The Northshore Aquatic Association is committed to guaranteeing the safety of athletes at NAA-organized or NAA-sanctioned swimming competitions. All parties—coaches, swimmers, officials and parents—must collaborate to ensure compliance with the procedures in this document.

The present Regulation applies to all coaches, swimmers, officials and parents participating in an NAA-organized or NAA-sanctioned swimming competition.

The present Regulation applies to all warm-up periods at NAA-organized or NAA-sanctioned swimming competitions. 

3.1. Entry into the Water during Warm-Up Periods

Swimmers must enter into the water feet first, from a seated position.

Diving and block starts are only authorized when one-way swimming, in the direction away from the starting block, is enforced. This includes backstroke starts. Coaches can designate any assigned lane to them for one-way swimming. 

A notice or barrier must be placed on diving blocks when diving is proscribed.

3.2. Two-Way Swimming during Warm-Up Periods

Swimmers must keep right when in a lane where swimming is observed in both directions.

3.3. Equipment

Flutter boards and pull buoys are permitted during warm-up periods. Hand paddles, flippers (fins), snorkels and ankle bands are proscribed.

All swimmers must wear a decent bathing suit adapted for swimming. 

Notwithstanding the paragraph above, Meet Management and the referee reserves the right to prohibit any equipment that is susceptible to cause harm to an individual.

A swimmer may swim with a cast as long as it is deemed safe for the swimmer and the other swimmers in the event and no advantage will be gained while swimming with the cast. The NAA VP Swimming after consultation with the Referee will have the final call; the NAA reserves the right to request a doctor’s note approving the cast for swimming.

3.4. Lifeguard Supervision

No swimmer can be in the water without the presence of at least one (1) lifeguard on a control station, as defined by chapter B-1.1, r. 11 of the Québec Building Act.

The lifeguard must be vigilant.

The number of lifeguards actively supervising the pool, as well as their qualifications, must be in conformity with chapter B-1.1, r. 11 of the Québec Building Act. 

3.5. Presence of Coaches

Individuals may not swim during the warm up period without the presence of an assigned coach on deck. Swimmers who cannot swim 25m without assistance, or without a flotation device, must be accompanied in the water by a responsible adult. For the purposes of this document, a responsible adult is defined as any person above the age of 14. 

Responsible adults must be able to see all swimmers under their care, and be sufficiently in reach of swimmers to intervene when necessary. Coaches are responsible of determining the number of responsible adults in the water necessary to ensure the safety of swimmers.

3.6. Para Swimmers

It is the responsibility of each Para Swimmer’s coach to provide the necessary assistance and/or equipment to each of their athletes.

3.7. Backstroke

Coaches must attempt to give priority to athletes swimming backstroke.

A set of backstroke swimming flags must be placed, at the 5-metre mark from both ends of the pool, and must be visible to swimmers in all lanes. The warm-up period must not begin without the proper placement of these flags.

3.8. First Aid Station and Means of Communication

A First Aid station must be clearly identifiable and open for the duration of the Meet.

Additionally, an adequate means of communication must be available in order to contact emergency services.

3.9. Dangerous Conduct

Any dangerous conduct is not tolerated.

For the purposes of these regulations, the actions below are considered dangerous:

• Sitting on a flutter board;
• Jumping over another swimmer in the water;
• Dunking another swimmer underwater.

The list hereinabove is non-exhaustive.

3.10. Individuals under the Influence

No individual participating in a Competitive Swimming event may be under the influence of alcohol or illicit drugs. 

Any person who in violation of this rule shall be automatically suspended, expelled, and barred from participating or attending any future NAA event of the current season. 

3.11. Additional Regulations

Meet Management reserves the right to add additional rules to ensure safety at the event, according to the specificities of their installations. Furthermore, it is incumbent upon Meet Management to delimit areas reserved for spectators, swimmers and officials. Meet Management may also, at their discretion, limit during the warm up period the number of swimmers in each lane and/or behind the blocks at one given moment.

3.12. Aggressive or Violent Conduct

No violent or aggressive conduct is tolerated, either from coaches, swimmers, parents, spectators or officials. Meet Management, the referee and the NAA reserve the right to expel any individual disrupting the event, or acting in an aggressive or violent manner.

