Quick answer
There is no single average 50 Free. The useful benchmark is the official USA Swimming cut for your child's age. In a 25-yard pool (SCY), a 12-year-old girl's 50 Free B is 34.09 and A is 29.39. A 12-year-old boy's B is 32.79 and A is 28.09. The tables below cover ages 8 to 18, girls and boys, in yards and long course.
Parents type "average 50m swim time by age" into Google after the first meet. The charts that come up mix kids in swim lessons with club swimmers, so their "average" does not tell you much. For a swimmer on a team, the useful numbers are the USA Swimming motivational cuts: B, BB, A and AA.
This page is the 50 Free part of our series. The 100 Free is in average 100 freestyle time by age, every stroke is in average swim times by age for every stroke, and the parent guide to reading all of it is what is a good swim time by age.
How to read these tables
- B is the first competitive mark. BB is a solid step up. A is a strong age-group time. AA is fast.
- Use the age your child will be on the first day of the meet.
- Use the best official time, not the last one.
- Match the pool. SCY is a 25-yard pool, LCM a 50-meter pool. They have different cuts.
Ages 10 to 18 come from USA Swimming's single-age standards. Ages 8 and 9 have no national single-age cut: they swim in the 10 & under age group, so the row shows that standard.
50 Free SCY by age
In a 25-yard pool the 50 Free is two lengths and one turn. This is the format of most US winter meets.
Girls, 50 Free SCY
| Age | B | BB | A | AA |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 8–9 (10 & under) | 39.79 | 35.99 | 32.09 | 30.89 |
| 10 | 39.89 | 36.09 | 32.19 | 30.89 |
| 11 | 35.39 | 32.99 | 30.49 | 29.29 |
| 12 | 34.09 | 31.69 | 29.39 | 28.19 |
| 13 | 33.29 | 30.89 | 28.59 | 27.39 |
| 14 | 32.69 | 30.39 | 27.99 | 26.89 |
| 15 | 32.29 | 29.99 | 27.69 | 26.49 |
| 16 | 31.99 | 29.69 | 27.39 | 26.29 |
| 17 | 31.79 | 29.49 | 27.19 | 26.09 |
| 18 | 31.49 | 29.29 | 26.99 | 25.89 |
Boys, 50 Free SCY
| Age | B | BB | A | AA |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 8–9 (10 & under) | 38.19 | 34.59 | 31.09 | 29.89 |
| 10 | 38.29 | 34.79 | 31.19 | 29.99 |
| 11 | 35.09 | 32.59 | 30.09 | 28.79 |
| 12 | 32.79 | 30.49 | 28.09 | 26.99 |
| 13 | 31.09 | 28.89 | 26.69 | 25.59 |
| 14 | 29.89 | 27.69 | 25.59 | 24.59 |
| 15 | 28.89 | 26.79 | 24.69 | 23.69 |
| 16 | 28.49 | 26.39 | 24.39 | 23.39 |
| 17 | 28.09 | 26.09 | 24.09 | 23.09 |
| 18 | 27.59 | 25.69 | 23.69 | 22.69 |
Example. A 12-year-old girl swims 31.20. Her B is 34.09, BB is 31.69 and A is 29.39. She is past BB and 1.81 seconds from A.
Doing that math for every event takes a while. Sign in free and open Compare → Standards to see your swimmer's 50 Free, and every other event, next to these cuts.
50 Free LCM by age
In a 50-meter pool the 50 Free is one length with no turn, so times are slower than in yards. A 10-year-old girl's B is 39.89 in SCY and 45.39 in LCM, so never judge a long course time against the yards table.
Girls, 50 Free LCM
| Age | B | BB | A | AA |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 8–9 (10 & under) | 45.29 | 40.89 | 36.59 | 35.09 |
| 10 | 45.39 | 40.99 | 36.59 | 35.09 |
| 11 | 40.39 | 37.59 | 34.79 | 33.39 |
| 12 | 38.69 | 35.99 | 33.39 | 31.99 |
| 13 | 38.09 | 35.39 | 32.59 | 31.29 |
| 14 | 37.39 | 34.69 | 31.99 | 30.69 |
| 15 | 36.79 | 34.19 | 31.59 | 30.29 |
| 16 | 36.39 | 33.79 | 31.19 | 29.89 |
| 17 | 36.09 | 33.59 | 30.99 | 29.69 |
| 18 | 36.09 | 33.49 | 30.99 | 29.69 |
Boys, 50 Free LCM
| Age | B | BB | A | AA |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 8–9 (10 & under) | 43.89 | 39.79 | 35.69 | 34.39 |
| 10 | 43.89 | 39.79 | 35.69 | 34.39 |
| 11 | 39.89 | 37.09 | 34.19 | 32.79 |
| 12 | 37.39 | 34.79 | 32.09 | 30.79 |
| 13 | 35.69 | 33.09 | 30.59 | 29.29 |
| 14 | 34.29 | 31.79 | 29.39 | 28.19 |
| 15 | 33.29 | 30.99 | 28.59 | 27.39 |
| 16 | 32.99 | 30.59 | 28.29 | 27.09 |
| 17 | 32.49 | 30.19 | 27.79 | 26.69 |
| 18 | 31.99 | 29.69 | 27.39 | 26.29 |
Why the 50 Free moves so fast
The 50 is start, speed and one turn. A better dive or a tighter turn can take off half a second, which in a 50 is often the gap between two letters. It is also the event where a birthday hurts most: a 10-year-old girl at A (32.19) who swims the same time at 11 sits between BB (32.99) and A (30.49). The row moved; she did not get slower.
See your swimmer's 50 Free against these cuts
Gophin loads your swimmer's official meet results. In Compare → Standards you pick USA Swimming Motivational Single Age (or a championship cut such as Futures or Junior Nationals) and see every event next to the cut, with how far ahead or behind they are. You do not type times in, and it is free.
Sign in and see your swimmer's 50 Free gap
Sources
- USA Swimming, 2024–2028 Single Age Motivational Standards (ages 10–18), version of 10/10/2025. Also stored in Gophin's standards database.
- USA Swimming, 2024–2028 Motivational Standards, age group (10 & under rows).
- AAA and AAAA are in the PDFs above. What each letter means: USA Swimming time standards guide. In Canada: Swimming Canada standards guide.
