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
Originally posted by knelson
According to this wording, if you do end up too far from the wall after you pull through to your waist, it should be perfectly legal to scull the rest of the way in to where you need to flip. It would be hard to argue that sculling does not constitute motion of the arm, so as long as there's no pause between the end of the arm pull to the waist and the beginning of the sculling action the rule is met and you shouldn't be DQed.
Anyone find any flaw in my reasoning?
The problem is that what you are quoting is not the rule. What the rule states is that:
"Upon completion of each length, some part of the swimmer must touch the wall. During the turn the shoulders may be turned past the vertical toward the ***, after which a continuous single arm pull or a continuous simultaneous double arm pull may be used to execute the turn. Once the body has left the position on the back, any kick or arm pull must be part of the continuous turning action. The swimmer must have returned to a position on the back upon leaving the wall."
So the issue is not that the swimmer has to be "doing something to initiate the turn as soon as their arms stop moving". It is that "any kick or arm pull must be part of the continuous turning action." If you scull between the arm pull and the turn, then the arm pull is not part of the continuous turning action.
Note that the intent of the rule is that the arm pull done on the *** (if there is one) is being "used to execute the turn." The test for this is whether the turn has begun by the end of the arm pull.
Originally posted by knelson
According to this wording, if you do end up too far from the wall after you pull through to your waist, it should be perfectly legal to scull the rest of the way in to where you need to flip. It would be hard to argue that sculling does not constitute motion of the arm, so as long as there's no pause between the end of the arm pull to the waist and the beginning of the sculling action the rule is met and you shouldn't be DQed.
Anyone find any flaw in my reasoning?
The problem is that what you are quoting is not the rule. What the rule states is that:
"Upon completion of each length, some part of the swimmer must touch the wall. During the turn the shoulders may be turned past the vertical toward the ***, after which a continuous single arm pull or a continuous simultaneous double arm pull may be used to execute the turn. Once the body has left the position on the back, any kick or arm pull must be part of the continuous turning action. The swimmer must have returned to a position on the back upon leaving the wall."
So the issue is not that the swimmer has to be "doing something to initiate the turn as soon as their arms stop moving". It is that "any kick or arm pull must be part of the continuous turning action." If you scull between the arm pull and the turn, then the arm pull is not part of the continuous turning action.
Note that the intent of the rule is that the arm pull done on the *** (if there is one) is being "used to execute the turn." The test for this is whether the turn has begun by the end of the arm pull.
