Seeding Relay Events

Learn how to create relay teams and seed athletes into relay events. Relay events require special management as they involve teams of swimmers rather than individual athletes.

Understanding Relay Events

What Are Relay Events?

Relay events involve teams of swimmers competing together:

Team Size: Typically 4 swimmers per relay team
Swimming Order: Each swimmer completes their leg in sequence
Team Names: Usually designated as A, B, C teams, etc.
Common Relays: 200 Free, 400 Free, 200 Medley, 400 Medley

Relay vs. Individual Events

Key Differences:

Multiple athletes work together as a team
Relay teams need names and swimmer order
Seeding is based on team times, not individual times
Results are recorded for the team, with individual splits

Accessing Relay Seeding

Navigate to Relay Seeding

Go to your meet details page
Click on "Seed Events" in the meet options
Select a relay event from the event list
The relay seeding interface will open

Relay Seeding Interface

The interface has three main sections:

Relay Teams Table: Shows existing relay teams with lanes and heats
Relay Athletes Table: Shows swimmers on the selected relay team
Available Athletes: List of athletes who can be added to relays

Creating Relay Teams

Step 1: Create a New Relay Team

In the relay teams section, the system automatically creates relay slots
Click on an empty relay team row
Enter a team name (typically A, B, C, D, etc.)
Set heat and lane assignments if desired

Step 2: Relay Team Configuration

For each relay team, you can set:

Team Identification

Team Name: Usually letters (A, B, C) or descriptive names
Team Type: Automatically set based on event gender

Seeding Information

Seed Time: Combined team time from previous performances
Heat Assignment: Which heat the team will swim in
Lane Assignment: Specific lane within the heat

Lane and Heat Options

Heat Assignment:

Automatic: System assigns based on seed times
Manual: Specify exact heat number
Leave blank: No heat assignment yet

Lane Assignment:

Follows meet lane configuration (Even, Odd, or Custom)
Can be manually overridden
System respects meet scoring/exhibition lane settings

Adding Athletes to Relay Teams

Step 3: Select a Relay Team

Click on a relay team in the relay teams table
The relay athletes section will show current team members
The selected team will be highlighted

Step 4: Add Athletes to the Team

Auto Seed Feature

The Auto Seed button provides automated relay team creation:

How Auto Seed Works:

Athlete Selection: Automatically selects the fastest available athletes based on historical times
Stroke Validation: For medley relays, ensures enough athletes with times for each stroke (Butterfly, Backstroke, Breaststroke, Freestyle)
Freestyle Relays: For freestyle relays, ensures enough athletes with freestyle times
Team Creation: Creates the optimal relay team with the 4 fastest available swimmers

Requirements for Auto Seed:

Selected relay team must be empty (no existing athletes)
Sufficient athletes with historical times for the required strokes:
- Medley Relays: At least 4 athletes with times for each of the 4 strokes
- Freestyle Relays: At least 4 athletes with freestyle times
Athletes must meet event eligibility requirements

To Use Auto Seed:

Select an empty relay team
Click the "Auto Seed" button (lightning bolt icon)
The system will automatically add the 4 fastest eligible athletes
Review and adjust the swimming order if needed

Auto Seed Behavior:

Uses fastest available times for each stroke requirement
Respects athlete entry limits and eligibility rules
Button shows helpful tooltip when disabled, explaining specific requirements
Only works with empty relay teams (won't override existing assignments)

Manual Athlete Selection

Alternatively, you can manually add athletes:

Review the list of available athletes on the right
Athletes show their eligibility and current relay commitments
Click "Add to Relay" next to an athlete's name
The athlete is added to the selected relay team

Athlete Filtering

Use filters to find specific athletes:

Search: Type athlete name to filter the list
Gender: Filter by male/female (automatically matches event gender)
Grade: Filter by grade level
Division: Filter by team division

