I propose a rule change for the championship committee. If someone misses their heat at USMS Nationals due to general stupidity and day dreaming, they should be allowed to swim in an open lane in that same event.
John Smith
(2006 psuedo champion, 50yd back)
As to the issue of Rowdy's leadoff split not counting because the relay card didn't designate him as the leadoff swimmer, here's what the rules say:
102.9.4—On the relay card, relay teams must list the name of the club, the full name (as it appears on the USMS membership card), the age and for mixed relays the gender of each relay member. The name of the leadoff swimmer must be clearly designated.
102.9.5—First and last names of eligible relay swimmers, their ages and order of swimming shall be submitted on a relay entry form or card to the clerk of course (if used) or to the head lane timer. Any changes in names of the competing swimmers or their order of swimming must be declared to the head lane timer prior to the start of the relay heat in which such team is entered. No changes will be permitted thereafter.
So that's the rule. I will say, though, that when I am a meet director, I tell all the teams they can change people on their relays, switch order, whatever they want (as long as the age group doesn't change), but please mark the cards. Then after the meet is over I compare the cards with the preliminary results and make changes accordingly to the final results. It's too hectic to deal with at the meet -- and I'm talking about a meet with 130 swimmers, not a national championship with 1000+ swimmers. My philosophy while running the meet is to do whatever I can that's not against the rules, and that benefits the swimmers. I also let swimmers who have missed their heat swim in open lanes in subsequent heats if there are open lanes. If there are no open lanes, the swimmer is out of luck. I missed my heat of the 100 IM at Mark Gill's meet in Louisville in February (I was watching a friend swim the 200 fly, forgot that the men and women had been combined, and there wasn't a men's heat following the women's heat) and even though there were no empty lanes in the women's event, there were in the first heat of the men's, so Mark let me swim with the boys. But of course there was a price. Mark announced over the loudspeaker that I was making a "special appearance," and when people started clapping he told them to hold their applause because it was because I'd missed my heat! This sort of thing is possible in a local meet, but probably not at nationals. At a local meet the computer operators are right there on the deck and can make adjustments on the fly. Not always the case at Nationals, and for short course they're dealing with two courses running simultaneously.
One more observation: allowing people to swim in an empty lane should be policy, not a rule. The championship section of the rule book is already 10 pages long and crammed with a lot of minutia.
As to the issue of Rowdy's leadoff split not counting because the relay card didn't designate him as the leadoff swimmer, here's what the rules say:
102.9.4—On the relay card, relay teams must list the name of the club, the full name (as it appears on the USMS membership card), the age and for mixed relays the gender of each relay member. The name of the leadoff swimmer must be clearly designated.
102.9.5—First and last names of eligible relay swimmers, their ages and order of swimming shall be submitted on a relay entry form or card to the clerk of course (if used) or to the head lane timer. Any changes in names of the competing swimmers or their order of swimming must be declared to the head lane timer prior to the start of the relay heat in which such team is entered. No changes will be permitted thereafter.
So that's the rule. I will say, though, that when I am a meet director, I tell all the teams they can change people on their relays, switch order, whatever they want (as long as the age group doesn't change), but please mark the cards. Then after the meet is over I compare the cards with the preliminary results and make changes accordingly to the final results. It's too hectic to deal with at the meet -- and I'm talking about a meet with 130 swimmers, not a national championship with 1000+ swimmers. My philosophy while running the meet is to do whatever I can that's not against the rules, and that benefits the swimmers. I also let swimmers who have missed their heat swim in open lanes in subsequent heats if there are open lanes. If there are no open lanes, the swimmer is out of luck. I missed my heat of the 100 IM at Mark Gill's meet in Louisville in February (I was watching a friend swim the 200 fly, forgot that the men and women had been combined, and there wasn't a men's heat following the women's heat) and even though there were no empty lanes in the women's event, there were in the first heat of the men's, so Mark let me swim with the boys. But of course there was a price. Mark announced over the loudspeaker that I was making a "special appearance," and when people started clapping he told them to hold their applause because it was because I'd missed my heat! This sort of thing is possible in a local meet, but probably not at nationals. At a local meet the computer operators are right there on the deck and can make adjustments on the fly. Not always the case at Nationals, and for short course they're dealing with two courses running simultaneously.
One more observation: allowing people to swim in an empty lane should be policy, not a rule. The championship section of the rule book is already 10 pages long and crammed with a lot of minutia.
