Which rules decide whether a swimmer qualifies for a meet

Read the sources in this order

1. The meet package or event information for that competition. It decides entry for that meet, and it can override or add to the general rules.
2. Swimming Canada’s current standards and rules. Reach them from Swimming Canada’s own pages, for anything the meet package refers to or leaves open.
3. Provincial material, where it applies. A provincial competition, or a meet package that points to provincial standards or rules, brings those documents in too.

If two sources seem to disagree, ask the meet organizer or your coach before entries close rather than assuming which one applies.

Questions to verify for every meet

The answers change from meet to meet. Look for each one in the meet package:

• Age date. On which date is a swimmer’s age counted for this meet?
• Qualifying period. Between which dates must the qualifying time have been swum?
• Accepted course. Does the meet accept times from long course, short course, or both?
• Converted times. Are times from the other course accepted after conversion, and if so, whose conversion method applies?
• Number of standards. How many qualifying times, or which standards, does a swimmer need to enter, and does that limit how many events they may swim?
• Proof of time. Must the time appear in an official results database, or can the meet ask for other evidence?

Why there is no single answer

National championships, provincial championships, invitational meets and club meets each publish their own package. Two meets in the same season can set different qualifying periods or accept different courses, so a time that qualifies for one may not qualify for another.