Basildon & Phoenix Swimming Club

Club Newsletters

March 2012

... Working in partnership with SLM, operators of Basildon Sporting Village.

Explanatory notes on British Age Group Category Award Tables

BAGCAT Points & Awards

Swimming Terms explained - BAG points or BAGCAT points

This is an approach to measuring and comparing the performances of swimmers across a range of events. The acronym stands for British Age Group CATegory.

In this measurement system, points are scored for particular times in individual events based on their relative performance to top 10 historic all time performances. Points are based on a FINA scoring model.

Note: BAGCATs used to be comparative performance tables based on UK-specific data and adjusted for age but this no longer applies.

In some competitions (e.g. Essex County Age Group Championships or Eastern Region Championships) ‘Top Boy’ or ‘Top Girl’ trophies are awarded based on the total BAGCAT points scored by swimmers in a selection of events. The original intent of this was to encourage younger swimmers to compete in a wide range of events and not specialise too early. To make things more complicated events are grouped together and only the swimmers highest point score in each group of events will count. Typically these will be grouped as best sprint (50m), best 100m, best Individual Medley, best distance (200m+) and best non-Freestyle performance (confusingly known as a ‘Form stroke’). The stroke groups change as swimmers get older.

See below for the event groupings for particulars ages and competition levels.

To see potential points awarded for a particular event, swimmer age and time see: BAGCAT points calculator

Form Stroke - Used within BAGCAT system to describe non-Freestyle strokes (Butterfly, Breaststroke or Backstroke).

British Age Group Category County Awards (BAGCATS) 25m pool
	Boys		Girls
9 years	Sprint Form Distance IM	Best 50m Best 200m form stroke 200m Free Best 100/200m IM	Sprint Form Distance IM	Best 50m Best 200m form stroke 200m Free Best 100/200m IM
10 years	Sprint Form Distance IM	Best 50m Best 200m form stroke Best 200/400m Free Best 100/200m IM	Sprint Form Distance IM	Best 50m Best 200m form stroke Best 200/400m Free Best 100/200/400m IM
11 years	Sprint Form Distance IM	Best 50m Best 200m form stroke Best 200/400m Free Best 100/200m IM	Sprint 100’s Form Distance IM	Best 50m Best 100m Best 200m form stroke Best 200/400/800/1500m Free Best 100/200/400m IM
12 years	Sprint 100’s Form Distance IM	Best 50m Best 100m Best 200m form stroke Best 200/400/800/1500m Free Best 100/200/400m IM	Sprint 100’s Form Distance IM	Best 50m Best 100m Best 200m form stroke Best 200/400/800/1500m Free Best 100/200/400m IM
13 years	Sprint 100’s Form Distance IM	Best 50m Best 100m Best 200m form stroke Best 200/400/800/1500m Free Best 100/200/400m IM	Sprint 100’s Form Distance IM	Best 50m Best 100m Best 200m form stroke Best 200/400/800/1500m Free Best 100/200/400m IM
14 years	Sprint 100’s Form Distance IM	Best 50m Best 100m Best 200m form stroke Best 200/400/800/1500m Free Best 100/200/400m IM	Girls 14 years and over plus boys 15 years and over will start to specialise in individual events which will have individual awards.

British Age Group Category Regional & National Awards (BAGCATS) 25m pool
	Boys		Girls
Regional
10 years	100’s Form Distance IM	Best 100m Best 200m form stroke Best 200/400m Free Best 200/400m IM	100’s Form Distance IM	Best 100m Best 200m form stroke Best 200/400m Free Best 200/400m IM
Regional & National
11 years	100’s Form Distance IM	Best 100m Best 200m form stroke Best 200/400m Free Best 200/400m IM	100’s Form Distance IM	Best 100m Best 200m form stroke Best 200/400/800/1500m Free Best 200/400m IM
12 years	100’s Form Distance IM	Best 100m Best 200m form stroke Best 200/400/800/1500m Free Best 200/400m IM	100’s Form Distance IM	Best 100m Best 200m form stroke Best 200/400/800/1500m Free Best 200/400m IM
13 years	100’s Form Distance IM	Best 100m Best 200m form stroke Best 200/400/800/1500m Free Best 200/400m IM	100’s Form Distance IM	Best 100m Best 200m form stroke Best 200/400/800/1500m Free Best 200/400m IM
14 years	100’s Form Distance IM	Best 100m Best 200m form stroke Best 200/400/800/1500m Free Best 200/400m IM	Girls 14 years and over plus boys 15 years and over will start to specialise in individual events and will swim in the Youth Championships.

Note: The table represents Regional and National BAGCAT calculation basis in 2008 and may now be out of date.