History of Long Distance Masters Swimming Rules

This is a menu of the topics on this page (click on any):

• NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP EVENTS
  • 1974   
  • 1978   
  • 1979   
  • 1982   
  • 1983   
  • 1984   
  • 1985   
  • 1988   
  • 1990   
  • 1991   
  • 1995   
  • 1996   
  • 1997   
  • 1999   
• ALL AMERICAN "DEFINITIONS" HISTORY
  • 1974-1978   
  • 1979-1981   
  • 1981-1987   
  • 1988-1992   
  • 1993-1997   
  • 1998   
  • 1999-2001   
• LONG DISTANCE ALL STARS - ALL STAR TEAM "HISTORY"   
  • 1995   
  • 1996-1997   
  • 1998-2000   
  • Sally Dillon   .

The 1974 AAU Rule Book was the first to include Masters information in it's Long Distance section.

NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP EVENTS

1974

the initial wording for national championship events:

• All Masters events shall be over an open water course as in regular Long Distance Swimming (Article X, Section A). The Distance for Men shall be Two Miles and for Women One and one-half (1 1/2) miles.

1978

the wording changed to:

• All masters events over an open water course as in regular long distance swimming shall be two miles in distance."
• An (sic) one hour swim for distance shall be contested in a twenty five yard closed course. The winner and places shall be determined by the distance swam in one hour. This event may be contested as a postal meet.

1979

the championship events were listed (with no specific distance noted):

• Quarter-mile Straightaway Long Distance Swimming
• Open Water Long Distance Swimming
• Marathon Long Distance Swimming
• One Hour Swim for Distance (Postal)

1982

team events were included:

• Quarter-mile straightaway-individual/team events, 1, 2, 3, or 4 miles.
• Open water-individual/team events, usually one mile or more.
• Time/distance events - individual team events, thirty-minute or one hour swim for distance.

1983

the distances were added:

• Quarter-mile Straightaway Long Distance Swimming (2 miles)
• Open Water Long Distance Swimming (2-6 miles)
• Marathon Long Distance Swimming (over 6 miles)
• ** the One Hour Postal was dropped, only to be reinstated later in 1983. The results and All American list for 1983 indicate that the One Hour Swim was included as a National Championship.

1984

new events were added:

• Quarter-mile Straightaway Long Distance Swimming (2 miles)
• Open Water Long Distance Swimming (1.5-3 miles)
• Open Water Long Distance Swimming (3.5-5 miles)
• Long Distance Team Event (Approximately 6000 yards.)* This is a team event only. Point system will be used to score event. A mixed team competition with at least two female contestants is authorized.
• Marathon Type Long Distance Swimming (Over 6 miles)
• Postal One Hour Swim for Distance
• Postal 10 Kilometer * (the Team Event might have been hosted by Alabama but no results or information are available and it did not affect the All American list.)

1985

another event was added:

• One mile

1988

more changes to the event schedule and their descriptions. The 6000 team event was dropped (no bids were received after the 1984 event). The One Mile was amended to allow two options. Team events were "officially recognized". The revised schedule:

• One Mile (quarter-mile straightaway or open water course).
• Quarter-mile straightaway Long Distance championship (2 miles).
• Open Water Long Distance Championship (1.5-3 miles).
• Open Water Long Distance Championship (3.5-5 miles).
• Open Water Long Distance Championship (6+ miles).
• Postal One Hour Swimming Championship.
• Postal 10 Kilometer Swimming Championship.
• Three person team events shall be recognized in the Quarter-mile straightaway (2 mile) and Postal One Hour.

1990

another event was added and the descriptions were changed (again): National Championship Meets will be recognized in the following events:

• One Mile (quarter-mile straightaway or open water course)
• Quarter-mile Straightaway (2 miles)
• Open Water (1.5-3 miles)
• Open Water (3.5-5 miles)
• Open Water (6+ miles)
• Postal One Hour
• Postal 10 Kilometer
• Postal 6000 yard

1991

the course was specified for the 10 Kilometer and 6000 yard postal championships. The Team events were amended to include the Postal 6000 yard event.

