Swimming: Team Championships 2023-2024

Saturday 20 April 2024

Saturday Morning Qualification - Times TBC

Saturday Afternoon Finals - Times TBC

Ponds Forge International Sports Centre

Sheaf Street, Sheffield, S1 2BP

Entry Opening Dates - Tuesday 5 March 2024

Team Entry Deadline - Tuesday 2 April 2024 at 23:59
(Institution Administrator Deadline to submit a team on BUCS Play)

Institution Administrator Approval and Team Join Deadline - Thursday 4 April 2024 at 23:59
(Student Deadline to enter a team and be approved by a team captain/institution administrator)

This competition will NOT operate a staged entry process. As such, please ensure all entries are submitted through BUCS Play prior to the closing date listed above.

If an institution needs to withdraw any teams originally entered, you must notify Joe Gallimore by Friday 12 April at the latest. 

SWI 9.1 Teams withdrawing two weeks or less before the Championships will be fined £300.

SWI 9.2 Any team who does not attend the Championships without prior notice will be fined £500.

SWI 9.3 No-shows or unauthorised withdrawals for the finals on day two, will be fined £750.

Institutions can enter as many teams as they wish.

Teams should be selected on merit and will be checked.

For the avoidance of doubt, the swimmers in the first team should always be the fastest swimmers for each event. Each team thereafter selected on the same basis.

Students must apply to the correct team for their institution by Thursday 18 April 2024 at 23:59. 

Any swimmers not applied for the team by the deadline will not be allowed to participate in the BUCS Swimming Team Championships 2024. No late additions or substitutions will be allowed. For this reason, it is highly recommended that you submit a maximum number of swimmers, including reserves, to allow for injuries etc.

Teams will declare which members of their team are competing in each event on the day using a team sheet. A team sheet must be submitted for the qualifying heats and for finals for those who qualify.

The BUCS Team Championships 2024 are required to adhere to the Swim England Transgender policy. As such, the categories available shall be ‘Open’ and ‘Female’. For more information, please see the Swim England Transgender Policy. 

The Female category is for birth sex females in accordance with Swim England’s Transgender and Non-Binary Competition Policy. By entering the ‘Female’ category, a swimmer confirms that their birth sex is female.

The BUCS category Open will be defined as Open/Male as is commonplace in all swimming events in the UK.

The Swimming Team Championships will be a two-day event however day one will be qualification heats and day two will be the finals.

Exact timings for each day will be decided once entries have been received.

The order of events for each competition shall consist of the following events for open/male and females, with each competitor restricted to a maximum of three individual events per gala.

4 x 50m Medley Relay 
100m Individual Medley 
100m Freestyle 
100m Butterfly 
100m Backstroke 
100m Breaststroke 
200m Freestyle 
50m Butterfly 
50m Backstroke 
50m Breaststroke 
50m Freestyle 
4 x 50m Freestyle Relay

Teams will be seeded based on 2023 Results and overall ranking from the SC and LC events.

Teams should also submit an entry time for their freestyle relay team for Open/Male and Female which may also be used to assist with seeding.

For clarification on how points will be awarded, please refer to the rules & regulations.  

Championship
The fastest 10 first teams from qualification heats, based on points/positions, will qualify for the Championship Final.

Any Second Teams finishing in the top 10 teams in the Qualification Round will qualify for the Trophy Final.

Any Third Teams (or below) finishing in the top 10 teams in the Qualification Round will qualify for the Sheild Final.

Trophy & Shield
The Trophy and Shield Finals will consist of 10 teams each based on results from the qualification round.

Teams finishing outside of the overall top 30 fastest times after qualification will not advance to the Finals.

Results for finals will be calculated using points and positions.

All participating teams MUST provide a timekeeper equipped with a stopwatch for BOTH their Qualifying Round and Finals (if they have qualified). Points may be deducted from any teams failing to comply. 

Timekeepers should then be declared on the team sheet at the event and must attend the timekeepers briefing. Timekeepers cannot be competing as part of the team.  

If you have any para-swimmers participating in your team who require specific requirements for competing, e.g. Strobe lights, use of ‘tappers’ etc. please advise the event lead of this in advance of the event. Any para-swimmers requiring the use of tapping devices, blackened goggles or starting devices MUST have these signed off by the head official before competition commences.  

Parking is available on site although it is limited. 

Parking is available at ‘Q-Park Castlegate’ Car Park (S1 2BQ) which is less than a 5-minute walk to Ponds Forge. The prices are outlined below, but there is a 2.00m height restriction in this car park to make note of for anyone bringing vans or minibuses to the event. You can validate your ticket at ponds forge for a reduced fee at this car park.  

If you are bringing a larger vehicle, then you may be interested in a couple of the following car parks that have no height restrictions; Sidney Street (S1 4RG) and Matilda Street (S1 4QW), both of which are about a 10-15 minute walk to Ponds Forge.  

Please see the rules & regulations for this event here.