Swimming Canada Officials Certification Pathway (Summary)
Swimming Canada recognizes five levels of officiating, each with specific training, clinics, and on-deck evaluation requirements. Officials progress at their own pace, and many requirements can be completed in any order.
LEVEL I – RED PIN
Goal: Entry-level certification
To achieve Level I, officials must complete:
A. Registration in the Swimming Canada Registration and Events Management System (REMS)
B. Introduction to Swimming Officiating clinic
C. Safety Marshal clinic
Notes:
- All Level I requirements may be completed in any order.
- Access to REMS and eLearning requires being registered as an official.
LEVEL II – WHITE PIN
Goal: Certification in several stroke-and-turn and support positions**
To achieve Level II, officials must complete:
A. Level I Certification
- Receive two successful deck evaluations as a Timekeeper.
B. Stroke & Turn Requirements
- Complete Inspector of Turns (IT) and Judge of Stroke (JS) clinics.
- Obtain two successful deck evaluations as IT and one as JS.
- Note: JS deck evaluation required for officials completing Level II after August 31, 2023.
C. One Additional Level II Clinic + Deck Evaluations
Complete one of the following clinics, plus two successful deck evaluations in that role:
- Chief Timekeeper
- Administration Desk
- Chief Recorder**
- Chief Judge Electronics (CJE)**
- Meet Manager
- Starter
Chief Recorder / CJE special notes:
- Must complete both the Chief Recorder and CJE clinics.
- Must complete two evaluations:
- One as Chief Recorder
- One as either Chief Recorder or CJE
Historical credit:
- The Chief Finish Judge clinic (completed before Sept 1, 2024) counts for Chief Recorder equivalency.
D. Para Swimming eLearning (Strongly Encouraged)
- Available through the Learning Management System (LMS).
- Not a certification, but recommended early in the pathway.
- Full Para Official certification requires a full-day clinic, required for those aiming to officiate at Provincial/National levels.
Level II tasks may be completed simultaneously or in any order.
LEVEL III – ORANGE PIN
Goal: Broader certification and leadership introduction**
To achieve Level III, officials must complete:
A. All Level II clinics (including any not yet taken).
B. Recorder clinic (no deck evaluations required).
C. Certification in three additional Level II positions, each requiring two successful deck evaluations, except CJE.
D. Para Swimming eLearning (if not completed earlier).
E. Teach the Level I clinic, supervised by a Level IV or V official.
Notes:
- Level III requirements may be done in any order.
- The Recorder clinic may be taken anytime once working on Level II progression.
LEVEL IV – GREEN PIN
Goal: Referee development and provincial leadership**
To achieve Level IV, officials must complete:
A. Certification Requirements
i. Certification in all Level II positions, each with required deck evaluations.
ii. Completion of the Referee clinic.
iii. Experience as Referee for at least 5 sessions, ideally at different pools and meets.
iv. Teaching two different Level II clinics, supervised by a Level V official.
B. Service Requirement
- At least one year of active service as a Level III official, working various roles, including at least two sessions as Stroke Judge or Inspector of Turns.
C. Evaluations
- Approval from the Provincial Officials’ Chair to be evaluated.
- Two successful deck evaluations as a Referee by a Level V official.
- Provinces are encouraged to provide mentoring before evaluations.
Special Note:
An official may serve as a Referee after completing the clinic and specific other clinics, even if final certifications are not yet complete—but full certification is required for Level IV.
LEVEL V – BLUE PIN (Master Official)
Goal: National-level leadership and mastery**
To achieve Level V, officials must complete:
A. Minimum one year of active service as a Level IV official.
B. Teach or supervise at least two Level II clinics within the application year.
C. Work at least two sessions at a Swimming Canada national competition, in any position (after achieving Level III).
D. Two successful evaluations by a Level V official:
- either two as Referee, or
-
one as Referee and one as Starter.
E. Submit the Level V Certification Form to the Provincial Officials’ Chairperson.
Once approved by the Swimming Canada Officials, Competitions and Rules Committee (OCRC), the official becomes a Level V Master Official and receives a certificate and congratulatory letter.
MAINTAINING CERTIFICATION In order to remain an active Level V official in Canada, an official must: • Work a minimum of four sessions over a minimum of two meets in each swim year; • Conduct or supervise a clinic in each swim year; • Maintain their registration information in REMS. Officials who do not work or instruct as required may apply to their Provincial Officials Chairperson for reinstatement, at which time a review of clinics may be required for certain positions.
