Aquatics words · Intermediate

The words that make the commentary make sense. They build on the beginner words.

I · Intermediate · 64 words · Step 2 of 2

Artistic swimming

Basic terms

Acrobatic routine

A team routine, with four to eight athletes, built on a set number of acrobatic movements. It must have seven, one from each acrobatic group (A, B, C and P) and three of free choice, with a theme declared on the card.

Figures

Set movements judged separately in age-group competitions. Each of four or two figures is scored from 0 to 10 and the total is divided by the figures' degree of difficulty and multiplied by ten. Figures are not part of the senior Olympic programme.

Events and teams

Free combination

A routine of four to ten athletes that combines solo, duet and team parts. It is an age-group event, not an Olympic one.

Reserve

A listed athlete who may be swapped in before routine sessions, if the Referee is told in writing at least two hours before the first routine.

Routines and elements

Technical required elements

The set movements every technical routine must perform, in the order declared on the coach card. Omitting or changing one scores a zero difficulty for it, and swimming them out of order scores zero for each.

Hybrid

A free element built from skills in different families (for example thrusts and connections). A routine must include a skill from every family, and a hybrid is capped at five of one family and three of one technique.

Acrobatic

A lift, throw or other acrobatic movement, in groups A, B, C and P. A team may not repeat the same acrobatic, and duets may not repeat a pair acrobatic code.

Also called: acro

Transitions

The movements, propulsions and strokes that link elements. They are scored in Artistic Impression for execution and complexity.

Coach card

The form on which the coach declares each element and its difficulty before a session. Deviations from the card are errors; changes are due by 18:00 local time the day before the session.

Deck work

The walk-on to starting positions (up to 20 seconds in solo and duet, 30 in other events) and the ten seconds of movement before the water. Both count in the routine's timing.

Also called: walk-on, deck movements
See also: Routine, Events, Duet

Judging and scoring

Execution

The level of excellence in performing the skills in the routine's elements, scored from 0 to 10 in quarter points.

See also: Routine

Choreography and musicality

The creative skill of composing the routine: variety, innovation, pool coverage, how well the movements express the mood and structure of the music, and synchronisation with it.

See also: Routine

Performance

How the athletes present the routine to the audience, including the walk-on and deck movements, with body language showing power, confidence and command.

Base mark

The minimum degree of difficulty for a free element, applied when part of it is not performed as declared, when it is repeated, or when it exceeds limits.

Score scale

Routine scores run from 0 to 10 in 0.25 steps, with bands from perfect 10 and near perfect down to hardly recognisable and completely failed (zero).

See also: Routine

Tie-break

Ties go to the higher elements score, then the higher choreography and musicality score, then the higher verified total difficulty. In combined events the higher free routine score decides first.

Penalties

Routine penalties

Eight points for exceeding the walk-on or deck movement limits or the routine time, two points for a new start, and two for each element beyond the set number. Missing a skill family costs eight points.

Officials

Technical controllers

Officials who check the routine rather than score it: a difficulty technical controller and two assistants verify the declared elements, and three synchronisation controllers record errors. They may use video review.

See also: Routine

Referee

The official who runs the deck and sessions, signals the start of the accompaniment, approves penalties and results, and disqualifies athletes for rule violations.

The pool

Competition pool

For the Olympics and World Championships, an area of at least 30 m by 20 m at least 3 m deep, water not colder than 27 degrees, with underwater speakers and a starting platform 0.7 m high.

Diving

Diving terms

Award scale

The meaning of the marks: 10 is excellent, 8.5 to 9.5 very good, 7.0 to 8.0 good, 5.0 to 6.5 satisfactory, 2.5 to 4.5 deficient, 0.5 to 2.0 very deficient, and 0 for a dive that is completely failed.

Failed dive

A dive the referee declares failed, which scores 0. Reasons include performing a different dive from the one announced, a double bounce, a take-off from other than both feet, a twist 90 degrees or more out at the entry, and entering with the wrong part first.

Restart

When a diver stops during the run or take-off, the referee declares a restart and 2 points are taken off each judge's award. If the second attempt also fails, it is a failed dive.

Statement of dives

The signed list of the dives a diver will perform, with number, position, height and degree of difficulty. It is handed to the referee at least 24 hours before the preliminary, and can be changed before each later round within set times.

Unsafe dive

A dive in which the diver comes unsafely close to the board or platform, or touches the end of it with the head. The judges' maximum award is 2 points.

Mixed team event

A team of at least one woman and one man from the same federation, with no more than four divers. It has six dives in four rounds: a woman's and a man's dive on the 3 m springboard, a mixed synchronised dive, then the same on the 10 m platform.

Running and standing dive

Standing dives start from a stand at the front end, and running dives from a smooth forward run with the last step from one foot. Backward and inward dives must be standing. Front dives from the springboard and platform may be standing or running.

Direct line of flight

The straight path a dive should follow from take-off. A dive that goes to the side of it is deducted by each judge.

Diving technique terms

Reverse dive

A dive in group 3: the diver takes off facing the water and rotates backward toward the board or platform. From the springboard a reverse take-off may be standing or running.

Inward dive

A dive in group 4: the diver takes off with their back to the water and rotates forward toward the board or platform. The take-off must be standing.

