CHIEF FINISH JUDGE

4. Special Notes:

a) Now that manual times are recorded to hundredths, it is less likely that you will have two identical times to the hundredths.

b) In no case may a competitor with a faster time displace another who placed ahead of him within his heat according to two or more judges.

c) Machine times cannot be changed, unless a light touch or late touch has occurred. However, machine times that exceed 30/100 difference from the manual time, should be examined for light/late touches or machine malfunction.

THE CHIEF FINISH JUDGE CLINIC

As Chief Finish Judge is a demanding position, it is recommended that the clinic presentation be as clear and concise as possible.

Briefly present the rules for place judging as printed in the current rule book.

1.       Discuss the duties of the Chief Finish Judge:

• takes a sweep of each race (whenever possible);
• collates the time cards for each event from fastest to slowest;
• resolves any existing time/place discrepancies;
• designates TIE of JD when necessary;
• inspects DQ'ed cards for proper wording and has them corrected when necessary.

NOTE: It is not always possible for the Chief Finish Judge to take a sweep of every race, but it is recommended that he/she try.

2.       Provide the candidates with a list of required supplies for working the position of Chief Finish Judge:

• stapler & extra staples
• elastic bands
• several sharp pencils
• black "results"/"finals" sheets (if in use)
• black and red pens
• calculator
• heat sheet
• current rule book
• DQ stamp (if in use)

3.       Discuss the pool deck set-up:

• location of Finish Judges
• work area of Chief Finish Judge

4.       Stress the importance of seeking the Referee's assistance for resolving difficult decisions.

5.       Advise the Referee of potential swim-offs due to ties.

6.       Recommendations:

• have an odd number of Finish Judges;
• have the Referee's report a different colour;
• have the Chief Finish Judge work on deck in line with the finish;
• have the Finish Judges assigned to positions in order to provide adequate judging from both sides. It is not recommended to have Finish Judges change side during a working session.
• have at least one assistant for the Chief Finish Judge. Two assistants would be ideal for preliminaries and finals.
• as Chief Finish Judge, establish a system that works best for YOU, regardless of the experience of your assistants.

7.       For your clinic, it is advisable to set up envelopes containing lane cards, Finish Judge slips and the solution to the problems, according to the examples in Appendices 1 and 2 at the end of this segment. Instruct the candidates to judge each example and then compare their solution to the prepared one.

8.       The candidates should be allowed to practise their newly acquired skills. Therefore, following the discussions, hand out the prepared examples. It is acceptable for the candidates to work in paris through this part of the clinic. as a means of concluding the clinic, the candidates should be given a copy of Appendix 2 and allowed sufficient time to complete it. A thorough discussion of the reasons for each decision should make the candidates more aware of the rules for finish judging.

9.       Advise the candidates that many officials prefer to work this position several times before being evaluated.

10.       Have the candidates complete the questionnaire and then evaluate it in the manner prescribed by your provincial section.

NOTE: If the pages with the exercises could be prepared on overhead projector transparencies, the discussions will be greatly facilitated.

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