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
Parents
Former Member
As difficult as it may be to judge the turn with the way the rule is currently written, it was much more difficult previously. I don't know exactly when the change was instituted, but when I was competing in the 1980s we still had to touch the wall with our hand. This is fine when everyone did the old John Nabor "sit and spin" turn. But, then backstrokers started pushing the limits of the rule and trying to rotate partially to their chest, touch the wall with the hand BEFORE passing the vertical towards the ***, and then proceeding to do a freestyle flip turn and push off on the back. The fastest turners were the ones who were closest to breaking the rule every time. Imagine the difficulty for a turn judge to decide in an instant whether the backstroker had passed the critical "vertical towards the ***" before or after touching the wall with his/her hand.
The current rule is much better.
As difficult as it may be to judge the turn with the way the rule is currently written, it was much more difficult previously. I don't know exactly when the change was instituted, but when I was competing in the 1980s we still had to touch the wall with our hand. This is fine when everyone did the old John Nabor "sit and spin" turn. But, then backstrokers started pushing the limits of the rule and trying to rotate partially to their chest, touch the wall with the hand BEFORE passing the vertical towards the ***, and then proceeding to do a freestyle flip turn and push off on the back. The fastest turners were the ones who were closest to breaking the rule every time. Imagine the difficulty for a turn judge to decide in an instant whether the backstroker had passed the critical "vertical towards the ***" before or after touching the wall with his/her hand.
The current rule is much better.
