FHSAA Swim Meet Advancement Rules

Want to understand how a swim team moves from Districts to Regionals and then on to States? Below is an excerpt from the "2024-25 FHSAA Swimming & Diving Sport Manual" explaining the advancements. For a copy of the complete FHSAA Swimming & Diving Sport Manual, you can click here.

4.12.2.2.4 Advancement of Teams and Individuals

(a) District to Regional.

(1) Swimming Events. Twenty-four (24) contestants shall advance from district meets to the correlating regional meets in each individual event in swimming competition as follows: the top two (2) finishers in each swimming event from each district meet as well as the next overall best times at large for a field of 24 from the remaining best times among top sixteen (16) finishers in the district meets comprising the region. In the event of a tie for the last at-large qualifying place to the regional meet, all of the competitors tied shall be allowed to advance to the regional meet.

(2) Relay Events. Sixteen (16) teams shall advance from district meets to the correlating regional meets in each relay event in swimming competition as follows: the top finisher in each relay event from each district meet as well as the next overall best times at large for a field of 16 from the remaining best times among top eight finishers in the district meets comprising the region.

(3) Diving Competition. Twenty-four (24) contestants may advance from district meets to the correlating regional meets in diving competition as follows: the first two (2) places in diving competition from each district meet, provided the diver has a minimum qualifying score of 280.0 points in district competition. Any remaining available spaces shall be filled on an at-large basis from all competing divers who placed in the top sixteen (16) in their respective district meets comprising the region and met the minimum qualifying score of 280.0 points for a field of 24. In the event of a tie for the last at-large qualifying place to the regional meet, all of the competitors tied shall be allowed to advance to the regional meet.

(4) Qualifying times/scores for at-large entries into the regional meet will be posted on FHSAA.com after all districts in that region have reported their results.

(5) Relay teams qualify from the district meet to the regional meet as a team, not as individuals.

(b) Regional to Florida High School State Championship Series.

(1) Swimming Events. Twenty-four (24) contestants shall advance from regional meets to the Florida High School State Championship Series in each individual event in swimming competition as follows: the top two (2) finishers in each swimming event from each regional meet as well as the next overall best times at large for a field of 24 from the remaining best times among top sixteen (16) finishers in the four regional meets. In the event of a tie for the last at-large qualifying place to the Florida High School State Championship Series, all of the competitors tied shall be allowed to advance to the Florida High School State Championship Series.

(2) Relay Events. Twenty-four (24) teams shall advance from regional meets to the Florida High School State Championship Series in each relay event in swimming competition as follows: the top finisher in each relay event from each regional meet as well as the next overall best times at large for a field of 24 from the remaining best times among top eight finishers in the regional meets.

(3) Diving Competition. Twenty-four (24) contestants may advance from regional meets to the Florida High School State Championship Series in diving competition as follows: the first two (2) places in diving competition from each regional meet, provided the diver has a minimum qualifying score of 280.0 points in regional competition. Any remaining available spaces shall be filled on an at-large basis from all competing divers who placed in the top sixteen (16) in their respective regional meets and met the minimum qualifying score of 280.0 points for a field of 24. In the event of a tie for the last at-large qualifying place to the Florida High School State Championship Series, all of the competitors tied shall be allowed to advance to the Florida High School State Championship Series.

(4) Qualifying times/scores for at-large entries into the Florida High School State Championship Series will be posted on FHSAA.com.

(5) Relay teams qualify from the regional meet to the Florida High School State Championship Series as a team, not as individuals.