The Backstroke Lane

Toes or Noes? Settle a bet: My lunchmate said toes must be under the water line at the start. Oh no, sayeth I, on a flat wall, with no gutter, toes may indeed be above the water line. I bring this up because the nats pool at Georgia Tech has flat walls, with no gutters. At least, that's way it was set up when I swam there last December. I prefer my feet a little higher on the wall, so toes out appeals to me. The various rulebooks mention gutters, but nothing about the feet in relation to the water line. Was this ever a rule? My interpretation is in a pool with no gutters, toes out is fine. 2010 USMS Swimming Code Part I (p.1-2) 101.1.2 Backstroke Start B All courses—The swimmers shall line up in the water facing the starting end with both hands placed on the gutter or on the starting grips. Standing in or on the gutter, placing the toes above the lip of the gutter or bending the toes over the lip of the gutter before or after the start is prohibited. USAS 2010 Rules and Regulations (p. 20) 101.4 BACKSTROKE .1 Start — The swimmers shall line up in the water facing the starting end, with both hands placed on the gutter or on the starting grips. Standing in or on the gutter, placing the toes above the lip of the gutter, or bending the toes over the lip of the gutter, before or after the start, is prohibited. Current FINA Rule SW 6.1 Prior to the starting signal, the swimmers shall line up in the water facing the starting end, with both hands holding the starting grips. Standing in or on the gutter or bending the toes over the lip of the gutter is prohibited. In the attached screenshot from about 2:24 in the vid Ahelee posted, the swimmer in the foreground clearly has about half his foot out of the water. So I presume toes out is legal. So, toes out ok?

Toes or Noes? Settle a bet: My lunchmate said toes must be under the water line at the start. Oh no, sayeth I, on a flat wall, with no gutter, toes may indeed be above the water line. I bring this up because the nats pool at Georgia Tech has flat walls, with no gutters. At least, that's way it was set up when I swam there last December. I prefer my feet a little higher on the wall, so toes out appeals to me. The various rulebooks mention gutters, but nothing about the feet in relation to the water line. Was this ever a rule? My interpretation is in a pool with no gutters, toes out is fine. 2010 USMS Swimming Code Part I (p.1-2) 101.1.2 Backstroke Start B All courses—The swimmers shall line up in the water facing the starting end with both hands placed on the gutter or on the starting grips. Standing in or on the gutter, placing the toes above the lip of the gutter or bending the toes over the lip of the gutter before or after the start is prohibited. USAS 2010 Rules and Regulations (p. 20) 101.4 BACKSTROKE .1 Start — The swimmers shall line up in the water facing the starting end, with both hands placed on the gutter or on the starting grips. Standing in or on the gutter, placing the toes above the lip of the gutter, or bending the toes over the lip of the gutter, before or after the start, is prohibited. Current FINA Rule SW 6.1 Prior to the starting signal, the swimmers shall line up in the water facing the starting end, with both hands holding the starting grips. Standing in or on the gutter or bending the toes over the lip of the gutter is prohibited. In the attached screenshot from about 2:24 in the vid Ahelee posted, the swimmer in the foreground clearly has about half his foot out of the water. So I presume toes out is legal. So, toes out ok?