Course Conversion Factors

Course conversion factors enable accurate time conversions between different pool courses during the seeding process. When athletes have times from different courses than your meet, these factors automatically convert their times for fair and accurate seeding.

Understanding Pool Courses

Swimming competitions use three main pool course types:

SCY (Short Course Yards): 25-yard pools (primarily USA high school and club)
LCM (Long Course Meters): 50-meter pools (Olympic standard)
SCM (Short Course Meters): 25-meter pools (common internationally)

Each course type produces different times for the same distance due to:

Different pool lengths affecting turn frequency
Varying stroke mechanics and pacing strategies
Course-specific training adaptations

Accessing Conversion Factors

Navigate to your conversion factors settings:

Go to your team dashboard
Click "Settings" in the left sidebar
Select "Conversion Factors"

Default Conversion Factors

High School Teams

High school teams automatically receive NFHS (National Federation of High Schools) conversion factors based on the official NFHS Swimming and Diving Distance Conversion Chart. These factors include:

Individual Events (Female):

50 Freestyle: 1.115 (SCY to LCM)
100 Freestyle: 1.112
200 Freestyle: 1.108
500 Freestyle: 0.8772
100 Backstroke: 1.111
100 Breaststroke: 1.112
100 Butterfly: 1.111
200 Individual Medley: 1.110

Individual Events (Male):

50 Freestyle: 1.119 (SCY to LCM)
100 Freestyle: 1.111
200 Freestyle: 1.108
500 Freestyle: 0.8780
100 Backstroke: 1.111
100 Breaststroke: 1.110
100 Butterfly: 1.114
200 Individual Medley: 1.111

Relay Events are also included with gender-specific factors.

Other Team Types

Club, college, and other team types start with no conversion factors. You can:

Add custom conversion factors
Import NFHS factors manually
Create organization-specific standards

Managing Conversion Factors

Viewing Existing Factors

The conversion factors table displays:

Distance: Event distance (50, 100, 200, etc.)
Stroke: Swimming stroke or medley
Gender: Male or Female
Type: Individual or Relay
From Course: Source course type
To Course: Target course type
Factor: Conversion multiplier

Adding New Factors

To create a new conversion factor:

Click "Add Factor"
Fill out the conversion factor form:
- Distance: Enter the event distance
- Stroke: Select from dropdown (Freestyle, Backstroke, Breaststroke, Butterfly, Medley)
- Gender: Choose Male or Female
- Event Type: Check "Relay Event" if applicable
- From Course: Select source course (SCY, LCM, SCM)
- To Course: Select target course
- Conversion Factor: Enter the multiplier (e.g., 1.1150)
Click "Add Conversion Factor"

Editing Existing Factors

To modify a conversion factor:

Click the three-dot menu (⋯) next to the factor
Select "Edit"
Update the necessary fields
Click "Update Conversion Factor"

Deleting Factors

To remove a conversion factor:

Click the three-dot menu (⋯) next to the factor
Select "Delete"
Confirm the deletion

⚠️ Warning: Deleting conversion factors may affect future seeding accuracy.

How Conversion Factors Work

Automatic Application

During seeding, Huddleswim automatically:

Identifies Course Differences: Compares athlete seed times to meet course
Finds Matching Factor: Locates the appropriate conversion factor
Applies Conversion: Multiplies the time by the conversion factor
Seeds Athletes: Uses converted times for heat and lane assignments

Conversion Formula

Converted Time = Original Time × Conversion Factor

Example:

Athlete's SCY time: 24.50 (50 Freestyle)
Meet course: LCM
Conversion factor: 1.115
Converted time: 24.50 × 1.115 = 27.32

Bidirectional Conversions

Most events require two conversion factors:

Forward conversion: SCY to LCM (factor: 1.115)
Reverse conversion: LCM to SCY (factor: 0.8969 ≈ 1/1.115)

Understanding Conversion Factors

Factor Values

Factors > 1.0: Times get slower (SCY to LCM/SCM)
Factors < 1.0: Times get faster (distance events, LCM to SCY)

Distance Considerations

Different distances have unique conversion factors:

Sprint events (50, 100): Higher factors due to fewer turns
Distance events (500, 1000, 1650): Lower factors due to pacing differences
Middle distance (200, 400): Moderate factors

Stroke Variations

Each stroke has specific conversion characteristics:

Freestyle: Most predictable conversions
Backstroke: Similar to freestyle patterns
Breaststroke: Unique turn dynamics affect factors
Butterfly: Sprint-oriented conversion patterns
Individual Medley: Composite of all stroke factors

Best Practices

Factor Accuracy

Use official standards when available (NFHS, NCAA, etc.)
Verify factors with recent time data
Consider regional/organizational variations
Update factors based on course improvements

Coverage Completeness

Ensure conversion factors exist for:

All meet events and distances
Both genders
Individual and relay events
All course combinations your team encounters

Regular Maintenance

Review factors annually
Update based on rule changes
Verify accuracy with coaching staff
Test conversions against known results

Common Conversion Factor Sources

Official Standards

NFHS: High school standard factors
NCAA: College swimming conversions
USA Swimming: Club swimming standards
World Aquatics: International standards

Custom Factors

Organizations may develop custom factors based on:

Facility-specific conditions
Regional performance data
Historical time analysis
Coaching preferences

Troubleshooting

Missing Conversions

If seeding shows unconverted times:

Verify matching conversion factor exists
Check distance, stroke, gender, and course settings
Ensure factor covers the specific event combination

Incorrect Conversions

If converted times seem wrong:

Verify conversion factor accuracy
Check factor direction (SCY to LCM vs. LCM to SCY)
Confirm proper distance matching
Review stroke-specific factors

Seeding Issues

If seeding results appear incorrect:

Check all conversion factors are current
Verify athlete seed times have correct course codes
Confirm meet course settings
Review converted times in athlete entries

Integration with Meet Management

HY-TEK Compatibility

Conversion factors work seamlessly with:

HY-TEK Meet Manager imports
EV3 event file processing
SD3 seed file generation
Results file exports

Time Standard Recognition

Converted times properly interact with:

Qualification time checking
Achievement recognition systems
Record consideration (when appropriate)
Performance tracking metrics