Licensed Meets Explained

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— the Bluefins way 💙

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 & 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 SC and LC times separately — every swimmer has PBs for both.

To understand how times are logged and updated, 🔗 See our blog — [How Swim England Rankings Actually Work]

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

At Bluefins, Licensed Meets are planned deliberately — not randomly — so every swimmer has appropriate, 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 and 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.

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

Over time, Licensed Meets help swimmers learn how to prepare, race, and reflect — skills that 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 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 be faster than this time (Level 1 & 2).

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

• 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.

💡 This is why early licensed times are so valuable.

Common Meet Conditions

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

• Bluefins Example: Club Champs now include selected 7-year-olds from our Skills Academy, giving early racing exposure.

• Closed Meets: Often limited to 8 invited clubs.

• Heat-Declared-Winner Format: Mixed heats, results separated later.

  
  

What About School Competitions?

School galas provide great experience — but in the main they are not licensed, meaning times do not count for Rankings or QTs. (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 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) — 19 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.