• Postal 10 Kilometer (in a 50 Meter pool)
• Postal 6000 yard (in a 25 yard pool)

1995

one event was amended and another event was added:

• Postal 5 and 10 kilometer (in a 50 meter pool)
• Postal 3000 yard (in a 25 yard pool) (the 6000 event failed to draw many competitors)

1996

the event distances were amended to allow open water distances not previously included:

• One mile (quarter-mile straightaway or open water course)
• Quarter-mile straightaway (2 miles)
• Open water (greater than 1 and less than or equal to 3 miles)
• Open water (greater than 3 and less than 6 miles)
• Open water (greater than or equal to 6 miles)
• Postal one hour
• Postal 5 and 10 kilometer (in a 50 meter pool)
• Postal 3000 yard (in a 25 yard pool)

1997

one more event was added and team events were amended:

• Postal 3000 and 6000 yard (in a 25-yard pool)
• Team competitions shall be recognized for all postal championships and may be recognized for other championship events. Such awards, when recognized, shall be awarded for three-person male and female teams and four-person mixed teams.

1999

team events were amended to include quarter-mile straightaway events:

• Team competitions shall be recognized for quarter-mile straightaway and postal championships and may be recognized for other championships. Recognized teams shall be three-person male and female teams and four-person mixed teams.

ALL AMERICAN "DEFINITIONS" HISTORY

1974-1978

The All American Team shall be selected each year. At least one man and one woman from each age group shall be selected based upon the results of the National Championships.

1979-1981

An All American Team shall be selected each year based on the result of the National AAU master's Championship meets.

1981-1987

An All-American team shall be selected each year based on the result of the National USMS Championship meets.

1988-1992

The national champion in each age group of each individual national championship long distance swimming event shall qualify as a member of the USMS All-American Long Distance Swimming team for the calendar year in which the event was conducted.

1993-1997

The national champion in each age group of each individual National Long Distance/Open Water Championship event shall qualify as a member of the USMS All-American Long Distance Swimming team for the calendar year in which the event was conducted.

1998

The highest ranking USMS registered swimmer in each age group of each individual national long distance/open water championship event shall qualify as a member of the USMS All-American Long distance Swimming Team for the calendar year in which the event was conducted.

1999-2001

The highest ranking USMS registered swimmer in each age group of each individual national long distance championship event shall qualify as a member of the USMS All-American Long Distance Swimming Team for the calendar year in which the event was conducted.

An exhaustive search has not yielded an official Long Distance All American list prior to 1977.

LONG DISTANCE ALL STARS - ALL STAR TEAM "HISTORY"

Each Long Distance National Championship is calculated. If a swimmer scores points in one age group and ages up to another age group in the course of a year, their points are transferred up to the new age group. The All Star team is calculated for each age group according to the following formula:

• 1st place = 22 points
• 2nd place = 19 points
• 3rd place = 17 points
• 4th place = 16 points
• 5th place = 15 points
• 6th place = 14 points
• 7th place = 13 points
• 8th place = 12 points
• 9th place = 11 points
• 10th place = 10 points

1995

The first Long Distance All Star Team was selected for 1995. Swimmers received points for their finishes in the recognized Long Distance National Championships and in "mile" events in the pool (according to the Top Ten). The 1995 All Star Team was sponsored by Competitor Swim Products and embroidered shirts were awarded to the 31 members.

1996-1997

In 1996 and 1997, swimmers received points from the Long Distance National Championships only. In 1996 Competitor Swim Products awarded embroidered hats to the 33 All Star Team members. In 1997 the event was sponsored by Nike and jackets were awarded to the 35 members.

1998-2000

Beginning in 1998, to be eligible for the Long Distance All Star Team a swimmer was required to compete in at least three National Championship Long Distance events, of which one must have been an open water event and one must have been a postal event. In 1998, 24 swimmers met the minimal requirement and 14 were named to the All Star Team. A Nike backback was presented to the All Stars by Nike. In 1999, 34 swimmers met the minimal requirement and 19 were named to the All Star Team. A swim bag was presented to the All Stars by Nike. In 2000, 46 swimmers met the minimal requirement and 20 were named to the All Star Team. Nike will again present an award to the the All Star Team members.

revised: May, 2001 by Sally Dillon , Long Distance Committee Chair

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