By-Laws

Bluegrass Swim Conference

By - Law's

Revised November 16, 2011

ARTICLE I. MISSION STATEMENT

ARTICLE II. QUALIFICATIONS FOR MEMBERSHIP ORGANIZATIONS

ARTICLE III. QUALIFICATIONS OF PARTICIPANTS

ARTICLE IV. SWIM MEETS

ARTICLE V. MEET OFFICIALS

ARTICLE VI. CONFERENCE CHAMPIONSHIP MEET

ARTICLE VII. CONDUCTING BUSI NESS MEETINGS

ARTICLE VIII. SCHOLARSHIP AWARD

ARTICLE IX. SPORTSMANSHIP AWARD

ARTICLE I. MISSION STATEMENT

1. Fun for all participants.

2. Broad-based participation encompassing all skill levels.

3. Training for competition.

   1. Team emphasis

   2. Swimming skills

   3. Conditioning

   4. Sportsmanship

ARTICLE II. OUALIFICATIONS FOR MEMBERSHIP ORGANIZATIONS

Each member team:

1. Must petition for conference membership.

   1. Approved by the BGSC President and Committee.

   2. Each member team will provide to the BGSC President and committee a statement of their team's structure and qualifications by June 5 of each year.

   3. Each member team will provide to the BGSC President and committee a verification of team's roster (swimmers name, age, birth date, and sex) and club membership by the third meet of the season each year.

2. Must be a recreation/sports oriented social club which is interested in promoting amateur swimming and has paid such dues and fees to the BGSC.

3. Swim teams may not have over 100 swimmers listed on their roster.

4. Each team will pay dues of $250.00 to the BGSC President by June 5 of each year. $50.00 will be assessed for late payment of dues and or failure to attend any scheduled BGSC meeting.

ARTICLE Ill. QUALIFICATIONS OF PARTICIPANTS

1. Age

   1. For a swimmer to be eligible to compete, he or she must not have reached his or her nineteenth (19) birthday before June 2. The age of the swimmer on June 1 is the age he or she will compete the entire summer.

   2. The exception to the age rule -Swimmers are eligible through the summer of their senior year in High School.

2. Participants must be regular members of the swim club or swim organization for which they participate according to their team's structure and qualifications

3. One coach per team may swim as long as they meet all other qualifications within Article Ill.

4. Lifeguards or other summer employees of the member club/organization may compete in regular club/organization for at least two (2) years.

5. No swimmer may compete for more than one team in the BGSC and for another summer conference team. (This does not include USA or Y teams.)

ARTICLE IV. SWIM MEETS

1. DUAL MEETS

In dual meets, at pools with 6 or 8 lanes, each team is allowed three official entries for the first heat of each event. A team may not score swimmers in the first three places of an individual event. If a team’s swimmers place first, second and third, the team may only score in the first two places and the visiting team's first swimmer to finish receives the third place score. Only one relay per team may score.

Scoring for a dual meet will be as follows:

INDIVIDUAL EVENTS: 1^st place - 5 points

2^nd place – 3 points

3^rd place – 1 point

RELAYS: 1^st place – 7 points

2^nd place – 2 points

2. TRI-MEETS

In tri-meets, at pools with 6 or 8 lanes, each team is allowed two official entries for the first heat of each event. A team may not score swimmers in the first three places of an individual event. If a team’s swimmers place first, second and third, the team may only score in the first two place s and the visiting team’s first swimmer to finish receives the third place score. Only one relay per team may score.

Scoring for a tri-meet will be as follows:

INDIVIDUAL EVENTS: 1^st place - 5 points

2^nd place – 3 points

3^rd place – 1 point

RELAYS: 1^st place – 7 points

2^nd place – 3 points

3^rd place – 1 point

Ribbons will be awarded to the actual finisher. A team may enter numerous entries in subsequent heats of each event (if time allows and agreed upon by both teams' coaches). These entries are not scored but receive exhibition ribbons.

Only one relay team from each club is permitted to score.

3. Each swimmer may swim one race in each of the following strokes: freestyle. backstroke, butterfly, individual medley, breaststroke, freestyle relay and medley relay in their age group pr above.

4. A swimmer must compete in at least 2 regular season meets to qualify for the conference championship. Intramural meets or out of conference dual meets do not count towards a swimmers 2 required meets. Hardship cases or exceptions may be petitioned to the BGSC President and committee prior to the conference meet.

5. Unless otherwise stated or understood by the conference, USA Swim Rules apply. (Exceptions: age requirement and 2 false starts). It is the responsibility of each coach to be aware of these rules and keep their swimmers informed.

6. All dual meets will start at 5:00 p.m. Warm-ups should start at 4:30 p.m. It is the responsibility of the host meet to contact the visiting team on details of the meet. Do not leave your club or pool without verification from the home team. Please try and notify a visiting team of rain cancellations at least a half-hour before that team would be leaving its home pool to make the trip.

7. Lane assignments will be made by alternating lanes. Away team lanes will always be 1, 3, and 5. Home team lanes will always be 2, 4, and 6. Pools with 5 lanes will use the outside lane (the lane farthest from the starter) as an exhibition lane.

