Hi,
I just read Doug Strong's awesome story from LC Nationals. He had mentioned a previous DQ in the meet for something he thought was very questionable. That reminds me...
Does anyone else think the latest backstroke rule is a little silly? I'm talking about the one where one glides into the wall "too long" on their stomach for the turn. To me, as I mentioned, it just seems silly. (1) I believe the rule says that you must have continuous forward motion into the turn. If you are gliding in, which by the way is not faster, then you are moving forward. I've yet to see one stop completely! And (2) there is definitely no advantage to gliding in for that "moment too long" that is the decision of the official.
I have a feeling that this rule will go by the way of some other rules and be gone in the next few years.
Just some thoughts, and a question :)
Karen
From USA-Swimming “Guide for Officiating”, which I think is used for USMS turns as well. Backstroke Swim Mechanics:
At the turn, three (3) things can happen:
1) The swimmer touches the wall while on their back. They may turn in any manner they want as long as they are past vertical towards the back when their feet leave the wall.
2) The swimmer begins to turn past the vertical towards the ***, but touches the wall with some part of their body (including the hand, arm, forehead, chin, etc.) before going into the turn. As long as their turning motion was continuous once they went past vertical towards the ***, it’s still legal, and they may turn in any manner they want as long as they’re past vertical towards the back when their feet leave the wall. If, however, they go past vertical towards the ***, and stick their arm out but don’t immediately begin a pulling motion, that’s a DQ for “non-continuous turning action.”
3) The swimmer turns past vertical towards the *** and executes a single or simultaneous double armpull to initiate their turn. Once the arm(s) has (have) stopped moving (and you’re sure it has stopped moving), the swimmer must be doing something to initiate their turn. If they’re not doing something to initiate the turn as soon as their arms stop moving, that’s a DQ. They can kick throughout the turn, as long as it’s part of a continuous turning action. They must touch the wall (usually with their feet) and they must be past vertical towards the back when their feet leave the wall. If they miss the wall, they cannot “scull” back to touch the wall as that reverse motion would constitute a “non-continuous turning action.”
c) Observation
As the turn judge, you should stand over the lane looking down to at the swimmers to observe the turns. Once a swimmer passes vertical toward the ***, you should observe that all actions of the swimmer were associated with a continuous turning action and that the swimmer is past vertical toward the back when their feet leave the wall.
From USA-Swimming “Guide for Officiating”, which I think is used for USMS turns as well. Backstroke Swim Mechanics:
At the turn, three (3) things can happen:
1) The swimmer touches the wall while on their back. They may turn in any manner they want as long as they are past vertical towards the back when their feet leave the wall.
2) The swimmer begins to turn past the vertical towards the ***, but touches the wall with some part of their body (including the hand, arm, forehead, chin, etc.) before going into the turn. As long as their turning motion was continuous once they went past vertical towards the ***, it’s still legal, and they may turn in any manner they want as long as they’re past vertical towards the back when their feet leave the wall. If, however, they go past vertical towards the ***, and stick their arm out but don’t immediately begin a pulling motion, that’s a DQ for “non-continuous turning action.”
3) The swimmer turns past vertical towards the *** and executes a single or simultaneous double armpull to initiate their turn. Once the arm(s) has (have) stopped moving (and you’re sure it has stopped moving), the swimmer must be doing something to initiate their turn. If they’re not doing something to initiate the turn as soon as their arms stop moving, that’s a DQ. They can kick throughout the turn, as long as it’s part of a continuous turning action. They must touch the wall (usually with their feet) and they must be past vertical towards the back when their feet leave the wall. If they miss the wall, they cannot “scull” back to touch the wall as that reverse motion would constitute a “non-continuous turning action.”
c) Observation
As the turn judge, you should stand over the lane looking down to at the swimmers to observe the turns. Once a swimmer passes vertical toward the ***, you should observe that all actions of the swimmer were associated with a continuous turning action and that the swimmer is past vertical toward the back when their feet leave the wall.
