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
HI Rob,
Thanks for posting. The answer to your situations was something I covered a few responses back.
These situations involving gross violations would be dealt with through unsportsmanlike conduct decisions by the officials on the pool deck. These would be automatic DQs. Someone turning in the middle of the pool or flagrantly taking 2-3-4 strokes on their stomach during a backstroke turn or repeated violations (your dolphin kick vs the froggy thing) would fall into this category. As for the person who misses the wall by an inch, I hate DQing the person because they had not helped themselves. However, this one would be processed as a DQ because the person did not complete the required race distance.
Relays have to a have a cumulative positive exchange when all three are added up. The exchange you describe would either be a flagrant exchange (DQ for unsportsmanlike) or would require the next swimmer (freestyle in this example) to wait an equally long time after you touched the wall if the relay were to be legal.
And, remember, I suggested 5 seconds as the penalty. The Rules committee could just as easily decide 10 secs or 15 or 20 sec is a fair penalty. Or, the penalty could be based on the length of the race, so your dolphin kick vs froggy thing could not be a benefit. :)
What do you think?
Paul
HI Rob,
Thanks for posting. The answer to your situations was something I covered a few responses back.
These situations involving gross violations would be dealt with through unsportsmanlike conduct decisions by the officials on the pool deck. These would be automatic DQs. Someone turning in the middle of the pool or flagrantly taking 2-3-4 strokes on their stomach during a backstroke turn or repeated violations (your dolphin kick vs the froggy thing) would fall into this category. As for the person who misses the wall by an inch, I hate DQing the person because they had not helped themselves. However, this one would be processed as a DQ because the person did not complete the required race distance.
Relays have to a have a cumulative positive exchange when all three are added up. The exchange you describe would either be a flagrant exchange (DQ for unsportsmanlike) or would require the next swimmer (freestyle in this example) to wait an equally long time after you touched the wall if the relay were to be legal.
And, remember, I suggested 5 seconds as the penalty. The Rules committee could just as easily decide 10 secs or 15 or 20 sec is a fair penalty. Or, the penalty could be based on the length of the race, so your dolphin kick vs froggy thing could not be a benefit. :)
What do you think?
Paul