Step 5: Set Swimming Order

Organize Relay Legs

In the relay athletes table, athletes are shown with their relay position
Drag and drop athletes to reorder them
Positions are numbered 1, 2, 3, 4 for each leg of the relay

Relay Order Strategy

200 Medley Relay Order:

Backstroke
Breaststroke
Butterfly
Freestyle

200/400 Freestyle Relay Order:

Position 1: Lead-off swimmer
Position 2-3: Middle swimmers
Position 4: Anchor swimmer

Strategic Considerations:

Strongest swimmer often swims anchor (position 4)
Consistent swimmer often leads off (position 1)
Consider stroke specialties for medley relays

Managing Relay Team Information

Relay Team Status

Each relay team shows:

Swimmer Count: How many athletes are on the team
Entry Status: Whether the team is properly configured
Seed Information: Team seed time and course
Heat/Lane: Current assignment

Team Entry Requirements

For a relay team to be properly seeded:

Minimum Athletes: Usually 4 swimmers (some meets allow 3)
Gender Matching: Athletes must match event gender requirements
Eligibility: All swimmers must be eligible for the event
Order: Swimming order should be set

Seed Time Management

Entering Team Seed Times

Click in the Seed Time field for a relay team
Enter the time in MM:SS.HH format (e.g., "1:45.23")
System validates the time format
Time is used for heat and lane seeding

Seed Time Sources

Previous Team Results: Use times from past competitions
Combined Individual Times: Add up individual best times
Estimated Times: Coach's estimate based on training
No Time (NT): Leave blank if no time available

Advanced Relay Management

Multiple Relay Teams

Creating Multiple Teams

Set up Team A with your fastest swimmers
Create Team B with the next group
Continue with Team C, D, etc. as needed
Each team can compete in the same event

Team Naming Strategies

Traditional Naming:

A Team, B Team, C Team
Varsity, JV, Freshman
Blue, White, Red

Descriptive Naming:

Speed Demons, Lightning Bolts
Senior Team, Junior Team
Distance Team, Sprint Team

Athlete Eligibility and Limits

Entry Limit Tracking

The system tracks:

Individual Events: How many individual events each athlete is in
Relay Events: How many relay events each athlete is in
Total Events: Combined individual and relay event count
Meet Limits: Warns when athletes approach entry limits

Eligibility Indicators

Athletes show:

Current Commitments: Number of events already entered
Relay Eligibility: Whether they can be added to more relays
Gender Match: Whether they match the event requirements
Division Match: Whether their division is eligible

Heat and Lane Strategy

Heat Seeding

Seeding Process:

Fastest relay teams in fastest heat
Work backwards with slower teams
Consider number of teams per heat
Balance heat sizes when possible

Heat Assignment Options:

Automatic: System seeds by time
Manual: Coaches assign specific heats
Grouped: Keep certain teams together

Lane Assignments

Lane Selection Strategies:

Center Lanes: Fastest teams get center lanes (4, 5)
Outside Lanes: Slower teams get outside lanes (1, 8)
Even/Odd: Follow meet lane configuration
Exhibition: Use designated exhibition lanes

Relay Seeding Workflow

Recommended Process

Plan Teams: Decide how many relay teams to enter
Create Teams: Set up relay teams with names
Add Athletes: Choose between auto-seed or manual assignment
- Auto Seed: Use the Auto Seed button for optimal team creation
- Manual: Manually select and assign swimmers to each team
Set Order: Arrange swimming order for each team (auto-seed provides starting order)
Enter Times: Add seed times for proper seeding (auto-seed may provide estimated times)
Assign Lanes: Set heat and lane assignments
Review: Verify all teams are properly configured

Auto Seed Workflow

For teams using the auto-seed feature:

Check Requirements: Ensure sufficient athletes with stroke-specific times
Select Empty Team: Click on an empty relay team slot
Auto Seed: Click the Auto Seed button to populate the team
Review Selection: Verify the athletes selected by auto-seed
Adjust Order: Fine-tune swimming order if needed
Repeat: Use auto-seed for additional teams or manual selection as preferred

