In swimming, a lap refers to the distance from one end of the pool to the other end of the pool, also known as a length. Traditionally in sports, a lap refers to the completion of a course, and in a swimming pool, the "course" is the pool itself. There seems to be some debate or confusion in the swimming community as to what a lap actually means, with some people thinking that a lap is two lengths of the pool, but this is incorrect. In an Olympic-size 50-meter pool, one lap is 50 meters, while in an American short-course 25-yard pool, a lap is 25 yards. Its worth noting that Olympic pools are 50 meters in length, while most recreational lap pools are 25 yards or 25 meters, so one could argue that a lap is actually just referring to 50 units of distance. Despite popular belief, a lap is not down and back.