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'd be screwed then...

C If visual counters are used, they may be stationed at the end or either side of the pool beyond the halfway point toward the end of the course opposite the starting end. Visual counters may be lowered into the water at the end of the swimmer’s lane, provided that, in the opinion of the referee, they neither physically aid the swimmer or interfere with another competitor or present any safety hazard. I've counted a few times over the years for my distance team mates along with total strangers. I was instructed to wiggle and wave the placard (while underwater) if "the guy two lanes over starts making their move". More than a few made this request. Is this what the new rule is intended to prevent?

in the region I swim in Sweden they no longer allow the counter to lower the numbers into the pool, since on more than one occasion the official has dropped the display. so now at the start of each race, the timers ask the swimmers what side they want the counter to display the lap number, right, left of in the middle. I thought it was a hassle to either look up before the turn, or take a big breathe after the turn to look back. and I only swam the 800m can't imagine having to look over my shoulder for a 1500m Wow, how lame and lazy. That must be a governing body issue, and I bet the officials just don't want to get wet. They should either get the poles that they had in Austin or have swimmers be responsible for providing their own counters the way we usually do. This was the first year that I have seen the full card at the bottom of the pool (we'll call my competitive swim career 12 years old), though I have seen many a number fly off. The only time i have ever had an official count for me was at a LCM 800 event, where I was the fastest swimmer. I told them I did not need a counter, but they needed to know when to ring the bell/press the button and the stroke and counted for me anyway

Wow, how lame and lazy. That must be a governing body issue, and I bet the officials just don't want to get wet. They should either get the poles that they had in Austin or have swimmers be responsible for providing their own counters the way we usually do. This was the first year that I have seen the full card at the bottom of the pool (we'll call my competitive swim career 12 years old), though I have seen many a number fly off. The only time i have ever had an official count for me was at a LCM 800 event, where I was the fastest swimmer. I told them I did not need a counter, but they needed to know when to ring the bell/press the button and the stroke and counted for me anyway I've had the counter drop in my lane 1time and teammates of mine have had it happen as well...but almost exclusively the reason for them being dropped was because something about the cards themselves was defective and the counter was trying to deal with it/ keep it all together as they put them in. I would think that the cards on the pole would be a good alternative if thats their claim: that the cards fall in too often. Because while I've seen a lot of really cruddy cards on a pole--lots of broken numbers and such...I've never seen any fall to the bottom...

C If visual counters are used, they may be stationed at the end or either side of the pool beyond the halfway point toward the end of the course opposite the starting end. Visual counters may be lowered into the water at the end of the swimmer’s lane, provided that, in the opinion of the referee, they neither physically aid the swimmer or interfere with another competitor or present any safety hazard. I've counted a few times over the years for my distance team mates along with total strangers. I was instructed to wiggle and wave the placard (while underwater) if "the guy two lanes over starts making their move". More than a few made this request. Is this what the new rule is intended to prevent? I don't think so. Wiggling and waving would not seem to constitute "physical aid" to the swimmer. The kinds of things I would think that would be targeted would be, for example, leaving the turn cards in the water and allowing the swimmer to push off of the turn cards, or using the turn cards to propel the swimmer. These kinds of actions would give a physical advantage to the swimmer. Patrick King

I've wondered why in FINA meets, at least in the World Championships I've attended, that the lap numbers are only counted down and in the US they can only be counted up. It seems that the process should be the same in whatever meet in which you participate. I agree that having an official display your lap count on the deck behind your lane is pretty useless to the swimmer unless an open water turn is done. That's another difference. In the US, it's the timer who keeps the official count and often the lap counter is corrected by the referee after being notified by the timer that their count and the displayed lap don't match.

... or using the turn cards to propel the swimmer. These kinds of actions would give a physical advantage to the swimmer. Anyone moving slow enough to receive assistance from plastic cards on a stick should be taken out to pasture.

I agree that having an official display your lap count on the deck behind your lane is pretty useless to the swimmer unless an open water turn is done. That's another difference. In the US, it's the timer who keeps the official count and often the lap counter is corrected by the referee after being notified by the timer that their count and the displayed lap don't match. We can count up or down in the US (USMS 102.10.6D), although I haven't seen anyone count down. And as for the official count...I just hope that someone has it. Most of the time, between the starter, referee, counters, timers, CTS operator, you can reasonably hope that someone has the right number. Anyone moving slow enough to receive assistance from plastic cards on a stick should be taken out to pasture. Weird things often happen at swim meets. Stranger things have happened. Patrick King