Changes to BAGCAT Point Scoring in Competitions from 1st January 2010

From 1st January 2010 all ASA events will use the FINA Points tables for scoring purposes in competitions in place of the GB points system.

Comparative Performance Points Tables have been used in the UK since the 1970's in order to compare swimming times across the standard range of strokes and distances. British Swimming has used LEN (the European Governing Body) and more recently, FINA (the World Governing Body) tables. Both of these are based on world performances and reflect the parity between events at the top level of the sport. These have been used for scoring major open team competitions and are accepted by the swimming community as provision of a fair comparison across the range of events.

Initially, the internationally used points systems, described above, did not go down far enough, so when the tables were applied to age group swimming, especially at the younger ages, the value of the comparisons across events became less valid. In order to provide suitable tables a system of GB points was created, which was based on both international standards and information from the database of British swimming.

This GB points system also included “Age Correction Factors” which reflected the different achievement levels as a consequence of age-related physical development of young swimmers. These correction factors used in conjunction with GB points were particularly dependent on an annual analysis from GB ranking of the times swum by 9-14 year old swimmers. Over the past 10 years since the introduction of British Age Group Categories and the recognition through Long Term Athlete Development of the need for young swimmers to compete in longer distance events, the number of times in the rankings for 9-14 year olds has significantly increased, and recent comparisons show that there is now no statistical requirement for Age Correction Factors.

Over recent years the FINA points system has been extended, and the general access to this information has improved, so it is now considered appropriate to use these tables. There are separate short course and long course tables and the base times for 1000 points in each event are recalculated every year, based on the average of the top ten of the All Time World Rankings. As from January 2010 there will be no further separate GB points system and all ASA events will use the FINA Points tables. An added advantage will be that by using FINA points with no amendments, swimmers’ times can now be compared across age groups, which was not previously possible. So, whatever age a swimmer is, their time will score the same number of points.

ASA Swimming committee- 1st October 2009