No rule exists about moving the lap counting cards.
That said, I believe that using the lap counter for displaying splits is a clear violation of both the spirit and letter of the rules regarding use of a pacing device. The swimmer should be disqualified.
Certainly to use a turncard based lap counter (remember, that's not the only kind of lap counter that would appear to be permissible under the rules) to display splits in a meet (forget postal swims for a moment) would seem illegal. The appropriate rules for managing counters is not the pace-setting rule, but rather 102.10.6 (see up in the thread where I quoted the whole rule). You can verbally or visually call lengths (102.10.6A) in ascending or descending order (102.10.6D), but intermediate times if called must be done verbally (102.10.6B).
However, to disqualify the swimmer in the pool for violating 102.10.6 would be highly excessive. Generally the referee or one of the officials is watching the counters to make sure that they stay in order. If irregular counting is observed, an official can inquire to make sure that the counter knows what they're doing (that's quite a stretch for some counters I've seen!), or to inform that the visual count must be in lengths and not something else. If after being told to cease and desist from irregular counting, and the counter refuses, then penalties may be considered (for example, prohibiting further counting, DQing the counter, some appropriate penalty from the referee for unsportsmanslike conduct for defying the instructions of a meet official ).
Back to shaking the counting device around--nothing illegal about it (just make sure you hold it so the swimmer doesn't actually push off against it!).
Remember folks, the whole business about counters is specifically authorized apart from the pace-setting rules. These are two seperate issues. You can certainly verbally call intermediate times aloud to the swimmer pursuant to the business of lap counting. You just can't do it visually.
Patrick King
No rule exists about moving the lap counting cards.
That said, I believe that using the lap counter for displaying splits is a clear violation of both the spirit and letter of the rules regarding use of a pacing device. The swimmer should be disqualified.
Certainly to use a turncard based lap counter (remember, that's not the only kind of lap counter that would appear to be permissible under the rules) to display splits in a meet (forget postal swims for a moment) would seem illegal. The appropriate rules for managing counters is not the pace-setting rule, but rather 102.10.6 (see up in the thread where I quoted the whole rule). You can verbally or visually call lengths (102.10.6A) in ascending or descending order (102.10.6D), but intermediate times if called must be done verbally (102.10.6B).
However, to disqualify the swimmer in the pool for violating 102.10.6 would be highly excessive. Generally the referee or one of the officials is watching the counters to make sure that they stay in order. If irregular counting is observed, an official can inquire to make sure that the counter knows what they're doing (that's quite a stretch for some counters I've seen!), or to inform that the visual count must be in lengths and not something else. If after being told to cease and desist from irregular counting, and the counter refuses, then penalties may be considered (for example, prohibiting further counting, DQing the counter, some appropriate penalty from the referee for unsportsmanslike conduct for defying the instructions of a meet official ).
Back to shaking the counting device around--nothing illegal about it (just make sure you hold it so the swimmer doesn't actually push off against it!).
Remember folks, the whole business about counters is specifically authorized apart from the pace-setting rules. These are two seperate issues. You can certainly verbally call intermediate times aloud to the swimmer pursuant to the business of lap counting. You just can't do it visually.
Patrick King
