DQ'd

A couple of summers ago I got DQ'd for a false start in my 400 IM at LC nats. It was a real breakthrough swim for me--a 6+ second drop off my lifetime PR. They called me to the clerk of course table afterwards to let me know. I had no idea I'd done anything out of the ordinary on the start, and I was so dumbfounded that all I could stammer out was, "But it was PR." I felt like I was a disappointed 10-year-old again. The meet referee offered to call the start judge over to clarify what I'd done, but I said it was alright and kind of slunk off to the warmdown pool. Afterwards I could have kicked myself, because it really would have been useful to know what the start judge saw. (I've since looked at the videotape from this swim and can't see anything untoward on the start, and I certainly didn't hit the water early). I worried the rest of the meet about my starts, since I didn't know what had garnered the dq. So, the lesson I learned is that if I get dq'd again, I need to talk to whatever judges are involved to know exactly what's being called. On that front, it was helpful to me this past year to read Chris's and Leslie's accounts of their experiences in their blogs--they were both more assertive than me in winnowing out what the judges thought they saw. And while several people have told me it was too bad that I had to swim a 4IM after getting called for a fs, I'm with Chowmi--it would have been much more disappointing not to have swum it. While I didn't get an official time, I still got splits that would be useful in prepping future races, got confirmation that my taper was on the money, and most important got the confidence that I am actually capable of swimming that event that fast. (And the story has a happy ending--after a few tears and a couple hours of confusion and disappointment, I came back that afternoon and nailed my 50 BR to actually win an event at nats!)

It's always a good idea to get full clarification from the official on what the infraction was. Mostly so that you can learn from the mistakes. Regarding a false start... most rule books that I'm aware of require a dual-confirmation for a false start call. So in most cases, you'd need both the starter and the referee (at least the deck referee on duty) dual confirm that you jumped. The no-recall false start rules are interesting. I believe Eric Vendt was called on a false start at the beginning of an 800 or 1500 meter freestyle event a few years back. He went the whole race, finished, and then people saw the DQ. -Rick

This past May at nationals I was DQ'ed in my 200 ***. It was only a LMSC record, but it was a personal best by over three seconds. I never swam the event shaved/tapered in college so I was very proud of my time. According to the judge I was doing butterfly kicks EVERY STROKE?! I asked twice because I was dumbfounded. I have never been DQ'ed in my *** in my swimming career. On top of that, I had swum the 100 ***, 200 im, and 50 *** (on a 200 medley relay) at the same meet and nothing was said in those races. I also had my race on videotape. My feet never broke the surface of the water. Presumably the call was on an upsweep motion of my legs following the normal *** kick (yet still minor enough it was all underwater), but I don't know since the judge didn't describe it as such. I think I'd still be arguing that if it was me.The upward leg movement isn't illegal and the rule say your feet can break the surface.Bummer.

I think they should post your time and splits even though you get DQd.To not just adds insult to injury.

OK - to clear this up for me. On breaststroke, can you do 1 dolfin kick before the arms do a pullout? OR must you do it in the middle of the pullout ? The rule says that the pull must precede the dolphin kick. Interpretation....the pull can be any downward or sideways movement of the hands, and that such 'pull' need not be continuous. While a movement lasting a fraction of a second for a fraction of an inch, followed by a pause, or even the hands not separating from each other if indeed that is the position they may be in out of a streamline off the blocks/wall, may not seem like a pull, they are interpreted as a pull! Because of this, I suggest that the rule pertaining to the pull before the kick off the blocks/wall be dropped altogether if indeed we are strapped with US interpretation of FINA's interpretation of this rule (the pull/kick rule is both FINA and USAS).

I think I'd still be arguing that if it was me.The upward leg movement isn't illegal and the rule say your feet can break the surface.Bummer. Well then I have no idea what the judge was talking about haha.

Wow, I have a bunch of DQs compared to all of you. Chris, you've gotten two since you were nine? Holy cow. I've been DQed in four races, IIRC, in my two years of swimming so far. And according to my coach, I should've been DQed in five, not four. :blush: in breaststroke... 1.) I failed to touch the wall with both hands on a turn. 2.) I forgot myself and took too many SDKs off the dive. 3.) I did too many pull-downs off a turn (this was the one my coach noticed, but the officials didn't). in backstroke... 1.) My feet were too far out of the water or something, in the gutter, while waiting for the buzzer (I don't recall the exact infraction). in butterfly... 1.) I didn't know I had to touch the wall with both hands. Apparently, that's true for both symmetrical strokes. edit: I just consulted the rulebook (something I should probably do more of, haha) and I see now that this is the relevant part about my backstroke DQ: "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."

I can only remember 2 DQ's in my life. One came while I was about 12. I remember being really upset and my coach not caring at all. I was not happy that night. The 2nd one came about 6+ years ago at a masters meet. I did a clearly illegal turn in the 100 IM. In my defense, my coach had taught me this "faster" turn the night before. He just didn't tell me that it wasn't legal in the 100 IM but was okay in the 200 IM. So my DQ was perfectly fine and I accepted it once I was told. I laughed about it. That was also the meet where, as the meet was happening, they measured the pool and found out it was too short thanks to the Rec Dept putting in nice new tiles. This meet is where the USMS rule of measuring comes from. So...the 100 IM where I got DQd wouldn't have counted anyway.

To the best of my knowledge, "instant replay" is not permitted in the USMS nor the USA Swimming rulebook. The NCAA rulebook allows for video replay for validation of relay exchanges, and that is it. I believe FINA allows for video technology to be used in a backup timing capacity. (I.e., cameras pointing at the finish wall in case touchpads fail.) Note that anywhere video is creeping into the rules, it has always been the case that any video technology used must be installed by the facility/meet host, and setup specifically for that purpose. I.e., you can never show up with a video camera that your friend had in the stands. (The theory behind officiating is a level playing field.... any video technology that you get to lean on must be available for all swimmers in the field, and all races in the meet.) -Rick Neither the USMS nor USA Swimming rule books have anything that prohibits the use of video to protest a DQ.

I respect S&T judges a lot, but sometimes they seem to think they have to call something. My son was DQ'd twice in the summer championship meet last year for different infractions -- both bogus in my mind -- and in both cases he swam the same stroke he had done all summer (not to mention all year with USA-S) without getting DQ'd. That upset me more than my own DQ's because my son was so upset by it; one case was a relay where his team won first place at champs, and he was in tears b/c he felt he let his team down. So I guess I respect S&T judges less than I used to...at least the ones that seem a little too trigger-happy... I've been a S&T for a long time and those that have the attitude that that they have to find something in every heat or they're not doing their job really irritate me. When I've been training new officials I stress to them that if they have any doubt at all, it is not an infraction. I can recall several instances where another official has asked me for an opinion on a swimmer's stroke and even if I clearly see an infraction, I will tell that official that if they are not sure, it is not a DQ (the swimmer was not in my jurisdiction or I would have called it). And if the official could not tell the referee at which point in the the swim the infraction occured, then the ref was wrong by not overturning it. That line "I have to back my official" is pure BS.