Lap counter rule changes

So I guess to swim the 400 meter short course free you have to be able to count to 16 in your head. I actually recently swam a 1650 in April without a counter (too lazy to find one), and it was certainly worrisome trying to make sure I didn't miscount my laps. I was greatly relieved when the timer told me when I finished that I had completed the requisite distance. Curiously enough, you don't get a bell lap signal in the 400 meter freestyle, only in the 500 yard freestyle or longer (USMS 103.8.7, USA-S 101.1.4). An amendment to the USA Swimming rules was offered to change this issue at last year's convention, but it failed (it was recommended to be rejected because it was different from FINA rules, even though USA Swimming rules allow counters for the 400 SCM Free). I can understand why the FINA rule is interpreted that way if officials are doing the count. While swimmers are always responsible for keeping an accurate count of their laps (even if the referee or judge keeping the official count doesn't!), if the swimmer's counter was dropped to the bottom of the pool by an official, it would introduce an error caused by an official (which wouldn't be such a big deal if the swimmer's teammate dropped the counter). While I can say that I've never dropped a lap counter in a pool, this would prevent me from doing so. And speaking of errors, I recall this last season at a high school meet I worked, the referee confused the official count for a swimmer's 500 freestyle, and gave her the last lap signal at length 16. On realizing the error, the referee had no choice but to give the signal again properly at length 18, which greatly confused the swimmer (she was so far ahead that it didn't really matter, but it wasn't a great outcome). Patrick King

So I guess to swim the 400 meter short course free you have to be able to count to 16 in your head. I actually recently swam a 1650 in April without a counter (too lazy to find one), and it was certainly worrisome trying to make sure I didn't miscount my laps. I was greatly relieved when the timer told me when I finished that I had completed the requisite distance. Curiously enough, you don't get a bell lap signal in the 400 meter freestyle, only in the 500 yard freestyle or longer (USMS 103.8.7, USA-S 101.1.4). An amendment to the USA Swimming rules was offered to change this issue at last year's convention, but it failed (it was recommended to be rejected because it was different from FINA rules, even though USA Swimming rules allow counters for the 400 SCM Free). I can understand why the FINA rule is interpreted that way if officials are doing the count. While swimmers are always responsible for keeping an accurate count of their laps (even if the referee or judge keeping the official count doesn't!), if the swimmer's counter was dropped to the bottom of the pool by an official, it would introduce an error caused by an official (which wouldn't be such a big deal if the swimmer's teammate dropped the counter). While I can say that I've never dropped a lap counter in a pool, this would prevent me from doing so. And speaking of errors, I recall this last season at a high school meet I worked, the referee confused the official count for a swimmer's 500 freestyle, and gave her the last lap signal at length 16. On realizing the error, the referee had no choice but to give the signal again properly at length 18, which greatly confused the swimmer (she was so far ahead that it didn't really matter, but it wasn't a great outcome). Patrick King