England, Scotland and Wales are in alignment over the training of swimming officials. This means training is standardised across the UK. Read on for details of the demands of each level of training, and the forms to apply.
England, Scotland and Wales have been working towards common standards in the education and training of all swimming officials.
All three Home Countries now use FINA Technical Rules. As such, trained officials are listed as British Swimming Officials. Below is a description of the various training available.
Look at the bottom of this page for regional information on organising officials qualifications and training.
Timekeeper
This is an introduction into the world of the swimming official. It covers the practical aspects of what is required of a timekeeper by means of a short theory session, which can be delivered face to face or undertaken online, followed by a demonstration of practical competence.
The minimum recommended age for candidates to undertake this training is 14 years, and all need to be registered members of a British Swimming affiliated club or member of the Institute of Swimming (IoS).
Judge Level 1
The theory element of the training is delivered online and can be accessed at www.swimming.org/ios/courses-officials-volunteers/
(If you are already a qualified timekeeper and wish to undertake Judge 1 training, you can request access to the appropriate course from swimmingofficials@swimming.org ).
Once their theory training is complete and registered, candidates will be provided with a log book which explains the next part of the process, along with local contacts to guide them through their practical experience. Clear guidance is now included on suggested timescales for completing each competence, with a time limit of 11 months being introduced.
Upon completion of all Judge 1 training individuals will automatically be issued with their first licence, which will be valid for 4 years, which then enable them to apply to volunteer at all events up to and including National level.
Access to additional support is available on request at any point during the training process, either from your Club, County or Regional Officials Coordinators or via swimmingofficials@swimming.org
(If you have been provided with a voucher to access a closed course for your Region/County please ensure that you register using the link provided with the voucher and not the one above, which is for the national course.)
Judge Level 2
This is the second level of qualification. It encompasses the role and duties in relation to all aspects of judging and the theoretical role and duties of Starter.
The minimum age to start training is 16 years and candidates must a have already qualified as Judge Level 1 and undertaken 20 hours post qualification poolside work in the role of a Judge 1. The training is made up of instruction on the theoretical aspects of the role and mentored pool side training with a workbook, which allows the candidate to demonstrate practical competence prior to qualification.
When qualified, candidates will be attributed with the qualification Judge Level 2 on the British Swimming Database.
Judge Level 2S - Starter
Candidates wishing to qualify as a Starter will be required hold the Judge Level 2 qualification and have completed a minimum of 20 hours post qualification experience as Judge Level 2.
Training will consist of a prescribed number of practical experiences as a Starter before undertaking a formal practical assessment.
Successful candidates will be attributed with the Starter qualification: Judge Level 2.
Referee
The minimum age for training is 19 years providing the candidate is aged 20 years as at 30 November in the year of the theory examination.
This course contains theoretical instruction and specified practical experiences. It is followed by a formal examination in November after which successful candidates take a final poolside practical assessment leading to qualification as a British Swimming Referee.
Several months have been allocated between registration and the formal examination to enable candidates to undertake all the practical experience required to complete the course as well as the theoretical instruction.
The closing date for application for training in 2025 will be 31 January 2025.
2025 Exam Dates
- Saturday 10 May 2025 (2024 candidates only)
- Saturday 8 November 2025
The pre-requisites and application process for Referee training are available here: Aquatics GB Referee Training Process. Please ensure that you have familiarised yourself with them before applying for training.
- Applications for the November 2025 exam are now open – Application form
The importance of insurance
All clubs, promoters and competition organisers are reminded that, for insurance purposes, all those officiating on poolside at any competition must be registered members of a British Swimming affiliated club or a member of the Institute of Swimming.