British Age Group Categories (BAGCATS)
British Age Group Categories (BAGCATS) were introduced in about 2003 to encourage younger swimmers to become proficient in a range of strokes and distances, rather than just settle into one event and then quit the sport if they found they weren't making progress...
British Age Group Points - BAGPOINTS - is a method for comparing performances of swimmers of a particular age and sex for an events and distance. They apply to Girls aged 9-13 and Boys aged 9-14 years. The age difference reflects the fact that Boys generally mature later than girls. They are based on GB points and corrected for age and sex. British Age Group Categories. BAGPOINTS will be phased out and replaced by FINA Points from January 2010.
BAGCATS - is a method for comparing the performances of swimmers across a range of strokes and distances. There is more detailed information on POINTS/BAGCATS on the website of theasa. Swimmers score points for their best swims in a range of events and distances eg best 50m swim, best 100, best 200 form stroke (i.e. back, breast or fly), best medley (200 only for the youngest) and best distance freestyle.
It's not simply a question how quickly you swim a race - obviously, nearly everyone will swim 100 backstroke quicker than breast, for example - but how many points your time scores when checked against a comparative points table. The theory is that this makes it possible to say Smith's 200 IM was a better swim than Jones's 400 IM.