There is nothing more challenging for an official than having to DQ a swimmer for a false start: either a dual confirmation done after the heat has been started or for the lone swimmer who goes in all by themselves.
It is a shame that starting early and only gaining, at most, .5 seconds results in the entire race being nullified. I would hate to be the 400 IMer or the 1650 swimmer if that were to happen.
So, instead of nullifying the entire swim, consider a time penalty assessed for a False Start. In either situation that I mentioned in the first paragraph, the swimmer incurs a 5 seconds penalty when the False Start is dual confirmed. The swimmer gets the benefit of the race, albeit with a time penalty.
This could be managed quite easier with a software change in Meet Manager or whatever meet software is being used.
Paul
Lets say you have a really fast relay, over 5 sec faster than #2, very close to the WR. With the 5 sec rule you can be very aggressive with your starts, maybe saving enough time for the WR, and if you are too aggressive you can still win. That totally changes the dynamic of the swims.
Lets say you have a really fast relay, over 5 sec faster than #2, very close to the WR. With the 5 sec rule you can be very aggressive with your starts, maybe saving enough time for the WR, and if you are too aggressive you can still win. That totally changes the dynamic of the swims.
