What is the Course Conversion Factor (CCF) in swimming?

The Course Conversion Factor (CCF) is a FINA/World Aquatics standard used to compare times across different pool lengths. Short-course swimmers benefit from more turns (push-offs add speed), so a CCF less than 1.0 is applied to convert SCM times to LCM equivalents. CCF values vary by event — 100m freestyle SCM uses CCF 0.970, while 200m breaststroke SCM uses CCF 0.990.

Is a 1:30 per 100m in a 25m pool the same as 1:30 per 100m in a 50m pool?

No. A 1:30/100m pace in a 25m pool (SCM) is significantly faster than 1:30/100m in a 50m pool (LCM). You benefit from a wall push-off every 25m in the short-course pool. The equivalent long-course pace is typically 5–8 seconds per 100m slower, depending on stroke and event.

How much faster are short-course times than long-course?

Short-course (25m) times are typically 2–5% faster than long-course (50m) times for the same swimmer. For a 100m freestyle, that's roughly 1–3 seconds faster in a short-course pool. For a 1500m freestyle, the difference can be 20–40 seconds.

Swim Time Converter – 25m to 50m Pool, Yards to Metres, Course Conversion

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Official FINA CCF conversion

Swim Time Converter
— Pool & Course Conversion

Convert swim times between 25m (short course metres), 50m (long course metres) and 25-yard pools using the official FINA/World Aquatics Course Conversion Factor. Also convert pace between metres and yards.

SCM ↔ LCM
SCY ↔ SCM / LCM
Official FINA CCF
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Understanding pool conversions

Why pool length changes your swim time

In a 25m pool you push off the wall every 25 metres — that’s 4 walls per 100m. In a 50m pool you only push off twice per 100m. Each wall push-off adds 0.5–1.0 seconds of free speed, which means short-course (25m) times are inherently faster than long-course (50m) times for the same swimmer.

This makes direct time comparisons between courses misleading. A 1:00 SCM (25m pool) 100m freestyle is NOT equivalent to a 1:00 LCM (50m pool) 100m freestyle. The SCM time is significantly faster in real-world terms.

FINA (now World Aquatics) developed the Course Conversion Factor (CCF) to standardise comparison. It allows coaches, swimmers and selectors to compare performances across course lengths using a single, stroke- and distance-specific factor.

The three pool standards

Pool Type	Abbreviation	Length	Walls/100m
Short Course Metres	SCM	25 m	4
Long Course Metres	LCM	50 m	2
Short Course Yards	SCY	25 yd (22.86 m)	4+

Quick rule of thumb

Add roughly 1–2 seconds per 100m when converting SCM → LCM for freestyle. For breaststroke the difference is smaller (walls help less). For backstroke and butterfly it sits in between.

Official factors

FINA Course Conversion Factors (CCF) by event

These are the official CCF values used by World Aquatics to convert SCM times to their LCM equivalents. A lower CCF means SCM swimmers benefit more from turns in that event.

Event	Freestyle CCF	Backstroke CCF	Breaststroke CCF	Butterfly CCF	IM CCF
50m / 50y	0.960	0.960	0.960	0.960	—
100m / 100y	0.970	0.975	0.980	0.975	—
200m / 200y	0.975	0.980	0.985	0.980	0.982
400m / 400y	0.980	—	—	—	0.985
800m / 800y	0.984	—	—	—	—
1500m / 1650y	0.987	—	—	—	—

Formula: LCM equivalent = SCM time ÷ CCF. Source: FINA (World Aquatics) official CCF table. “—” = event not contested at that distance. Values may be updated by World Aquatics.

Quick reference

100m Freestyle: SCM to LCM conversion table

Common short-course 100m freestyle times converted to their long-course equivalent using CCF 0.970.

SCM Time (25m pool)	LCM Equivalent (50m)	Difference (+sec)	Level
47.0s	48.5s	+1.5s	Elite / National
50.0s	51.5s	+1.5s	Elite / Senior
55.0s	56.7s	+1.7s	Advanced Club
1:00.0	1:01.9	+1.9s	Competitive Age Group
1:05.0	1:07.0	+2.0s	Club Swimmer
1:10.0	1:12.2	+2.2s	Intermediate
1:20.0	1:22.7	+2.7s	Beginner / Recreational
1:40.0	1:43.3	+3.3s	Beginner
2:00.0	2:03.9	+3.9s	Fitness Swimmer

Community questions

Swimmers ask, we answer

swim_uk_mastersr/Swimming · 1.1k upvotes

My club records everything in SCM. I’m entered in a LCM meet — how much slower should I expect to be?

For freestyle, add roughly 2–3% to your SCM time to estimate your LCM performance. A 1:00.0 SCM becomes about 1:01.9 LCM for 100m freestyle. For longer events the gap is smaller — a 5:00 SCM 400m free converts to about 5:10 LCM. Don’t panic — most swimmers feel the difference in their breathing pattern more than in their time.

tri_swim_convertr/triathlon · 743 upvotes

My triathlon training plan gives paces in yards per 100. I train in a 25m pool. How do I convert?

1 yard = 0.9144 metres, so multiply your /100y pace by 1.0936 to get the equivalent /100m pace. If your plan says 1:30/100y, that’s 1:38–1:39/100m. Most triathlon coaches use metres now, but US plans still use yards. The difference for training targets is small — within ±5 seconds per 100m — but worth getting right for race-pace sets.

coach_natasha_swimr/SwimmingCoaches · 893 upvotes

Why do some swimmers look much worse in a 50m pool compared to their 25m times?

It’s almost always underwaterwork and turn efficiency. Swimmers who rely heavily on dolphin kicks off every wall are essentially getting free speed every 25m. In a 50m pool with only 2 turns per 100m, that advantage halves. If a swimmer is 5% faster SCM than the CCF would predict, they’re probably a strong underwater kicker. Long-course training builds open-water stamina — something the CCF doesn’t fully capture.

FAQ

Swim time converter — frequently asked questions

How do you convert a 25m pool time to a 50m pool time?

Use the FINA Course Conversion Factor (CCF) for your stroke and distance. Divide your short-course time by the CCF to get the long-course equivalent. For 100m freestyle: LCM time = SCM time ÷ 0.970. Our calculator does this automatically — just select your event and enter your time.

What is the FINA / World Aquatics Course Conversion Factor?

The Course Conversion Factor (CCF) is an official FINA/World Aquatics standard that accounts for the speed advantage swimmers gain from pushing off the wall in a short-course pool. CCF values are between 0.960 and 0.990 depending on stroke and distance. A lower CCF means more wall advantage (typically shorter events and faster strokes).

How do I convert yards to metres in swimming?

1 yard = 0.9144 metres. To convert a pace per 100 yards to per 100 metres, multiply by 1.0936. For example, 1:30/100y = approximately 1:38.4/100m. Use our Yards ↔ Metres tab for distance conversions, or the Pace Converter tab for pace unit conversions.

Is SCM or LCM faster?

SCM (25m short-course) times are almost always faster than LCM (50m long-course) times for the same swimmer and event. The wall push-off every 25m adds free speed that isn’t available in a 50m pool. This is why world records in SCM pools are typically faster than LCM world records, and why they’re tracked separately.

Can I use this to compare USMS times to FINA times?

Yes — USMS (US Masters Swimming) uses 25-yard (SCY) pools, while most international masters and FINA events use 25m (SCM) or 50m (LCM). Our converter handles SCY ↔ SCM and SCY ↔ LCM conversions, accounting for both the pool length difference and the metres-to-yards unit conversion.

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