Extend your Inspector of Turns skills by studying for this advanced qualification.
The role of a Judge of Stroke (JoS) is to ensure fairness for all by checking that every swimmer swims in accordance with the rules. They work in partnership with the Inspectors of Turns and Referee to monitor the entire race.
Why become a Judge of Stroke?
The work of these officials is highly valued by swimmers and coaches. Whilst no athlete enjoys being disqualified, JoS feedback is crucial for development, and ensures that nobody has an unfair advantage. Your work will help give swimmers the benefit of fairness and feedback on more occasions.
To the untrained eye, correctly assessing a stroke can appear to be extremely challenging. In practice the rules are straightforward to understand and apply. Unlike some other roles, candidates will require considerable practical experience and a very thorough assessment before being accredited.
Course objective
You should already be studying for or an accredited Inspector of Turns. This course extends that knowledge beyond starts, turns, finishes and changeovers. It will complete your education to prepare you to operate as a trainee Judge of Stroke under supervision.
Course scope:
Because the majority of the syllabus is covered in the online IoT course, the scope is limited to:
- JoS overview.
- Positioning and Protocol.
- Test all JoS jurisdiction issues.
- Meets up to State level.
Excluded:
- Stroke judging, infraction reporting, etc. are taught in the IoT course but will be examined here.
- National and International meets
Contents and Resources:
- 1 lesson mandatory
- Training notes and practice exercises recommended
- Swimming Australia Training notes recommended
- Online multiple choice theory test mandatory (approximately 45 mins)
This course is suitable for both individual and group study.
Award
Successful candidates will be awarded theory pass documentation. They should then obtain considerable practical experience under expert supervision. Once they are ready assessment should be arranged with an accredited assessor, taking along their documentation.
Duration
The content of this course can be completed in approximately 90 mins of study time, depending on prior knowledge and experience. In addition, expect to invest 10 – 20 hours gaining practical experience on the pool deck under supervision at a number of different meets. Candidates will want to refer back to the content of this course periodically whilst they gain experience. Once accredited, periodic recaps are highly recommended, especially if not regularly officiating.
Study tips:
- You can access this course via a computer, tablet or smartphone. Headphones are recommended.
- Whilst we recommend that this short course is completed in one sitting, if necessary, you can stop and return later.
- Assessment documentation may be printed on an attached computer or retrieved later for printing or saving.
Other things to know:
- Before working at a meet in NSW you must have Working With Children clearance. It is easy to apply for online here, valid for 5 years, and free for volunteers.
- Officials should be members of a Swimming Australia club. The non-swimmer category is recommended. Apply via your club registrar.
Number of successful students:
