A friend of mine has argued to me that in an IM if you were to dolphin kick off the wall on your back as you start the freestyle leg and then rotate and break out on your front at 14m that you would be DQed for having swum backstroke in the free leg, which is not legal. I think it would be legal. The rules don't specify exactly how different the freestyle leg must be from the three fixed strokes so there is definite ambiguity. If a swimmer swam a half length of fly and then a half length of *** should they be DQed? Would this logic apply to a half length of on the back dolphin followed by a half length of front crawl? This is not entirely academic as some people find they can dolphin faster on their back then on their front. And dolphin kicking on the front is legal fly so the same logic applies to any dolphin kicking.
Any high level officials that would like to weigh in?
Thanks!
P.S. Would butterfrog be legal for the free leg for non-masters but illegal for masters?
That's a tough one. I would say since backstroke is the only stroke that allows a pushoff on the back then it would be considered swimming backstroke, and therefore illegal. If you look at the rules for backstroke they are pretty darn liberal. You can pretty much do whatever you want as long as you're on your back while doing it.
Lindsay,
This is one of those trick questions that come up during the pre-meet meeting of the officials when we have run out of things to talk about. A kick does not define a stroke. The official has to wait until you complete at least one cycle to determine what you are swimming. Now all of these discussions I mentioned above were at USA Swimming meets. Switch to masters and we have another problem. If someone does fly with a dolphin kick to start the IM, can they do fly with a breaststroke kick in the freestyle? Well the answer, I would suggest, is no since the fly with a breaststroke kick is legal in the butterfly therefore it is not a different stroke but you should still wait to raise one's had for the DQ until the first cycle is complete.
Hope this helps.
Leo
This is one of those trick questions that come up during the pre-meet meeting of the officials when we have run out of things to talk about. A kick does not define a stroke. The official has to wait until you complete at least one cycle to determine what you are swimming.
Just to play devil's advocate, what if the swimmer never takes a stroke? There's nothing in the rules saying the arms must be used. As long as you come to the surface within 15 meters you could just continue kicking on your back. Does that constitute backstroke? I'd say it does because backstroke could be defined as any swimming while you're on your back. That's pretty much how the rules define it.
If they never did anything else but kick on their back, then they have swum backstroke. The reason you wait for a complete stroke cycle is because they haven't had the opportunity to "declare" themselves. If they choose not to "declare" then you go with what they have "declared" which in this case fits the definition of backstroke.
Leo
Yes it is legal. Just as doing the corkscrew would be legal for the freestyle in the IM even though you spend part of the time on the back. The cycle of the corkscrew would be illegal in the backstroke so it could not be considered backstroke. If you took two strokes backstroke (one each arm) and then flipped over in a corkscrew manner then you would be illegal in the IM.
I have an additional, related question. What are the rules for transitioning from fly to backstroke at the turn? Must you throw both arms back simultaneously and push of on your back, or can you throw one arm to get in position then push off mostly on your back (less than 90 degrees) to start your SDK while rolling all the way over as you kick and surface?
Red,
The only thing you need to worry about for your arms in the fly/back transition is that you have a 2-hand touch to finish the fly. From there you can do whatever you want with your arms.
Regarding the kick, you can push off on your side, as long is belly is facing the top of the water (as you say, anything from 0-89.99°). If you roll towards belly down, you will likely be DQ'd
To clarify just a bit. In the IM, the transition turns follow the finish rule of the stroke you are finishing (2 hand simultaniously in *** and Fly, touch on your back in Back). You can then turn in any manner you want. When you leave the wall, you must be following the rules for the stroke you are swimming (on the front for *** and Fly, on your back for Back.)
Hope this helps.
Leo
So, just to be clear, are you saying the scenario as Lindsay described it is legal?
Former Member
I have an additional, related question. What are the rules for transitioning from fly to backstroke at the turn? Must you throw both arms back simultaneously and push of on your back, or can you throw one arm to get in position then push off mostly on your back (less than 90 degrees) to start your SDK while rolling all the way over as you kick and surface?
Former Member
Muppet: Thank you! At my last (also my first) meet, I saw everybody doing the double arm thing, which I had not practiced, and I panicked thinking that was the only legal turn. I tried same, and came off the wall like a filing cabinet.
