Stroke and Turn
Most Commonly Asked
Questions
Q: If a swimmer misses the wall, can he go back and touch?
A: Yes but only if he has not yet touched the wall at the opposite end of the pool (this completes the next length).
Q: If a swimmer swims butterfly (or breaststroke, etc.) in an individual freestyle event, must he swim that stroke the whole way?
A: No, he can change to whenever he wants. It should also be noted that the time recorded in a freestyle event is a freestyle only, regardless of the stroke swim.
Q: If a swimmer stands up during a free style even and then continues swimming, is he disqualified?
A: Not unless he leaves the pool, walks or springs from the bottom. This does NOT apply to the other strokes – once the swimmer has stood up during the back, breast or fly, he has violated the stroke rule, i.e., he is no longer on his back or breast.
Q: How far can the swimmer swim completely under water – and whose jurisdictions is this call?
A: Fifteen meters (16.4 yards) – at that point the swimmer’s head must have broken the surface of the water. Jurisdiction for this call (if you are using separate stroke and turn judges) would normally be given to the stroke judge at the side of the pool.
Q: How do you mark the 15 – meter point?
A: Mark not only the side of the pool, but also use one of the following: (a) different color floats at 15 meters on each lane; (b) waterproof colored tape on the marker floats; or (c) cover those floats with bright – colored nylon “slipcovers” with drawstrings – these can be homemade or purchased.
Q: What is the “vertical” and what part of the body is used to judge the swimmer’s position?
A: Vertical is considered to be at a 90 degree angle from the surface of the water. The shoulders are used as the reference point to judge body position.
Q: Under the new rule, what about the 8 and under who turns past the vertical, grabs for the wall, hangs there and then pushes off with their feet – is this legal?
A: Yes if it is a continuous part of their turning action in reaching for the wall – this is considered their “turn”.
Q: If the swimmer does not turn past vertical to make his turn, do the feet have to touch the wall?
A: No, some part of the swimmer must touch the wall, but not necessarily the feet.
Q: If the swimmer does pass vertical and misses the wall, can he scull back and touch with his feet?
A: No, the “continuous turning action” required when the shoulders pass vertical is considered to be terminated when the swimmer’s feet touches the wall. If the swimmer misses the wall, stops and sculls back to touch, he is no longer in a “continuous turning action” and would be DQ’d.
Q: Where do you draw the line on the shoulders being level with the water surface during swim?
A: We don’t expect you to use a level in judging shoulder position. Look at the total swimmer just as in backstroke, don’t isolate parts of the body, e.g. the rule also states that the arms must move in the same horizontal plane – if a shoulder is really dipped, the arms will no longer be in the same horizontal plane.
Q: With the vertical motion allowed in the breaststroke kick, how do you really judge a breaststroke versus a butterfly kick?
A: The key here is the phrase that the “feet must be turned outward during the propulsive part of the kick movement.” Are the toes pointed in or out? They should be pointed out for the breaststroke (with propulsion from the bottom of the foot) and pointed in for the butterfly (with propulsion coming from the top of the foot).
Q: Can the hands recover over the surface of the water – and how does this differ from the butterfly recovery?
A: Yes, the hands can recover over the water surface, however, they must still be “pushed forward together from the breast, “i.e., within the shoulder blades, not outside the line of the body as in butterfly, and the elbows must remain under the water.
Q: What is meant by underwater recovery at the turn and how is it judged?
A: To recover, according to Webster’s dictionary, is to “bring back to normal position, “i.e., in swimming, it is the forward motion of the arms, brining them back into position for a pulling action. In butterfly, the arms must be brought forward over the water, therefore, if a swimmer pulls back and the finding himself too close to the wall, comes forward again underwater to make the touch – he is disqualified for an “underwater recovery”.
Q: Is a “whip kick” motion legal in butterfly?
A: A rounded motion of the legs is OK as long as the vertical motion is simultaneous…toes pointed in since “feet turned outward” would be a breaststroke kicking movement.
Q: Would you judge an 8 and under the same as older swimmers? How far do the arms have to be “over the water?”.
A: 8 and unders are entitled to the same standard of officiating as any other swimmers. If your child came home from school and said 2 + 2 = 5, would you let him think that answer is correct? Of course not – the same is true in swimming. It is not fair to let an 8 and under think he is doing a stroke legally if he is not.
To judge whether the arms of a younger swimmer are recovering “over the water,” look at the elbows – are they coming out of the water? If so, the swimmer is probably doing a legal butterfly – if they are not, chances are he is doing a simultaneous type “dog-paddle”.
Q: Are the turns in the individual medley considered “turns” or “finishes” under the rules?
A: Although previously considered “turns,” the rule was changed in 1991 so that the turn from one stroke to another is considered a “finish,” i.e., when turning from the back to the breast, the swimmer just touch with some part of his body while on the back before turning into the breaststroke leg. Intermediate turns would still be considered “turns.”