Track start vs. Traditional start?

"We can read the rules until we are blue in the face but is it the starters and refs "opinion" that ultimately determines what's legal? If there is an objection to a dq, the stroke and turn will be asked the three questions: 1. What did you see? 2. What rule did the swimmer break? 3. Where were you when you saw the infraction? So for any infraction the ref should be able to explain which rule was broken and how it was broken. If the ref cannot explain the above then the coach or swimmer should ask that the dq be torn up. You use the word "opinion" as if the ref is making something out of whole cloth. I think a better word would be 'judgement." To get to be a ref, he has probably seen thousands of turns, and hundreds of starts. But, deck officials are human and are fallible. I have seen very experienced deck officials make mistakes in the interpatation of the rules. It happens. If you think that the deck official was incorrect in the interpretation of the rule, bring it up with the next higher official. At a meet, that is the meet referee. If you think that the meet ref is incorrect, write the officials chair (either Masters or USA-Swimming). (This should be an interpretation of the rule, having a swimmer get on the block with both feet on the back part block instead of the having one foot on the front of the block would be an interperatation of the forward start rule). If it is a judgement of fact ie did the swimmer touch with both hands in the butterfly or one hand, the meet ref is the sole judge. I would also like to point out that in Pacific Swimming all officials are judged at every meet. USA-S officials have a test to take every two years about the rules and the interpretation of those rules and you have to pass or you dont work the deck. Also at Pacific Masters and Pacific Swimming meets (and I assume that many other LMSCs), the meet ref has many years of experience-In Pacific Masters, the meet ref with fewest years of experience has 12 years experience of working as a meet official. I have encouraged all the swimmers to read the Technical Rules of Swimming, it is only about four pages long, but it has been my experience that most swimmers have not read the rules. But again, if you have read the rules and think that the official erred, bring it up to the next higher official in almost all cases, someone should be able to explain why a rule was interpreted one way. You are right, at the end of the day, where the rubber meets the road, when all is said and done, it will be the meet ref who in his knowledge of the rules and the facts and circumstances of the case, giving the benefit of the doubt to the swimmer, will make a judgement. michael I remember Krintin Quance. On the transition from the back to the *** in the 400 IM she was toward the back when her feet left the wall. I was not there, but talked to two deck officials who were there. They said it was a good call.

"We can read the rules until we are blue in the face but is it the starters and refs "opinion" that ultimately determines what's legal? If there is an objection to a dq, the stroke and turn will be asked the three questions: 1. What did you see? 2. What rule did the swimmer break? 3. Where were you when you saw the infraction? So for any infraction the ref should be able to explain which rule was broken and how it was broken. If the ref cannot explain the above then the coach or swimmer should ask that the dq be torn up. You use the word "opinion" as if the ref is making something out of whole cloth. I think a better word would be 'judgement." To get to be a ref, he has probably seen thousands of turns, and hundreds of starts. But, deck officials are human and are fallible. I have seen very experienced deck officials make mistakes in the interpatation of the rules. It happens. If you think that the deck official was incorrect in the interpretation of the rule, bring it up with the next higher official. At a meet, that is the meet referee. If you think that the meet ref is incorrect, write the officials chair (either Masters or USA-Swimming). (This should be an interpretation of the rule, having a swimmer get on the block with both feet on the back part block instead of the having one foot on the front of the block would be an interperatation of the forward start rule). If it is a judgement of fact ie did the swimmer touch with both hands in the butterfly or one hand, the meet ref is the sole judge. I would also like to point out that in Pacific Swimming all officials are judged at every meet. USA-S officials have a test to take every two years about the rules and the interpretation of those rules and you have to pass or you dont work the deck. Also at Pacific Masters and Pacific Swimming meets (and I assume that many other LMSCs), the meet ref has many years of experience-In Pacific Masters, the meet ref with fewest years of experience has 12 years experience of working as a meet official. I have encouraged all the swimmers to read the Technical Rules of Swimming, it is only about four pages long, but it has been my experience that most swimmers have not read the rules. But again, if you have read the rules and think that the official erred, bring it up to the next higher official in almost all cases, someone should be able to explain why a rule was interpreted one way. You are right, at the end of the day, where the rubber meets the road, when all is said and done, it will be the meet ref who in his knowledge of the rules and the facts and circumstances of the case, giving the benefit of the doubt to the swimmer, will make a judgement. michael I remember Krintin Quance. On the transition from the back to the *** in the 400 IM she was toward the back when her feet left the wall. I was not there, but talked to two deck officials who were there. They said it was a good call.