Swimming pool
A water-filled basin, divided into lanes for competition, used for swimming and other aquatic sports.
Overview
A swimming pool is a constructed basin filled with water, used for swimming, training and a range of aquatic sports. Competition pools are divided into lanes by floating ropes and come in standard long-course and short-course lengths.
Pools may be indoor or outdoor and vary in depth depending on their use — diving and water polo need deeper water than lane swimming.
Good to know
- Long-course pools are 50 metres long; short-course pools are 25 metres.
- Floating lane ropes separate swimmers and help calm the wash between lanes.
- Starting blocks at one end are used for racing dives in most events except backstroke.
- Depth varies by pool, with deeper water needed for diving and water polo.
Where it’s used
Sports that use swimming pool:
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Equipment
- Swimming gogglesSealed eyewear that lets swimmers see clearly and keep water out of the eyes.
- Swim finsFoot blades that increase propulsion when swimming, snorkelling or diving.
- DumbbellA short handheld weight used for strength and fitness training.
- Golf clubA shafted club with a specialised head used to strike the ball around a golf course.
- Padel racketA solid, stringless perforated racket used to play padel.
Techniques
- Freestyle StrokeThe fastest swimming stroke, using alternating overhead arm pulls, a flutter kick and rhythmic side breathing.
- BreaststrokeA swimming stroke with a simultaneous arm sweep, a whip-like frog kick and a glide, performed on the front.
- BackstrokeThe only competitive stroke swum on the back, using alternating overhead arm pulls and a steady flutter kick.
- Flip TurnA fast turn in freestyle where the swimmer somersaults at the wall, pushes off on their back and rotates to continue swimming.
- HeaderA technique for controlling or striking the ball with the forehead in football, used to pass, shoot or clear the ball in the air.
Disciplines
- FreestyleFreestyle is the fastest swimming stroke, swum face-down with an alternating arm pull and flutter kick — the stroke most people picture when they think of swimming.
- BackstrokeBackstroke is swum face-up with an alternating arm pull and flutter kick — the one competitive stroke where you breathe freely because your face stays out of the water.
- BreaststrokeBreaststroke uses a simultaneous, symmetric arm sweep and a whip-like frog kick, with a distinct glide between strokes — technical, rhythmic and the slowest of the four strokes.
- ButterflyButterfly is swum with a simultaneous over-water arm recovery and an undulating dolphin kick — the most physically demanding stroke, built on rhythm and core-driven body movement.
- Individual medleyThe individual medley (IM) combines all four strokes in a set order — butterfly, backstroke, breaststroke, then freestyle — testing all-round swimming across a single event.
Adaptive sports
- Accessibility in sportHow sport removes barriers — physical, sensory, social and informational — so that disabled people can take part on equal terms.
- Sports for Blind and Visually Impaired AthletesSports adapted with sound, touch and guiding support so that athletes who are blind or have low vision can take part and compete.
- Inclusive facilitiesSports venues designed or adapted so that disabled and non-disabled people can arrive, take part and feel welcome on equal terms.
- Classification in para sportThe system used in para sport to group athletes so that competition is fair — decided by how much an impairment affects a specific sport.
- Wheelchair SportsSports played from a wheelchair — often a specialised sports chair — so that wheelchair users can take part, train and compete.
Learning paths
- Learn SwimmingA structured, educational learning path for swimming — from the rules to skills, techniques, tactics and training.
- Learn Water PoloA structured, educational learning path for water polo — from the rules to skills, techniques, tactics and training.
- Learn Open-Water SwimmingA structured, educational learning path for open-water swimming — from the rules to skills, techniques, tactics and training.
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How this page is maintained
- Content type
- Facility
- Provenance
- Tier A — evergreen educational
- Verified external sources
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- Content updated
- 2026-07-09
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