers with no recorded time are seeded into the slowest heat.
Lane seeding puts the fastest seed times in the centre of the pool, not lane 1. On 8 lanes the order is lane 4, then 5, 3, 6, 2, 7, 1, 8; on 6 lanes it is 3, 4, 2, 5, 1, 6. For the final heat specifically: with exactly 2 heats, the fastest swimmers race in heat 2; with 3 heats, heat 3; with 4 or more heats, the fastest go in the last heat and the next-fastest in the second-last, except that 400 m, 800 m and 1500 m events only seed their last two heats this way.
This tool calculates heats needed from your nomination counts and lane count, and shows you the seeding order for your chosen lane count as a reference while you build heat sheets by hand or in your entries system. It doesn't hold individual swimmer names or seed times, so it can't assign a swimmer to a specific lane for you.
Program and run sheet questions
How many heats do we need for an event?
Divide the number of nominations by your lane count and round up. 24 nominations on 8 lanes needs 3 heats; 17 nominations on 8 lanes still needs 3 heats, since the last heat just runs with fewer swimmers.
Which lane should the fastest swimmer go in?
Swimming Australia's rules put the fastest seed time in the most central lane, then alternate outward. On 8 lanes that is 4, 5, 3, 6, 2, 7, 1, 8; on 6 lanes it is 3, 4, 2, 5, 1, 6. For 10 lanes the official rule doesn't say, so this tool extends the same centre-out pattern.
How is the last heat seeded?
With 2 heats, the fastest swimmers go in heat 2. With 3 heats, they go in heat 3. With 4 or more heats, the fastest go in the last heat, next fastest in the second-last, and so on, except for 400 m, 800 m and 1500 m events, where only the last two heats are seeded that way.
Can I reorder events after adding them?
Yes, use the up and down arrows next to each event to set your running order before you print or export.
Does this assign actual swimmers to heats and lanes?
No. This tool works out how many heats each event needs from your nomination count and shows the lane seeding pattern as reference. It doesn't hold swimmer names or seed times; for that, a full meet program needs a proper entries system.
Running the carnival? EasyMeet times it on phones once your program is set. See more free tools, or read about club night software and how it works.
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