How To Create A Diving Meet "Time Line" (Part 1 of 3)

If your team will be hosting a diving invitational, you should know how to create an estimated time line for the events. Coaches and parents always want to know what time “their kid” will be diving. Creating a diving meet time line is relatively easy and your efforts will be very much appreciated – especially if you and your staff are able to run the meet close to the schedule you created. Here is how to do it:

To create an approximate time line for your diving meet based on a "speed" of TWO DIVES PER MINUTE (about normal), apply the following formula to EACH EVENT:

(Number of Divers in the Event) x (Number of Dives to be Performed Before the Cuts) / 2 DPM (Dives Per Minute) = (Number of Minutes to Complete the Prelims)
Then add 5-10 minutes to allow the score table workers to make "cuts" (if applicable)
Finally, (Number of Divers Remaining After Cuts) x (Number of Dives to be Performed in the Finals) / 2 DPM (Dives Per Minute) = (Number of Minutes to Complete Finals)

EXAMPLE from a local Summer League Champ Meet:

EVENT #6 -- 11-12 Girls 1 Meter – All Divers will do THREE dives and then a “Cut” will be made to the Top 12 Divers who will then perform TWO more dives. Let’s say that there are 28 Divers entered in this event.

(28 Divers in the Event) x (3 Dives BEFORE “Cuts”) = (84 Dives) / 2 DPM (2 Dives Per Minute) = (42 Minutes to Complete the Preliminaries).

If Event #6 is scheduled to start at 1:00 p.m., the Pre-lims should end at 1:42 p.m. (that is 42 minutes after it started)

Now, add 10 minutes to your time line to allow the score table workers to “reduce the field to the Top 12 Divers” (aka Make “Cuts”)

Next, repeat the formula from above to calculate the time line for The Finals.

(12 Divers in the Finals) x (2 Dives AFTER “Cuts”) = (24 Dives) / 2 DPM (2 Dives Per Minute) = (12 Minutes to Complete the Finals).

Here is what your time line will look like for Event #6:

1:00 p.m. – 11-12 Girls Preliminaries Begin
1:42 p.m. – Prelims End / Score Table makes “Cuts” to Top 12 Divers
1:52 p.m. – 11-12 Girls Finals Begins
2:04 p.m. – Finals Ends / 20 Minute Warm-up for Event #7 Begins Now /
11-12 Girls Final Scores are calculated and then the Awards Presentation takes place.
2:24 a.m. – Next Event Begins

REPEAT THIS PROCESS FOR EACH EVENT AND THEN POST A SPREADSHEET THAT SHOWS THE EVENT TIME LINE.

Check back soon to see what happens when you are able to even slightly increase the speed at which you run each event -- WOW!!