Training & Development

Infantis B swimming introduces mínimos for national meets

Infantis B swimming is the first age category where FPN national meet entry depends on qualifying times, called mínimos. In 2026/27, the February Zonal and July Nacional both require a TAC.

September 18, 2026 · 3 min read

Idea in Brief

  • Infantis B enters the national programme. For 2026/27 the FPN regulation sets Infantis B as the 2014 birth year.
  • Two weekends use qualifying times. The Zonal is in February; the Nacional is in July.
  • Most weeks are still for learning. The coach sets the plan; you keep the home routine steady.

At pool pickup, the coach mentions mínimos (the qualifying time) and the new word follows you home. It can make the season sound like a selection test. Infantis B is the first escalão (age category) with national meets run by the Federação Portuguesa de Natação (FPN). It is also the first where a TAC decides national entry.

For the 2026/27 época desportiva (sports season), the FPN’s regulamento (the rules document for the national meets) sets Infantis B as the 2014 birth year. That regulation was approved on 23 July 2026 and holds for the whole season.

The FPN set the start of the 2026/27 season for natação pura at 15 September 2026. For most swimmers, the months into winter will still be about learning to train within the coach’s plan. The first national date is the Torneio Zonal de Infantis, from 26 to 28 February 2027. Zona Norte is in Cantanhede and Zona Sul is in Sines. The Campeonato Nacional de Infantis follows from 23 to 25 July 2027 in Reguengos de Monsaraz. Each meet’s regulamento states which pool it uses; last season the Zonal was piscina curta (25 metres) and the Nacional piscina longa (50 metres). Both require a TAC.

TAC means Tempo de Acesso à Competição, the access time for a meet; coaches usually call it a mínimo. You can see the FPN qualifying times by escalão and event. It is permission to enter one named meet. It is not a grade for the swimmer or their season. The time must come from an official prova (event), never training; the coach chooses the events and makes the entry.

Because a national championship admits swimmers who clear a printed TAC, it holds a small part of the escalão by design. The sources do not give a percentage for Infantis B, so there is no figure to quote. A coach’s plan will usually carry on whether a swimmer reaches either national weekend or not. If the question shifts to whether a swim is “good”, the answer still needs context.

At home, check that the bag is ready in the way that fits your swimmer’s age. Put 26 to 28 February and 23 to 25 July on the calendar, then wait for the coach to confirm whether they apply. Protect sleep around training and meets. At dinner, do not count hundredths or ask after every prova whether the mínimo is closer. If your swimmer raises it, listen. Leave the entry marks and event choices with the coach.

Share it with your swimmer

Keep the qualifying time in proportion to the year:

  • Under 12 (you’re driving). “A mínimo opens this meet. The coach will tell us if it applies to you.” This keeps the entry rule clear and small.
  • 12–15 (sharing the wheel). “The TAC decides entry to this meet; it doesn’t sum up your season.” This separates one mark from the wider work.
  • 16+ (they’re driving). “Ask your coach which TAC matters, then tell me which dates to hold.” This gives them ownership while you handle logistics.

Stay aligned with your coach

The coach chooses the provas and makes the entry; you manage the bag, calendar, sleep, and home routine. Ask, “Which dates should we hold, and how would you like us to talk about the TAC?” Then leave the selection detail with the coach.

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