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
You are missing the simplicity of this change. The rules do not change. The only change is some infractions that used to result in a "DQ" now have a time penalty and the time does not change from infraction to infraction. It would always be whatever could be agreed to - I like 5 seconds. Some of your examples - "Turning in the middle of the lane, running starts" - cannot take place now. If someone tried, they would still be "DQs" like they are now.I’m not sure how simple this would be. I sometimes see no touch on turn DQ’s today and they are always from a swimmer mistiming a turn and missing the wall by inches. These no touches almost always result in a slower turn than if the swimmer has hit the wall. Unless there is something build into the rules to differentiate missed it by an inch or missed it by a mile then they need to be treated the same.
The same would hold true for relay exchanges. A 5 second penalty for an early takeoff on a -0.04 makes sense, but if there is a 5 second penalty then I’m starting my fly when the breaststroker is turning at the far end.
Now when a swimmer is DQed there is only 1 DQ. In Paul’s brave new world is there 1 or multiple penalties per swimmer. E.g. in the 100 *** a swimmer uses a downward dolphin kick on each stroke; is this 1 5 second penalty for downward dolphin kick or 40 5 second penalties for each kick? My dolphin kick *** is at least 10 seconds faster than that froggy thing, so I would easily make up the 5 seconds, but 3:20 in penalties would be a little tougher.
You are missing the simplicity of this change. The rules do not change. The only change is some infractions that used to result in a "DQ" now have a time penalty and the time does not change from infraction to infraction. It would always be whatever could be agreed to - I like 5 seconds. Some of your examples - "Turning in the middle of the lane, running starts" - cannot take place now. If someone tried, they would still be "DQs" like they are now.I’m not sure how simple this would be. I sometimes see no touch on turn DQ’s today and they are always from a swimmer mistiming a turn and missing the wall by inches. These no touches almost always result in a slower turn than if the swimmer has hit the wall. Unless there is something build into the rules to differentiate missed it by an inch or missed it by a mile then they need to be treated the same.
The same would hold true for relay exchanges. A 5 second penalty for an early takeoff on a -0.04 makes sense, but if there is a 5 second penalty then I’m starting my fly when the breaststroker is turning at the far end.
Now when a swimmer is DQed there is only 1 DQ. In Paul’s brave new world is there 1 or multiple penalties per swimmer. E.g. in the 100 *** a swimmer uses a downward dolphin kick on each stroke; is this 1 5 second penalty for downward dolphin kick or 40 5 second penalties for each kick? My dolphin kick *** is at least 10 seconds faster than that froggy thing, so I would easily make up the 5 seconds, but 3:20 in penalties would be a little tougher.
