USA Swimming Time Standards — Motivational Cut Times by Age Group
Look up the exact time you need for every standard — B, BB, A, AA, AAA, and AAAA, plus Futures and Junior National cuts — for any event, age group, and course. Set a target, see the gap, and chase your next cut.
Time Standards by Event
Open any event for its full cut table — every age group and standard, boys and girls.
Short Course Yards (SCY)
Understanding Time Standards
What the cuts mean and how to read them — for swimmers and parents.
What are USA Swimming motivational time standards?
Motivational time standards are national benchmark times set by USA Swimming for each event, age group, and course. From slowest to fastest they run B, BB, A, AA, AAA, and AAAA — giving every swimmer a clear ladder of goals to climb as they drop time.
How do I read the standards table?
Pick a gender, age group, and course (SCY, LCM, or SCM). Each row is an event, and each column is a standard. The time shown is the slowest you can go and still qualify for that standard — swim that time or faster and you've met the cut.
What's the order of the time standards, fastest to slowest?
Within the core motivational standards, AAAA is the fastest, then AAA, AA, A, BB, and B. Above AAAA sit championship qualifying cuts such as Futures, Winter Juniors, and Junior Nationals, which are faster still.
Why are SCY, LCM, and SCM standards different?
SCY is a 25-yard pool, SCM is a 25-meter pool, and LCM is a 50-meter Olympic pool. Distances and the number of turns differ by course, so each course has its own separate set of time standards.
How often do USA Swimming time standards change?
USA Swimming reviews motivational standards on a multi-year cycle (roughly every four years) so that each standard keeps representing the same level of national performance. Always check that you're looking at the current age group for the swimmer's age on the day they race.