Really silly inquiry regarding the barrier in a 50m pool.

Hi Jim, I can appreciate your pain and motivation as described in your post - even though I have, luckily, never been on the receiving end of "your times don't count because the pool is too short." Our 2018 association meet had all of the times thrown out because the pool was too short. Nobody looked at the measurements before the meet began. The problem is not with the facilities, like Spire, that know what to do. The problem, that proves the rule, is all of the other meets where the meet directors and meet referees don't understand the importance of making sure the pool is legal - like the situation above. These rules would not be necessary if the meet directors and meet referees understood the rules and the consequences and took the time to make sure everything was good. Although my next comment might be a stretch, I suspect a large part of this problem is because USMS uses alot of USA Swimming Meet referees who know the USA Swimming rules, but not the USMS rules for pool measurements. The second part is the person doing the measurement just, mindlessly, does it - as if just doing the measurement is adequate. In many cases, they submit the report without even asking themselves the question - "Is the pool a legal distance?" The rule mongering comes from who composes the USMS membership - alot of Type A competitive swimmers. I agree that our rules are burdensome and complex and, in my opinion, inconsistent. My wife hates me for pointing it out each time. :) As mentioned in my response to Calvin, I would love to see a fudge factor for "short" pools. It would solve alot of problems. Maybe you do it for Top Ten, but not National or World Records. Of course, that differentiation is a problem as well. :) I hope the debate continues and makes it to the national convention stage. paul ps - Mary Beth hates getting these pool measurements. It causes her so much anguish because she knows swimmers will be unhappy. Trust me - she feels your anguish and more.

Hi Jim, I can appreciate your pain and motivation as described in your post - even though I have, luckily, never been on the receiving end of "your times don't count because the pool is too short." Our 2018 association meet had all of the times thrown out because the pool was too short. Nobody looked at the measurements before the meet began. The problem is not with the facilities, like Spire, that know what to do. The problem, that proves the rule, is all of the other meets where the meet directors and meet referees don't understand the importance of making sure the pool is legal - like the situation above. These rules would not be necessary if the meet directors and meet referees understood the rules and the consequences and took the time to make sure everything was good. Although my next comment might be a stretch, I suspect a large part of this problem is because USMS uses alot of USA Swimming Meet referees who know the USA Swimming rules, but not the USMS rules for pool measurements. The second part is the person doing the measurement just, mindlessly, does it - as if just doing the measurement is adequate. In many cases, they submit the report without even asking themselves the question - "Is the pool a legal distance?" The rule mongering comes from who composes the USMS membership - alot of Type A competitive swimmers. I agree that our rules are burdensome and complex and, in my opinion, inconsistent. My wife hates me for pointing it out each time. :) As mentioned in my response to Calvin, I would love to see a fudge factor for "short" pools. It would solve alot of problems. Maybe you do it for Top Ten, but not National or World Records. Of course, that differentiation is a problem as well. :) I hope the debate continues and makes it to the national convention stage. paul ps - Mary Beth hates getting these pool measurements. It causes her so much anguish because she knows swimmers will be unhappy. Trust me - she feels your anguish and more.