How Scoring Works at Meets.

I am happy to talk with you to help make it clear.  I hope this helps:

Dual Meet Scoring (one team vs. one team):

Individual Events:  The top 5 out of 6 score points:

6 points for 1st.  4 for 2nd.  3 for 3rd.  2 for 4th.  1 for 5th.  (16 possible points per event).

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Here you can actually win the points race without getting first.  If we were to get 2nd, 3rd, and 4th the score would be 9-7.   Depth matters more than speed often in these races.  Simply staying out of last place - so that all three of our athletes score means that the opponent only has two possible scoring athletes, and we have a good chance of out pointing the opponent.
There are 9 Individual events:  200 Free, 200 IM, 50 Free, Diving, 100 Fly, 100 Free, 500 Free, 100 Back, 100 Breast

Relays:  Only the top 3 places score points:  

8 points for 1st.  4 for 2nd.  2 for 3rd  (14 possible points).

·         In relay events; only the top 2 of the 3 relays from each team may score points.   Here getting 1st is the only way to out point the opponent.  Even if we were to get 2nd and 3rd - we would still be 2 points behind (6 to 8).   Getting 1st and 3rd is truly getting ahead in the score (10 to 4).
There are 3 relays in every meet:  200 Medley, 200 Free, and 400 Free.

It is our goal to score more than half of the available points in each event.  If we do this, the total will always be in our favor.  Once a team has scored its 94th point - it cannot lose as it now has more than half the total number of points allowed.
Every time we win a close race, it is at least one more point for us, and one less for the opponent.  A two point swing.  This is why our swimmers must do push-ups when they get out-touched.

Invitational Scoring (one team vs. many other teams):

Individual Points:  The top 16 finishers overall score points.   All 4 allowed athletes from every team are eligible to reach the top 16 finish - normally there will be 32 total participants in every event.   So outscoring your opponents on the board, or simply having a faster time than half the competition, will allow you to score points for the team (and your letter).   

20 points for 1st  (a 2 point bonus for 1st overall)
17 for 2nd
16 for 3rd
15 for 4th
14 for 5th
13 for 6th
12 for 7th
11 for 8th  (double digits for all top 8)
9 for   9th  (You do get a point bonus for the top spot among the bottom 8)
7 for  10th
6 for  11th
5 for  12th
4 for 13th
3 for 14th
2 for 15th
1 for 16th  (way more than everyone below you).

Relays - the same rules apply - all who place top 16 score points.  Only the points are worth 2 times that of an individual event.  40 for 1st,  34 for 2nd, etc..   With that many points on the line, Relays are massive point hogs.  Safe Starts are key, as we cannot afford to risk that many points.   Even though each swimmer contributes 25% toward the relay - each particapant will collect 50% of the points scored towards their letter.

Here at invitational’s our goal is to score all who enter each event.  Again, quality depth will win these meets.

There is a 3rd way meets are scored, and that only happens in the True Team Sections / State Format - I will not bother to bore you with that - as it is all dependent on the number of participants per event.   Suffice to say that in no other format is Depth rewarded as much as it is in this 3rd type of scoring.

The bottom line:  Everyone matters.  I am a firm believer in that.  We train that way.  We are scored that way.  We will behave that way.