Armstand dive

A platform dive in group 6 that starts with the diver balancing on their hands on the front end of the platform with the feet off it. A stationary, steady vertical balance is expected, and losing balance or putting a foot back down means a restart.

Synchronised diving

An event in which two divers of the same federation perform the same dive at the same time, and the dive is judged on how each executes it and how well they synchronise. At the Olympics and World Championships eleven judges score it: five for synchronisation and three for each diver.

Also called: synchro

The ruleHow is synchronised diving judged?

Rip entry

A very clean water entry that produces minimal splash, resembling the sound of tearing paper.

Swimming

Race formats

Direct final

A race swum as a final with no heats, for example when there are only enough swimmers for one heat.

Race format terms

Seeded heats

Heats arranged by entry times, with the fastest swimmers placed in the last heats. A heat needs at least three swimmers, and entries without a time are ranked last.

DQ

Disqualification, decided by the referee. A disqualified swimmer gets no time or placing in the results.

Also called: disqualification

Swim-off

An extra race to settle a tie for the last place in a semi-final or final, when it is a race of 200 m or shorter. For longer races in a ten-lane pool, tied swimmers may all be given lanes.

Mixed relay

A relay team of two men and two women. The Olympic programme has a mixed 4 x 100 m medley relay.

Rules and officials

Judges of stroke and inspectors of turns

Technical officials who watch that strokes, turns and finishes follow the rules. At the Olympics and World Championships there are four judges of stroke and a team of turn inspectors, and they report infractions to the referee.

Automatic officiating equipment

The timing system with touchpads that records each swimmer's time to one hundredth of a second and decides placings. Its times take precedence over timekeepers' watches.

Pacemaking

Acting as a pacemaker for another swimmer, or using a pacing device or plan, is not allowed. In open water, pacing a swimmer by another person entering the water is also banned.

Open water flags

In open water swimming a first infringement is shown by a yellow flag and a card with the swimmer's number. A second shows a red flag and disqualifies the swimmer. An unsporting act brings immediate disqualification.

15-metre mark

The distance after a start or turn by which a swimmer's head must have broken the surface in freestyle, backstroke and butterfly. Until then the swimmer may be fully submerged.

See also: Freestyle, Backstroke, Butterfly

Open water time limit and transponders

Swimmers who finish outside 15 minutes per 5 km (to a maximum of 120 minutes) after the first finisher can be removed. Each swimmer wears a transponder on each wrist and must finish with at least one.

Swimming technique terms

Catch phase

The part of the swimming stroke where the hand first grips the water before pulling through.

Bilateral breathing

Breathing on both sides during freestyle rather than always turning to the same side.

Underwater dolphin kick

A kick used under water after a start or turn. The rules limit how long a swimmer may stay under: the head must break the surface by the 15 m mark in freestyle, backstroke and butterfly.

See also: Freestyle, Backstroke, Butterfly

Pace clock

A large clock used during training to help swimmers time their intervals and rest periods.

Taper

A period of reduced training before a major competition, aimed at maximizing freshness and speed.

Negative split

Swimming the second half of a race faster than the first, a common pacing strategy in distance events.

Water polo

Basic terms

Penalty shoot-out

At World Aquatics events every game has a winner. A tie at full time goes to a shoot-out of five shots each, then sudden death by the same five players until one team scores and the other misses.

The pool

2 metre area

The zone 2 m from the goal line. An attacking player may not be inside the opponent's goal area except behind the line of the ball. Goal throws are taken from within it, and corner throws from the 2 m mark.

Exclusion re-entry area

A marked area, 2.0 m by 1.08 m, in each team's corner on the side opposite the table, where excluded players go and from which they or substitutes come back.

Flying substitution area

A strip beside the field of play on the team bench side. A substitute may enter from it when the player leaving and the substitute touch hands above the water, outside the field of play.

Players and officials

Video assistant referee

An official who reviews incidents such as violent actions and interference with a penalty throw, under a VAR protocol in the appendices.

Also called: VAR
See also: Penalty throw

Scoring and restarts

Neutral throw

A referee's throw of the ball into the field of play for both teams to contest, for example when fouls are called on both teams at once, or when the ball lodges in an overhead obstruction.

Fouls and exclusions

Tactical foul

An exclusion foul: a defender fouls a player in possession anywhere in the field with the intent to stop the flow of the attack.

Violent action

Kicking or striking, or trying to, with malicious intent. The player is excluded for the rest of the game, the other team gets a penalty throw, and a substitute may enter after four minutes of actual play.

Simultaneous exclusion

When players of opposing teams are excluded at the same time, both are out for 20 seconds, until the next change of possession or a goal. The possession clock is not reset.

Simulation

Pretending to be fouled, an ordinary foul that can bring a yellow card.

Cards and discipline

Misconduct

Unacceptable language, aggressive play, disrespect to a referee or official, or conduct that brings the game into disrepute. The player is excluded for the rest of the game and must leave the area.

Tactical terms

Centre forward

The attacker who plays close to the goal, near the 2 m line, to receive passes and draw fouls.

Also called: hole set, two-metre player

Driver

An outside attacker who swims towards goal to take a pass or open space for others.

Press

A defence that marks attackers closely high up the pool to stop passing and force a turnover or the end of the possession time.

All Aquatics words