In the case of a physical fight, all involve parties must be immediately expelled, regardless of who initiated the fight.

3.13. Offensive or Unsportsmanlike Behaviour or Symbols

Offensive or unsportsmanlike behaviour or symbols are not tolerated. Meet Management and the referee reserve the right to take appropriate actions. This includes asking the individual to remove the offensive or unsportsmanlike symbol.

3.14. Weapons and Other Dangerous Objects

No individual may be in possession of an object that, reasonably and foreseeably, has the potential to cause harm or death to other individuals, unless the said object is necessary and justifiable, and the said object is treated with enough reasonable care to limit its dangerous potential.

Such items include, but is not limited to:

• Illegal guns and other illegal weapons.
• Lasers;

3.15. Interference with the Operation of the Meet

No person may interfere with the operation of the Meet without valid justification. Meet Management and the referee have the authority to expel any person reasonably in violation with this article.

3.16. Applicable Laws and By-Laws

Meet Management is responsible for implementing all laws and by-laws applicable to their establishment.

In particular, the facilities must comply with chapter B-1.1, r. 11 of the Québec Building Act.

3.17. Criminal Record

No Coach or Official may have a criminal record. The pool with whom the individual is affiliated is responsible for ensuring compliance with this section.

3.18. Pool Temperature

No swimmer may compete in pool, if the water temperature is below 22 degrees Celsius, or above 30 degrees Celsius. In such case, the Meet must be postponed.

3.19. Water Quality

Pool water quality must respect chapter Q-2, r.39 of the Québec Building Act.

3.20. Hazardous Equipment

Meet Management must ensure that hazardous equipment, such as chemical products or chemical equipment, are properly secured and safeguarded.

3.21. Environmental Conditions

No individual may participate in a Competitive Swimming event if the conditions reasonably endanger the health or safety of participants. It is the responsibility of the hosting pool to determine whether the conditions are safe.

In the event of thunder being heard (or lightning seen), a pool must be closed—and the Meet suspended—until 30 minutes have elapsed since the last sighting of lightning or witnessing of thunder. During the closure, participants must not be left in an open field.

Meet Management is responsible for the following: 

• Ensuring the overall safety of swimmers during the Event.
• Implementing the Regulation;

4.1 Safety Marshalls

Meet Management must designate a minimum of two (2) safety marshalls.

Notwithstanding the paragraph above, Meet Management must only designate a minimum of one (1) safety marshall at NAA-sanctioned Dual Meets.

Safety marshalls shall ensure compliance with the Regulation.

All coaches, volunteers, swimmers, officials, spectators and parents must comply with these regulations. 

Upon observing a swimmer who does not comply with the current regulations, a safety marshall must inform the relevant coach, in addition to correcting the swimmer. The coach is thereafter responsible for ensure future compliance with the regulations.

If a safety marshall observes repeated incidents, serious hazards that endanger the lives/wellbeing of swimmers, or a refusal to comply, the safety marshall must report the situation to the referee and Meet Management. The referee, Meet Management and the NAA shall have the authority to expel a swimmer for serious breaches to the present Regulation.

5.1 Investigation

The NAA reserves the right to investigate any matter regarding a breach of safety standards at its Events. Any summoned party must respond to a request for information and collaborate in good faith with the investigation.

5.2 Sanctions

Following an investigation into the matter, the NAA must act according the applicable procedures of the Constitution.

The NAA nonetheless reserves the right to immediately act or impose sanctions when required by the situation.

5.3 Prerogative of the NAA

The NAA reserves the right to cancel any sanctioned event when knowledgeable of a potential danger to participants.

Any member, parent, spectator, volunteer or staff member who witnesses a violation to the current Policy must advise their member pool, or the Vice-President of Competitive Swimming, without delay.

Meet Management must submit a report to the Vice-President of Competitive Swimming in one of the following situations:

• An individual has been removed from the meet;
• There have been a dangerous, violent or aggressive situation observed; 
• Emergency services were called to an incident at an Event organized by the NAA;
• The rights of a participant were breached;
• There has been a violation of the current Regulation;
• Meet Management, the safety marshall and the referee reasonably deem the incident observed conduct serious enough to be reported.