You will get wet. Roll up your pants, wear deck shoes (or go barefoot), and go with it.
Our home pool deck is HOT. Instead of jeans and sweatshirts, think shorts, thin Tshirts, etc. Bring water. When in doubt, refer to rule 1.
Watch the starter at the beginning of a race. The starting command is “Take your mark”, followed by a either an electronic signal, whistle, or voice command. Most electronic starting devices, will also have a visual signal. Depending on how far away you are standing, there may be a delay between the light and the sound reaching you. For this reason, it is most fair to all swimmers to start your watch by the light if one exists.
When your swimmer approaches the wall, get close and make sure you can see the plane of the wall so you have a good view of the touch. (Pesky rule 1 again…)
Try not to anticipate the finish. Swimmers sometimes take an extra stroke, glide in, etc.
On the finish, stop the watch as soon as any body part contacts any part of the end of the pool. (wall, gutter, touchpad, deck – doesn’t matter). If the touch isn’t legal, it’s the official’s problem.
If you miss a start, or your watch misfires, etc, raise your hand high as soon as you realize. The backup timer will come to your lane and act as the second timer for the heat.
If the next swimmer is in your way of seeing the finish, politely ask them to let you in.
It’s okay to cheer for your swimmers while timing if you like.
