Officials Development Program & Sanctioning Requirements

Sanctioning Requirements Document

Updates to the Sanction Requirements for the 2025-2026 season

To determine the eligibility for sanction requirements:

For sanctions taking place before October 30, 2025, the achieved TIER will be based on the 2024-2025 season ending TIER with no affiliated officials, however, the TIER will be determined as of the date of sanction application for sanctions after October 30, 2025. Clubs will be required to have their officials registered and Active in order to apply for the desired TIER sanctions.

Sanction Tier & Sanctioning Matrix

Different sanction types were divided into different TIERS based on number of sessions and complexity of the competition which requires a higher number of qualified and certified officials to deliver a fair and consistent event. It is important to note that 75% of competitions in 2018, 2019, 2022 were 4 sessions or less.

• TIER I: Class II Time Trial + In House Competition
• TIER II: Closed Invitational (limited to 4 sessions)
• TIER III: Open Invitational (limited to 6 sessions, no qualification standards)
• TIER IV: Open or Closed Invitational + Regionals & Provincials (no upper session limits, any double ended meet or meet with qualification standards)

A sanctioning matrix was developed to ensure a minimum number of qualified and certified officials were in place with the club to be able to deliver a competition with the different levels of complexity. This is a hybrid system, using both Level of senior officials as well as individual positions that need to be staffed.

The Sanctioning Matrix can be found HERE

Clubs do have the ability to co-host (including regional clubs hosting) and gain support from affiliated registered officials.

Clubs are responsible to register their officials and volunteers through the REMS system. Swim Ontario will ensure sufficient officials at various stages of development are registered through the REMS system.

Swim Ontario can request either or both an official development plan and progress report on the officials grid to ensure a host club has sufficient officials in place to run a fair and safe competition.

Swim Ontario can request a Post Meet Report that would include

• Actual session timeline reports (start of warm-up, start of session, end of session, and delays)
• Scanned copies of the “checked-in” Officials Grids.
• Full Meet Backup

Additional Information may be required from the Competition Coordinators and Meet Managers.

Swim Ontario can withdraw a sanction at any time if insufficient officials are in place or Swim Ontario procedures are not being followed to ensure a fair and safe competition.

Sanction deadlines for the 2025-2026 season:

With the understanding that everyone will be learning the REMS meets module, there will be leniency on the deadlines for sanction applications for meets taking place before October 30, 2025, however

• any TIER II meets submitted within 2 weeks of the start of the event will be denied.
• any TIER III or IV meet submitted within 4 weeks of the event start will be denied.

Events taking place after October 30, 2025, the sanction application deadlines will be in place and enforced.

• TIER I: In House competition: 2 weeks
• TIER I: Class II Time Trial: 1 week
• TIER I: Class I Time Trial: 5 business days
• TIER II: Closed Invitational: 6 weeks
• TIER III: Invitational: 8 weeks
• TIER IV: Invitational: 8 weeks
• Masters Meets: 4 weeks
• Varsity only: 4 weeks
• Provincial meets: 8 weeks

Meet Listing for 2025-2026 season

We understand the need to advertise upcoming meets, however, the REMS meets module is still undergoing some changes which may result in clubs having to redo their meet listings in the fall. We hope to have answers soon as to how this process will work.

There will be an approval process to have meets listed (advertising).

• If the club has reached Tier II, the meets must be listed as
  • closed Invitational
  • no more than 4 sessions.
• If the club has reached Tier III, and wish to list a 3 day meet, they will need to contact Swim Ontario (nicole@swimontario.com) with the details and format of the meet prior to approval.
  • no more than 6 sessions
  • No time standards

If you have not reached the desired TIER, before listing of the meet Swim Ontario will require details of what you have planned to enable the meet to run as planned, i.e.

• Co-hosting
• Official support
• Regional support

If no plan is in place, the listing can be modified to the TIER reached. This does not prevent a club from eventually being able to reach that TIER, it is simply advertising what the club can currently offer.