Mermaid Pride

• Wear your team colors - Royal Blue and Silver
• Cheer for all Mermaid routines
• Positive comments to all teammates

Representing The Mermaids

• Sportsmanship
• Positive attitude
• Respect to other teams at all times

Meet Etiquette

Once figure competition begins, practice and coaching ends. Swimmers are to enter and exit the water as quietly as possible without disturbing others. While waiting in the water to perform your next figure, remain quietly against the pool wall without disturbing the water. If it is necessary to talk to someone, keep voices as quiet as possible. Scorers and judges need to be able to hear the scores being announced.

During routine competition, there should be absolute quiet after the referee blows the whistle.

Swimmers and timers have to be able to hear when the music begins. Once swimmers are in the water, please clap and cheer as much as you like. No one except officials and workers should be walking around near the competitive area during the performance of a routine.

Other children attending the meet must be supervised by an adult at all times.

Swim Suits

• Black swim suit with white cap
• Team suit with Mermaid logo
• Routine suits

Figures

• Quiet & listen for scores
• Note book to record scores
• Girls are in number order
• 4 Rotating Stations
• Remember who you follow

Figure Scores

Figure scores account for approximately 50%. The figure score or team’s average score account for approximately 50% of the total routine score. Each swimmer performs a total of four figures in front of a panel of judges in a white cap and plain black suit. The swimmer shall wear goggles and a nose clip. There is no music, and the figures are to be relatively stationary. Figures are judged in numbers from 0 to 10, with tenths of points. The judges look for height, control, proper design, and smooth and effortless performance.

Routines

There are four routine events for synchronized swimming: solo, duet, team and combo. Team routines may have 4-8 swimmers. Combo routines may have 6-10 swimmers. A swimmer is allowed to compete in three of the four routine events in any one competition. Each routine may be two to five minutes in length depending on the age and routine.

Routines are judged in numbers from 0 to 10, with tenths of points, the same as figures.

The judges look for six different elements and give two scores, one for artistic impression and one for technical merit. Artistic Impression includes choreography, music interpretation and manner of presentation. Technical Merit includes execution, synchronization and difficulty.

Hair & Headpiece Information

Swimmers shall have their hair up and gelled for competitions and shows.

Hair and makeup should not be done during the warm-ups or the breaks between events.

This is the time when the coaches would like to either land drill or practice. Being ready takes planning on the part of the swimmers as well as parents.

Suggested Items to Bring

• Sleeping bag or blanket
• Folding Chairs
• Umbrella or Canopy
• Sunscreen
• Water Bottles
• Lots of Towels x5
• Small Note Book
• Snacks
• SNDM Team sweat suit
• Plain white swim cap – Figures
• Black Figure suit
• Nose clips (several)
• Goggles
• Knox
• Hairpins
• Elastic bands
• Bun Form Donut
• Shampoo & Conditioner
• Knoxing towel (hand towel)
• Waterproof Mascara
• Comb
• Brush
• Team Apparel
• Tennis shoes
• Nail polish remover (No color polish for figures)
• Makeup remover
• Camera

Competition Team Actives and Reserves

As our team grows and fills out to meet the optimal number of swimmers for competition, we also gain the strength of having backup teammates in case of situational needs. These swimmers are designated as Reserves. Like all competitive team sports, not every teammate will perform in competition, but remain critical members of the team by practice, presence, and sub-ins in moments of need. This is the case for all levels up to pros and Olympic levels of sport.

Here is a guide on how it all works.

1. Roster Size Restrictions
While a club or national team may train with 10–12 swimmers, official competitions restrict the number of athletes allowed in the water. 

Team Routine Limits: Olympic and World Aquatics team routines are limited to eight (8) swimmers in the water, plus a maximum of two reserves.

Free Combination/Highlights: These routines allow more participants (up to 10), but they are often treated as distinct events from the main technical and free team routines and figures scores don’t count towards the final score.

Penalty for Size: If a team is missing a member to make up a full set of eight, they may incur neutral deductions (e.g., 0.5 points per missing swimmer). 

2. The Need for Specialists and Alternates
Coaches must select the best 8-person combination for specific routines (technical, free, or acrobatic) to maximize scores. 

Reserves: Teams are required to bring reserve swimmers in case of illness or injury, and these swimmers often do not perform unless needed.

Specialization: Some team members may excel at acrobatics but not in the technical required elements, or vice versa, leading to them being benched for specific segments of a competition. 

3. All-or-Nothing Rules (Olympic Level)
Recent rule changes have made it so that the 8 athletes selected for a team competition must often perform in all segments of that competition (technical, free, and acrobatic). This reduces the ability to swap specialists in and out, meaning fewer, highly versatile swimmers are preferred over a larger, varied roster. 

4. Technical and Aesthetic Selection
Uniformity: Judges score on how closely athletes match, including height and body type. If a swimmer does not fit the physical aesthetic of the routine, they may be left off the competition roster.

Skill Gaps: Athletes with lower technical scores (based on "figures" or "elements" evaluation) may not make the cut for the top 8. 

5. Gender Rules
While rules have changed to allow men to compete in team events at the World Aquatics Championships and Olympics (up to two men on an 8-person team), many national teams still choose to field all-female teams, causing male team members to be omitted.