8. Standard conference forms for scoring meets will be used and provided by the home team.

9. Only swimmers who finish without help or disqualification will receive points for scoring. Swimmers will keep their place ribbon even if a disqualification has taken place.

10. No coach or parent, other than the two assigned as scorers, is allowed at the scorer’s table. All protests shall be made with the meet referee. The meet referee has the right to disqualify a team if this rule is not followed.

11. If threatening weather occurs during a meet, each coach and a parent representative will make the decision as to continuation of the meet. Teams must wait a minimum of one hour before making final decision regarding dual meet. A meet may be deemed final after completion of Event # 29 (backstroke).

12. All relays in dual meets or conference championship must have at least one female swimmer.

ARTICLE V. MEET OFFICIALS

1. All teams are required to have league certified officials. Number of officials per team is determined by team size. Teams having 33 or less swimmers are required to have 1 official. Teams with 34 to 66 swimmers are required to have 2 officials. Teams with 67 to 100 swimmers are required to have 3 officials. USA and YMCA official certifications are recognized.

BGSC will provide annual officiating clinics to ensure all teams are able to maintain required officials.

2. In dual meets, the home team will provide the starter, the meet referee, three finish judges (place judges), one stroke and turn judge, one ribbon writer, and timers for all their swimmer's lanes.

   1. The home team will select the meet referee, who will have final authority over conduct of the meet. The meet referee should be available to settle any disputes, including final placement of the swimmers, confer with other meet officials and regulate meet conduct. The referee has the authority to disqualify participants and spectators or take any other action deemed necessary to the conduct of an orderly swimming competition.

   2. Finish judges (place judges) - The home team is responsible to pick 1st, 4th, and 6th place. The visiting team is responsible to pick 2nd, 3rd and 5th place. The first place judge has power over the 2^nd place judge in the finish. The 2nd place judge has power over the 3rd place judge in the finish and so on.

3. In dual meets, the visiting team will provide three place judges, one stroke judge, one scorer, one ribbon writer and timers for their swimmer’s lanes.

4. The starter and the stroke and tum judges are responsible for relay starts.

ARTICLE VI. CONFERENCE CHAMPIONSHIP MEET

1. BGSC will hold a timed final championship at the conclusion of each season with computerized electronic timing system in accordance with USA rules.

2. All teams will be responsible to provide timers, judges, runners, clerk of course, and other various jobs needed. The number of workers needed will be determined at a pre-conference meeting.

3. In order to compete in the championship meet, a swimmer must have times from two BGSC meets during the current season (excluding intramural and out of conference meets).

4. The conference championship will be divided into three divisions, based on the number of swimmers entered per team into the conference championship meet. Divisions will be decided by the BGSC President, BGSC Championship Meet Director and the Computer Specialist. Teams will be notified prior to the day of the meet. This decision will be final.

5. All relay teams must have at least one female swimmer.

6. In order to qualify for the IM event, the swimmer must be within the top 24 times for the previous year IM in the Championship Meet.

7. A swimmer may swim up in an older age group and earn points for the team but those points will not count toward high point for the individual swimmer.

8. Each team will be responsible for a $6 per swimmer fee for each swimmer entered in the champion ship meet. $3 of this fee will go to the league to cover meet expenses. The other $3 per swimmer will go to the host team/facility to cover maintenance fees.

ARTICLE VII. CONDUCTING BUSINESS MEETINGS

1. Conference members will have one (1) vote.

2. By-laws revisions, additions and deletions must be approved by two - thirds (2/3) of voting members present.

3. By-laws changes cannot be made unless a quorum (more than one-half (1/2) members) is present.

4. New members will require unanimous vote in acceptance into conference.

5. Conference meetings will be twice a year.

ARTICLE VIII. SCHOLARSHIP AWARD

1. BGSC will award a $300 scholarship to one graduating boy and girl each year as funding permits.

2. Scholarship recipients are not required to swim beyond high school. Criteria requirements will include GPA, year of swimming accomplishments, school activities, leadership positions, other accomplishments and a brief coach's statement as to why this graduating senior should be considered.

3. Head coaches may nominate a swimmer for the scholarship by completing the BGSC Scholarship Application Form and submitting to the league president. Applications must be received at least one week prior to the conference championship in order to be eligible. Only one boy and one girl may be nominated from each team.

4. Copies of nominations will be forwarded to all head coaches prior to the conference championship. Coaches will vote (one vote per team for each boy and girl) on the scholarship recipients immediately before the beginning of the championship meet. In the event of a tie, the league shall cast the deciding vote.

ARTICLE IX. SPORTSMANSHIP BANNER

1. A revolving sportsmanship banner will be awarded each year at conference to a league team.

2. Parents, coaches and other teams are encouraged to submit positive experiences through the season to the league president via e-mail, using the sportsmanship nominee form.

3. Copies of nominations will be forwarded to all head coaches prior to the conference championship. Coaches will vote (one vote per team) on the recipient of the sportsmanship banner immediately before the beginning of the championship.

4. In the event of a tie, the league president will cast the deciding vote.

5. The team winning this award is encouraged to display it through the winter at their pool if possible, and at the following season meets.