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CTS' Dolphin System Approved by USA Swimming for Three Levels
University of Minnesota Aquatic Staff tests Dolphin system in preparation for Grand Prix
Colorado Time Systems announces that USA Swimming has accepted the Dolphin Timing System as a Level 2-4 timing system for its meets. The Rules and Regulations Committee accepted the Dolphin system after discussion at the United States Aquatic Sports Convention in Atlanta.
Because the current rules include the terms “buttons” and “watches,” the categorization of the Dolphin stopwatches was in question. The rules committee wanted an accurate description of exactly how the Dolphin worked so that they could categorize it. After the discussion, the committee decided that the Dolphin system actually straddles the buttons and watches categories because it can be started in three different ways:
- Synchronized start/manual finish with an electronic start system
- Synchronized start/manual finish with a head timer starting all watches
- Manual start/manual finish with each lane timer starting and stopping his or her
own lane
The Dolphin system allows for up to three Dolphin stopwatches per lane, which enables its use in Level 2, 3, and 4 meets according to USA Swimming rules.
 LEVEL 2 — Semi-automatic with three buttons. Level 2 is good for national time verification (NTV) for 50-meter distances, national age group (NAG) records, and NAG recognition times.- LEVEL 3 — Semi-automatic with two buttons, or manual with three watches. Level 3 is used for NTVs (except for 50-meter distances); local swim committee (LSC) and other local records, unless prohibited by the LSC; and initial distance splits and relay lead-off times for age-group time standards (e.g., A, B, C times).
- LEVEL 4 — Manual with two watches. Level 4 is used for zone, regional, or LSC-sponsored meet-time standards unless Timing System Level 3 is specified or age-group time standards are required.
In each level description, the term “button” simply denotes a device which was started automatically by the start system and which is stopped by human intervention — the push of a button.
The Dolphin system delivers high accuracy at any level. Although Dolphin can be set up as a watch (manual start and manual finish), it is much more accurate than watches because its data can be transferred electronically into a computerized meet management system instead of requiring two human transcriptions. Human transcription is the single biggest factor in errors associated with manual timing.
For timing systems with the accuracy required by USA Swimming and FINA regulations, contact CTS about the Dolphin System today.
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