Each year the Flyers participate in two types of swim meets: NVSL meets held on Saturdays and Monday night meets. The NVSL meets are scored, dual meets. Only three swimmers represent the Flyers in each individual event and one team participates in each relay event.

The Monday night meets are non-scored meets that provide exciting opportunities for all swimmers to participate and drop their times. Some restrictions apply to swimmers who have participated in NVSL meets.

Northern Virgina Swim League (NVSL)

Saturday NVSL meets consist of 38 individual events and 12 relays. The events swum for each stroke and age group are listed below. The standard summer league pool length is 25 meters.

NVSL Meet Events and Distances

NOTES:
1. In Saturday dual meets, the youngest age category for the Butterfly is 10 & Under. There is a 25 Meter Butterfly for 8 & Unders at Divisionals and All Stars.

2. The order of events is to go down each column starting on the left side except that the mixed age relays are the last two events. To make it easier, buy a meet sheet.

3. The Mixed Age Relays are swum by, in order, an 11-12 year old, a 10 & under, a 13-14 year old, and a 15-18 year old.

Who Swims?

These are scored meets so the Head Coach seeds them according to times and strategy.  Three swimmers can be entered in each individual event and no swimmer can swim more than two individual events. Since swimmers can swim in only two events (plus relays) in any meet, you don't have to be one of the three fastest swimmers to swim in a Saturday meet. Swimmers will have a chance to improve their times each week either in Monday or Saturday meets. Swimmers are selected each week for Saturday meets and the line up often changes week by week based on recent results.

Disqualifications (DQs) and False Starts

A swimmer will be disqualified (or DQed) if he/she does not follow the rules of the stroke or false starts.

Seeding

In Saturday meets, the home team has lanes 1, 3, and 5 while the visiting team has lanes 2, 4, and 6. The fastest swimmers swim in lanes 3 and 4, the next fastest in lanes 5 and 2, and the next fastest in lanes 1 and 6. Swimmers are usually seeded based upon their fastest times attained in prior competition. Lane 1 is always on the right side as you stand facing the pool at the starting end.

Meet Sheets

While all NVSL meets have an announcer, the best way to follow the meet is with a meet sheet, which lists all the events, swimmers, and seed times. Meet Sheets are usually found in the concession area and typically sell for $1.00.

Scoring

In the individual events, a first place finish earns 5 points for the team, a second place 3 points and a third place finish 1 point. Relays are scored as 5 points for the winning team with 0 points going to the other relay team.

In the event of a tie, the points for the places involved are equally split among the swimmers. For example, in a two way tie for second place, each swimmer earns 2 points (3 points for second plus 1 point for third equals 4 points, half for each swimmer). No third place would be awarded because the next swimmer is fourth. For a third place tie, each swimmer is awarded 1/2 point.

In total, there are 402 points up for grabs in a Saturday meet. A team needs 202 points to win.

Relay Carnivals & Championship Meets

In addition to dual meets, participation in the NVSL includes a divisional relay carnival, the All Star Relay Carnival, and All Stars.

Monday Meets

Monday meets are basically the same as Saturday meets except as follows:

There is an 8 and under competition in the Butterfly
IM events are added for 10 & Unders, 11-12s, 13-14s and 15-18s
There are usually multiple heats of each event for younger swimmers.

Other Meets

This year we will be attending an IM Meet hosted by Ravensworth Farm. In this meet swimmers 9-18 will have the opportunity to swim the IM, and 8 & Unders can swim the 50 meter butterfly.

>Click here for more information about NVSL and ESSL meets including the championship events.

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