What’s a Licensed Meet?

Parent Guide Series

If your swimmer has started competing, you’ve probably heard the term “Licensed Meet.” You might even have seen codes like “Level 3 – LC” on a meet notice and wondered what it all means.

Let’s decode it.

What “Licensed” Means

A Licensed Meet is a swimming competition approved by Swim England. Each event is reviewed and issued a licence number, confirming it meets national standards for officials, timing, and competition rules.

This ensures every swim is:

• Fair and consistent across the country

• Properly officiated (with manual or electronic timing, depending on level)

• Uploaded to the official Swim England Rankings database

Only Licensed Meets count toward: County, Regional & National qualification, Official personal bests (PBs) and rankings, Club records and long-term tracking.

Why Licensing Matters

Licensed Meets bring structure, safety, and integrity to the sport. Qualified Officials oversee each race, ensuring all starts, turns, and finishes follow the rules. Timing may be manual (Level 4) or electronic (Levels 1–3), but every result is verified and recognised nationally.

To learn more about the volunteers in white who make competitions possible, 🔗 See our blog — [Be Part of the Action — Become a Bluefins Official]

Short Course (SC) vs Long Course (LC)

You’ll often see “SC” or “LC” next to a meet name. It simply describes the pool length:

Type	Pool Length	Focus of Racing
Short Course (SC)	25 m	Turns, underwater skills, pacing control
Long Course (LC)	50 m	Endurance, rhythm and efficiency over distance

💡 Swim England Rankings record SC and LC times separately — every swimmer has PBs for both.

To learn how official times are recorded and updated, 🔗 See our blog — [How Swim England Rankings Actually Work].

The Four Levels of Licensed Meets

Level	Pool Type	Typical Swimmers	Main Purpose	Results Recorded
4	25 m	Club swimmers new to racing	Entry-level events such as Club Champs & Development Meets	Swim England Rankings
3	25 m or 50 m	Developing swimmers chasing County QTs	Build experience & gain official times	Swim England Rankings
2	25 m	Advanced swimmers aiming for Winter Regional / National QTs	High-standard qualifier meets	Swim England Rankings
1	50 m	Performance & elite swimmers	Top-tier domestic meets (Regional / National prep)	Swim England Rankings

(QT = Qualifying Time)

How Bluefins Use Each Level

At Bluefins, we plan a range of Licensed Meets each season so every swimmer has clear goals and suitable racing opportunities.

Level 4 — Club Champs & Development Meets

Perfect for Skills Academy and Competitive Development swimmers gaining their first official times in a relaxed, supportive setting. These meets are usually run within the club or with a few invited teams and may use manual timing — still fully recognised under Swim England licensing.

Level 3 — County Preparation and Qualifier Meets

Run throughout the year and vital for County Development squad and early Performance Pathway swimmers — a chance to test progress, chase PBs, and secure County Qualifying Times (QTs) before championship deadlines. Most Level 3 meets accept entries on a first-come, first-served basis and often fill quickly.

💡 That’s why it’s valuable to gain early official times at Club Champs and Development Meets — they open doors to more competitions later.

Level 2 — High-Standard Qualifiers

Short Course meets for Performance Pathway swimmers targeting Winter Regional and Winter National qualification.

Level 1 — Premier Long Course Meets

The top level of domestic competition, held in 50 m pools.These include the County Championships and major open meets used by our Regional and National squads to prepare for Summer Regional and National Championships, racing against high-level opposition.

💡 See examples of Bluefins-hosted and Open Meets in “The Bluefins Racing Year” section below.

How It Links to Rankings and QTs

All official times from Level 1–4 Meets upload automatically to Swim England Rankings, creating each swimmer’s verified record — the database coaches use to check qualification standards for Counties, Regionals and Nationals.

🔗 Explore more in our guides:

• [How Swim England Rankings Actually Work]

• [Understanding County Qualification Times]

  
  

Qualifying Times & Entry Rules

Each meet sets its own entry standards, which may include qualifying times, cut-off times, and acceptance limits.

Qualifying Standards

• “No Slower Than” = must have gone faster than this time (Level 1 & 2).

• “No Faster Than” = must have gone slower than this time (Level 3).

• Some meets use both to create a fair entry window.
  

NT (No Time) Entries

Swimmers without a Ranking time appear as NT. These are often accepted, but if a meet is oversubscribed, NT entries — then the slowest eligible — are removed first.

💡 Early official times from Club Champs and Development Meets UNLOCK entry to more meets later in the season.

Other Criteria

Organisers may apply converted-time rules, entry caps, or age-on-day vs age-at-year-end conditions — always check the Meet Pack.

Common Rules and Conditions

• Minimum Age: Most Licensed Meets require swimmers to be 9 yrs (age on first day) or 10 yrs (as at 31 Dec).

• Our Bluefins Example 🐬 In 2025 we lowered our Club Champs entry age below 8 years, allowing selected 7-year-olds from our Skills Academy early race experience in a familiar, fun environment.

