Licensed Meets Explained

Parent Guide Series - January 2026

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.

Licensed meets aren’t designed to pressure young swimmers. They exist to protect development.

They provide consistent conditions, fair comparisons and reliable data so swimmers can race properly, reflect accurately and improve safely over time.

In short, licensing isn’t about judging swimmers. It’s about safeguarding the journey.

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 and 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.

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

What Licensed Meets Are NOT Testing

Licensed Meets do NOT test:

• Talent

• Worth

• Long-term potential

• Coaching confidence

• Future pathway outcomes

They simply record where a swimmer is today — nothing more.

A time is a snapshot, not a label.

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, efficiency

Swim England Rankings record Short Course and Long Course times separately. Every swimmer has personal bests for both.

To understand how official times are recorded and updated, See our blog — [Swim England Rankings Explained]

The Four Levels of Licensed Meets

Level	Pool Type	Typical Use	Purpose	Results Recorded
Level 4	25 m	Club Champs & Development Meets	First official times	Swim England Rankings
Level 3	25 m or 50 m	Open Meets & County Qualifiers	Build experience & gaining qualifying times	Swim England Rankings
Level 2	25 m	Open Meets, Regional & National Qualifiers / Championship racing	Winter Regional / National & gaining qualifying times	Swim England Rankings
Level 1	50 m	Open Meets, Regional & National Qualifiers / Championship racing	Counties, Regionals, Nationals & gaining qualifying times	Swim England Rankings

How Bluefins Use Each Level

Licensed Meets are planned deliberately and not randomly so every swimmer has appropriate and meaningful 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 may use manual timing, but are fully licensed and recognised.

Level 3 — County Preparation & Qualifier Meets

Run throughout the year and vital for County Development and early Regional Pathway swimmers. They provide opportunities to test progress, chase PBs and secure County Qualifying Times.

Entries are typically first-come, first-served, meaning early official times matter.

That’s why gaining early licensed times at Club Champs opens doors to more meets later.

Level 2 — High-Standard Qualifiers

Short Course meets for Performance Pathway swimmers targeting winter qualification.

Level 1 — Premier Long Course Meets

The highest domestic standard, raced in 50m pools. Includes County Championships and major national-level open meets.

The Developmental Thread (Why This Matters Long-Term)

Over time, Licensed Meets help swimmers learn how to prepare, race and reflect. These skills matter far more than any single result. They are stepping stones, not verdicts.

Each meet adds experience, understanding and confidence, even when the stopwatch doesn’t move.

How It Links to Rankings and QTs

All results from Licensed Meets automatically upload to Swim England Rankings, creating a verified performance history.

Explore more:

• How Swim England Rankings Actually Work

• Understanding County Qualification Times

  
  

Qualifying Times & Entry Rules

• “No Slower Than” → must be faster than this time

• “No Faster Than” → must be slower than this time

• NT (No Time) entries may be accepted, but are usually removed first if a meet is oversubscribed

This is why early licensed times are so valuable.

Common Meet Conditions

• Minimum age: typically 9 yrs (age on day) or 10 yrs (age at 31 Dec)

• Bluefins example: Club Champs now include selected 7-year-olds, giving early racing exposure

• Closed meets: often limited to fewer than eight invited clubs

• Heat-declared winners: mixed heats with results separated later
  

What About School Competitions?

School galas provide great experience, but in the main they are not licensed. This means times do not count for Swim England Rankings or qualifying standards.

Some ESSA events may be licensed. Always check the meet information.

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 Meets protect development

• They do not judge potential

• Times are information, not identity

• Early experiences build confidence

• Every swimmer progresses at their own pace

Licensed Meets don’t decide who a swimmer will become. They support how they get there.

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) — 16–17 May 2026 Target meet for Skills Academy, Competitive Development and County Development swimmers.

Basingstoke Bluefins Last Chance Meet (Level 3 – Short Course) — 12–13 Dec 2026 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) — 21–22 Nov 2026 - Includes distance events.

Portsmouth Northsea (PNSC) Last Chance Qualifier (Distance) (Level 3 – Short Course) — 27 Nov 2026

Portsmouth Northsea (PNSC) Last Chance Qualifier (Level 3 – Long Course) — 28–29 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 2026

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

Curated by Spencer Turner

Head of Swimming, Basingstoke Bluefins Swimming Club