There are two distances for competitive swimming pools; short course and long course. The standard short course pool is 25 yards long and has 6-10 lanes. The Olympic size (long course) is 50 meters with 8 to 10 lanes.

           Starting blocks are for a smooth dive in and are only for forward dives and backstroke starts.

           Lane lines are very important and are for separating lanes and breaking waves that each swimmer makes. Lane lines are made to float on the water and made of steel cable surrounded by plastic floats from one side of the pool to the other. To indicate the distance from the wall while the competitor is swimming, a solid color is from the wall to 15 feet out on each end of the pool.

           Backstroke flags are positioned above the water 15 feet from the wall so when the competitor is swimming backstroke they don’t have to loose concentration or look behind their shoulders.

           Swimming lanes are a strip of pool length, 5 to 8’ wide, defined as a swimming channel. Swimming lines are painted lines on the bottom of the pool that helps the swimmer swim in a straight line.

           Turn targets guide the swimmer through turns and are a demarcation at the end of the pool. They are markings on the wall at the end of each swimming lane.

           Pace clocks are used in a myriad of ways and there is usually a pace clock on the side of the pool. Pace clocks are nicknamed the heart of a pool workout. Turning tees used to help swimmer gauge the distance to the end of the pool. It’s the bold line on the bottom of a swimming channel. A tee formation is at the end of a swimming line.