Quality Checks

Before finalizing relay seeding:

✅ All teams have required number of swimmers
✅ Swimming order is set for each team
✅ No athlete exceeds entry limits
✅ Seed times are entered where available
✅ Heat and lane assignments are appropriate
✅ All athletes are eligible for the event

Common Relay Configurations

200 Medley Relay

Event Setup:

Distance: 200 yards/meters
Stroke: Medley (4 different strokes)
Swimmers: 4 per team (50 each)

Swimming Order:

Backstroke (50)
Breaststroke (50)
Butterfly (50)
Freestyle (50)

200 Freestyle Relay

Event Setup:

Distance: 200 yards/meters
Stroke: Freestyle
Swimmers: 4 per team (50 each)

Strategy Notes:

All swimmers swim freestyle
Lead-off swimmer sets the pace
Anchor swimmer provides finishing kick

400 Freestyle Relay

Event Setup:

Distance: 400 yards/meters
Stroke: Freestyle
Swimmers: 4 per team (100 each)

Strategy Notes:

Longer distance requires pace management
Often the premier relay event
Requires strongest distance freestylers

Troubleshooting Relay Issues

Common Problems

Problem: Auto Seed button is disabled

Cause: Insufficient athletes with required stroke times or relay team already has athletes
Solution: Check the tooltip message for specific requirements:
- For medley relays: Need 4+ athletes with times for each stroke (Butterfly, Backstroke, Breaststroke, Freestyle)
- For freestyle relays: Need 4+ athletes with freestyle times
- Ensure selected relay team is empty

Problem: Auto Seed selects unexpected athletes

Cause: System selects fastest available times for stroke requirements
Solution: Review athlete historical times and stroke filters, or use manual selection for specific preferences

Problem: Can't add athlete to relay team

Cause: Athlete may be at entry limit or wrong gender
Solution: Check athlete's current entries and eligibility

Problem: Relay team not showing as properly seeded

Cause: Missing swimmers or incorrect configuration
Solution: Verify team has required number of swimmers

Problem: Can't change swimming order

Cause: May need to select the relay team first
Solution: Click on the relay team, then drag/drop athletes

Entry Limit Issues

Problem: Athlete shows as ineligible for relay

Cause: Entry limits may be reached
Check: Review individual and relay entry counts
Solution: Remove athlete from other events if appropriate

Problem: System warns about entry limits

Response: Review meet entry limits and athlete commitments
Action: Adjust entries to comply with meet rules

Seeding Conflicts

Problem: Multiple teams want same lanes

Solution: Use seed times to determine lane assignments
Alternative: Manually assign lanes to avoid conflicts

Problem: Heat assignments don't look right

Check: Verify seed times are entered correctly
Action: Manually adjust heat assignments if needed

Best Practices

Team Formation Strategy

Balance Ability: Spread strong swimmers across multiple teams
Consider Chemistry: Group athletes who work well together
Plan for Scratches: Have backup swimmers identified
Match Strokes: Put stroke specialists in appropriate relay positions

Time Management

Realistic Seeds: Use realistic seed times for proper seeding
Update Times: Update seed times as the season progresses
Track Improvement: Monitor relay team progress
Compare Standards: Check times against qualifying standards

Meet Day Preparation

Relay Cards: Prepare relay team cards with swimmer order
Backup Plans: Have substitutes ready for each team
Communication: Ensure all relay swimmers know their responsibilities
Equipment: Organize relay equipment and team identification

Integration with Other Features

Individual Event Seeding

Relay commitments affect individual event entry limits
Athletes seeded in relays show those commitments
System prevents over-entering athletes

Results Processing

Relay results are recorded for teams with individual splits
Team times and individual split times are tracked
Relay records are maintained separately from individual records

Meet Export

Relay teams export to timing systems and meet software
Team names and swimmer order are included in exports
Seed times are used for meet management software