Masters Swimming Rules? I am starting again after about 20 years...
Former Member
I am unsure of how the rules may have changed since I last swam competitively and I am not familiar with masters swimming rules in particular.
I wonder specifically a few things...
1. Do you have to just stand on the block and wait for the starter to say, "Swimmers, take your marks" before you take starting position or can you take starting position before that?
2. When turning from back to *** in an IM must you touch the the wall with your hand or can you do one of those backstroke flip turns?
3. I believe there are new rules about doing dolphin kick on the starts and turns of all strokes. Is dolphin kick permitted on all starts and turns? (Maybe that isn't new but my memory isn't sharp on that.)
4. How about head position during breastroke. Do you have to keep your head above water the whole race through? Can you put it underwater on turns or the finish and can you put it underwater during the race?
I think that is it but if there are any other things that changed in the past 2 decades I'd love to know!
Thanks!
Answer - Yes, there has been a change that greatly affects breastroke. At the starts and on the turns you are allowed a single dolphin kick but it MUST be followed by a legal breaststroke kick.
This is correct, but my guess is that Lisa wasn't really thinking about breaststroke.
Yes, you can dolphin kick off the start and turns of the other three strokes (in fact this has always been legal). The only requirement is that your head must surface by the 15m mark. This mark is often denoted on lane lines by a different color float. In breaststroke there is no 15 meter requirement, but you are still allowed only the single arm pulldown and single kick--plus the addition of a single dolphin as pwolf described.
Answer - Yes, there has been a change that greatly affects breastroke. At the starts and on the turns you are allowed a single dolphin kick but it MUST be followed by a legal breaststroke kick.
This is correct, but my guess is that Lisa wasn't really thinking about breaststroke.
Yes, you can dolphin kick off the start and turns of the other three strokes (in fact this has always been legal). The only requirement is that your head must surface by the 15m mark. This mark is often denoted on lane lines by a different color float. In breaststroke there is no 15 meter requirement, but you are still allowed only the single arm pulldown and single kick--plus the addition of a single dolphin as pwolf described.
