SW 10.15 No pace-making shall be permitted, nor may any device be used or plan adopted which has that effect.
The topic of having someone give you feedback on your pacing during a race came up in the 1500 Test Set thread. My impression is that pace-making is very common and the rule against it largely unenforceable, but that the rule is there and quite clear. Swimmers may not use devices which help them pace their race and they may not adopt a plan that allows someone on deck or in another lane to help them pace their race.
In the other thread an interpretation was posted, my interpretation of the interpretation was that it dealt specifically with using devices, but that it didn't say pace-making was ok if it didn't involve a device (watch or radio).
Outside of using a device, has anyone ever been DQed for pace-making? If having someone else give you pacing feedback is ok, what is wrong with using a device? Should the whole rule be thrown out?
I am not in any way intending to criticize anyone who has had pacing help, I would love it if it turned out that this was legal, I mean who really wants to swim 60 lengths at what one thought was goal pace only to find out that one has swum a stinky time?
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Former Member
I agree. I've had coaches jumping up and down to tell me I'm off pace and it never does a lick of good. When you're off pace you know you're off pace and there typically isn't a damn thing you can do about it.
I suspect that this is a matter of experience. I know that I can easily fall off pace without noticing it, and have witnessed many other people go out faster than they planned and then crash and burn.
Btw, I checked with someone at FINA and the USMS rule is in conflict with the FINA rule and would not apply here in Canada where we follow FINA rules. :(
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Former Member
I agree. I've had coaches jumping up and down to tell me I'm off pace and it never does a lick of good. When you're off pace you know you're off pace and there typically isn't a damn thing you can do about it.
I suspect that this is a matter of experience. I know that I can easily fall off pace without noticing it, and have witnessed many other people go out faster than they planned and then crash and burn.
Btw, I checked with someone at FINA and the USMS rule is in conflict with the FINA rule and would not apply here in Canada where we follow FINA rules. :(
