2023 Region Championships FAQs

With 12 USA Diving Region Championships just around the corner, USA Diving has compiled a list of Frequently Asked Questions and other important information. Registration for each of the 12 USA Diving Region Championships meets is open now on Divemeets.com. To register, click here.

What does being a prequalified diver mean?
Junior-aged divers who are members of the 2023 High Performance Squad (any tier) will be prequalified to the semifinals at the 2023 USA Diving Junior National Championships in 1-meter, 3-meter and platform. They will also be prequalified to the 2023 USA Diving National Championships provided they can meet the minimum DD requirements on 1-meter and 3-meter. The DD minimums will be waived for junior divers on platform, but all dives must be performed on 10-meter and only two voluntaries may be included in a junior diver’s list at the USA Diving National Championships.

Which Region Championship meet do I go to?
Divers may participate in the Region Championship meet of their choice, regardless of where they live. Keep in mind that a diver can attend only one region meet. Divers who go on to compete at the Zone Championships must attend the meet that corresponds to the region meet the diver attended (for example, divers who compete in Region 1 or 2 would compete in Zone A). If a diver does not advance on a springboard event but is still planning to compete on platform at zones, the diver is still required to compete at the zone that corresponds to the region meet attended.

Check out the USA Diving Region and Zone maps for a breakdown of each region and its corresponding zone.

How do I advance to a Zone Championship?
The top 15 finishers (excluding prequalified divers) in a springboard event at a region meet who are U.S. citizens will be eligible to compete in that event at the Zone Championships. Additionally, a zone qualifying score will be calculated and divers may advance by achieving that score at their region meet. The scores of the 15th-place finisher (or last-place diver if fewer than 15 entries) in each event from each region will be averaged and that average will be considered a possible zone qualifying score. Keep in mind the qualifying score may not be a straight average across the 12 regions. Any region score that is not within one standard deviation of the average will be deleted and the average will be recalculated. 

Divers who are not U.S. citizens but who live and train in the United States may advance if they finish in the top 15 or fall within the qualifying score, but they will not take a qualifying spot away from a U.S. citizen.

When is the registration deadline for the Region Championships?
All registrations will be done on Divemeets.com.

Early registration for Regions 2, 4, 5, 6, 8, 9, 10 and 11 closes at 5 p.m. ET on Monday, April 10. If you miss the deadline, late registrations will be accepted with a $100 late fee.

Early registration for Regions 7 and 12 closes at 5 p.m. ET on Monday, April 17. If you miss the deadline, late registrations will be accepted with a $100 late fee.

Early registration for Regions 1 and 3 closes at 5 p.m. ET on Monday, April 24. If you miss the deadline, late registrations will be accepted with a $100 late fee.

When are the meets being held?
For complete dates, please see the USA Diving schedule. For specific information about a particular meet, including the competition schedule, please click on that meet within the schedule.

How do I upgrade my ‘Athlete’ membership so I can compete at a region meet?
Divers must have a current USA Diving ‘Competition Athlete’ membership to compete at a Region Championship meet. Divers who have an ‘Athlete’ membership may easily upgrade by logging into their Sports Engine account. Once logged in, the member can purchase the ‘Competition Athlete’ membership and pay the difference between the two memberships.

I already have a ‘Competition Athlete’ membership, but I am unable to register. What could the problem be?
The name and birthdate listed in your USA Diving membership account MUST match the information in your Divemeets profile. If you are having trouble registering for a meet, please verify that the information in the two accounts matches.

If a member needs to change their name or birthdate in Sports Engine, the account owner must edit this. Here is how the member can do that: https://help.sportsengine.com/en/articles/6330304

I am turning 18 this year. What membership do I need?
If a diver is turning 18 at any time this year, they will need an 18+ competition athlete membership, even if they are still 17 at the time of the region meet. Keep in mind that the 18+ membership requires SafeSport training and a background screening, which can take several days to clear. You will not be able to register for a region meet until you have completed these items. The late registration fee for a region meet will not be waived if your background screening does not clear prior to the registration deadline. If you do not already have a 2023 membership, we encourage you to join or renew soon to avoid a potential late fee.  

Why is renewing my membership ASAP so important?
All USA Diving coach memberships and 18+ athlete memberships require SafeSport training and a background screening, which can take several days to clear. A membership is not considered current until all membership requirements have been completed. If you do not already have a 2023 membership, we encourage you to join now to give yourself time to complete the requirements. You will not be allowed on deck without a current membership.

I am turning 19 this year. Can I still compete?
You may compete in the 16-18 age group until you turn 19.

How do I change my team affiliation?
A diver may change a club affiliation up until the start of the Zone Championship meet. No club affiliations may be changed after that time until after the end of the USA Diving National Championships. A diver may, however, change to unattached at any time. To change a club affiliation, please contact taylor.payne@usadiving.org.

If you are unable to select your club, your club may not be a current USA Diving club. Check with your coach to make sure your club’s membership is current.  If your club is current and you are still unable to select your club, the information in your Divemeets profile may not match the information in your USA Diving membership account and will need to be changed. Please be sure your name and birthdate match in both your USA Diving membership and Divemeets profile.

What junior rules changes have been made for the 2023 season?
All junior rules included in the current USA Diving rulebook (from 2019) will remain in effect through the end of 2023, with the following exception: one change made in 2022 that allows international divers to advance to the junior zone championships. The only other rule changes to be implemented in 2023 affect the qualification and competition format for the 2023 USA Diving National Championships, a senior-level event. A working group is evaluating the full USA Diving rulebook to consider additional changes and to bring the rulebook up-to-date. More information about proposed rulebook changes will be shared with the membership later.

I noticed a new judging fee when registering on Divemeets. What is this for?
In an effort to promote fair play at all levels, USA Diving is committed to sending one neutral head referee to each of the 12 region championships and six zone championships beginning with the 2023 season.

In order to help cover the cost of these neutral officials, USA Diving will be implementing a $2 judging fee to each entry at each region and zone meet as well as at the junior national championships. This fee will automatically be added when registering for the meets on divemeets.com.

The neutral officials at region and zone meet will be selected from within the pool of judges who have completed the World Aquatics judges certification school. The neutral officials on site will have no affiliation with a club at the region meet.