Last year I swam at a SCM meet and leisurely swam a 400 IM (had a bad cold and feeling lousy). I had been swimming *** for almost 50 years and was astonished when I was told I had performed an illegal turn. The meet was almost over, I was swimming a relay the very next heat, and the referee gave me a prefunctory reply something like I had not completed a stroke before the turn. He disappeared as soon as the meet was over and email to the meet manager failed to get me a definitive answer. I looked at the rule book online and saw nothing in the breaststroke regs that looked even close to it. I decided to not take any chances and glide into the wall instead of taking a short stroke.
Now I was told that another swimmer was DQd last weekend at the Colonies Zone for the same reason. I have looked at the current rule book online and can find nothing about that. Is this an unspoken rule or an old one that has been removed and officials are still using?
Very confusing!
If you are DQed on similar grounds again, show the referee the rules and demand that he reverse his decision. If he refuses, use the protest procedures described in 102.16.3 and 102.16.4.
Neither of those rules are applicable - it is rule 102.16.3 Protest against judgement decisions of starter, and stroke, turn, and relax takeoff judges can only be considered by the referee, and the referee's decision shall be final.. What has been described is a judgement call rule.
The stroke and turn judge may have been unfamiliar with the rule and made a bad call, or he saw something you are not telling us. In any you or your coach should appeal to the the referee and hope for the best.
michael
If you are DQed on similar grounds again, show the referee the rules and demand that he reverse his decision. If he refuses, use the protest procedures described in 102.16.3 and 102.16.4.
Neither of those rules are applicable - it is rule 102.16.3 Protest against judgement decisions of starter, and stroke, turn, and relax takeoff judges can only be considered by the referee, and the referee's decision shall be final.. What has been described is a judgement call rule.
The stroke and turn judge may have been unfamiliar with the rule and made a bad call, or he saw something you are not telling us. In any you or your coach should appeal to the the referee and hope for the best.
michael