• Closed / Invitational Meets: Level 4 events are often “closed” — limited to fewer than eight clubs.

• Heat-Declared-Winner Format: Races may be mixed-age, with awards sorted afterwards.

• Licensing Standards: All organisers must meet Swim England criteria for pool length, timing, officials and safety.

  
  

What About School Competitions?

Many schools — especially independent and grammar schools — run their own galas or leagues. These are great for extra racing experience, but in the main they are not Licensed Meets and therefore do not count toward Swim England Rankings or qualification times. (Some ESSA events may be licensed — check each case.)

💬 Coach’s View “Licensed Meets give structure and purpose to the year. They teach swimmers how to race properly — with real officials, verified timing, and competition pressure — while giving coaches accurate data to track progress.”

In Summary

• Licensed = Official and recognised by Swim England

• Levels 1–4 = step-by-step competition pathway

• Level 3 = bridge between Club and County racing

• Level 1 = top-tier long-course meets (including Counties)

• Bluefins offer under-8 experience opportunities

• Entry rules use “No Faster Than” / “No Slower Than” times

• Level 3 fills fast — enter early!

• School galas mostly not licensed

• All Licensed results upload to Rankings for verified PBs

Every swimmer starts somewhere — usually at a Level 4 meet — and builds through experience, confidence and readiness.That’s the journey from Club Champs to Counties and beyond. 💙

The Bluefins Racing Year

🏠 Home Meets

Bluefins hosts its own Licensed Club Championships (Level 4 – Short Course) each season — giving every swimmer from Skills Academy upwards the chance to earn their first official times in a friendly environment.

We also run two annual Level 3 Licensed Meets (Short Course) supporting County and Regional qualification:

Basingstoke Bluefins Summer Sizzler (Level 3 – Short Course) — 23–24 May 2026 Target meet for Skills Academy, Competitive Development and County Development swimmers.

Basingstoke Bluefins Last Chance Meet (Level 3 – Short Course) — 13–14 Dec 2025 Final opportunity to achieve County QTs before Championship entries close.

🌍 Open Meets

Bluefins regularly attends Open Meets across the South East, giving swimmers the chance to race in new venues, test skills under pressure and chase fresh PBs and QTs.

Rushmoor Royals SC (RRSC) Summer Meet (Level 2 – Short Course) — 22–23 Nov 2026 - Includes distance events.

Portsmouth Northsea (PNSC) Last Chance Qualifier (Distance) (Level 3 – Short Course) — 28 Nov 2025

Portsmouth Northsea (PNSC) Last Chance Qualifier (Level 3 – Long Course) — 29–30 Nov 2026 (PNSC runs both SC and LC sessions due to pool-hire limits.)

Hart SC Last SC Chance Qualifier (Level 3 – Short Course) — 30 Nov 2025

Hart SC Spring Open Meet (Level 3 – Short Course) — 7–8 Mar 2026

Bracknell & Wokingham SC (BWSC) Regional Qualifier (Level 3 – Long Course) — 21–22 Mar 2026 - National qualifier.

Winchester SC Spring Qualifier (Level 1 – Long Course) — 20–22 Mar 2026 - National qualifier including distance.

Crawley SC Spring Open (Level 1 – Long Course) — 4–5 Apr 2026 - National qualifier including distance.

PNSC End of Season (Level 3 – Long Course) — 11–12 Jul 2026

Hart SC Summer Sprint (Level 3 – Short Course) — 21 Jun 2026

Rushmoor Royals SC (RRSC) Summer Meet (Level 2 – Short Course) — 20–21 Jun 2026

Rushmoor Royals SC (RRSC) End of Season (Level 3 – Long Course) — 11–12 Jul 2026

🏆 Championship Meets

These are the major goals of the season — the events that all Licensed racing builds toward. Qualification depends on official times achieved at Levels 1–4 Meets.

Hampshire County Championships (Level 1 – Long Course) — Jan–Feb 2026 - First step into championship competition.

🔗 See our guide — [Understanding County Qualification Times] — for how County QTs are set and how swimmers qualify.

South East Regional Championships (Level 1 – Long Course) — Apr–May 2026 - For swimmers meeting Regional QTs (11 yrs +).

British & English Summer Nationals (Level 1 – Long Course) — Jul–Aug 2026 - The top domestic age-group competitions in England.

💡 Every official race — from Club Champs to Open Meets — feeds into these championships. Consistent Licensed racing creates the pathway to the biggest stages.

💙 At Bluefins, every meet has a purpose — from first official times to championship qualification — helping swimmers grow in confidence, skill and love for the sport.

💙 Discover Bluefins

At Bluefins, we’re proud to celebrate every swimmer’s pathway — from the youngest in our Skills Academy to our performance squads chasing big goals. ✨ Come and see what makes our club special: exceptional quality coaching, community spirit, pathways of progression, and performance success stories. 🚀 Contact our amazing Ali to discuss pathways and arrange a trial - Find out more at bbfsc.org - Your journey starts here.