In the strokes that require that you surface within 15m of the start, does the head itself have to break the surface by the 15m mark or does the head have to surface before the feet reach the 15m mark? I had thought it was the former but just read that it was the latter and am not sure if I should believe it or not. For many swimmers there's an almost 2m difference.
Thanks in advance!
The head has to break the surface at a point at or before the 15-meter mark. The example (head breaks the surface at 16 meter mark but the feet have not yet passed the 15 meter mark) is a DQ. In USMS and USA Swimming, the head must break the surface at the 15-meter mark.
The FINA rule says, "It is permissible for the swimmer to be completely submerged during the turn, at the finish and for a distance of not more than 15 metres after the start and each turn. By that point the head must have broken the surface."
For USMS and USA-S purposes, "that point" is 15 meters and the head must break the surface at that point, 15 meters. Lindsay has also confirmed that interpretation with a member of the FINA Masters Technical Committee. The head referee for Perth has also confirmed that the interpretation of the 15-meter rule is that the head must break the surface at the 15-meter mark.
Kathy Casey, Chair
USMS Rules Committee
