DQ'd

Wow, I have a bunch of DQs compared to all of you. Chris, you've gotten two since you were nine? Holy cow. 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). 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 forgot one DQ one summer when I was in college: DQ for a relay exchange, ***-to-fly (guess which I was?). It was unambiguous b/c the block had those pressure-release timing things. The backstroke start rule changed in the last 1-2 years, and I'm not sure all starters are up to speed on it. It used to be that no part of your foot could be above the waterline. Now it is that you can't curl your toes over the gutter. Those often amount to the same thing in US pools, but not always. And they *definitely* do not when "FINA walls" are used (ie, no gutters). I remember Chris Stevenson's story from 2009 LC nats about getting DQ'd in the 200 back, where he would have won a national championship. Remembering that story helped me feel better about my own insignificant DQ (At nats! In a 1000 free! For the start! And they let me swim the whole race!) Laura Val's story about getting DQ'd for a world record swim has to be the biggest heartbreaker I've heard so far. So after hearing these stories from the likes of Chris Stevenson and Laura Val and Allen Stark I believe that anyone who's anyone MUST have at least one DQ in their history! I am now proud of my insignificant DQ! I don't think a DQ is any less significant if a WR or championship is not at stake. Honestly what frustrates me the most isn't the lost records but the fact that both times were my best-ever masters times, things just came together just right (up until that raised arm, anyway). This could happen to anyone, record or no. If I had had poor swims and been DQ'd, then record or not, I'd be much more sanguine about it.

I was DQ'd on a 500 yd swim. Only went 450yds. Looking at the clock and seeing 4:53 was surprising and stomach churning...that time would have been the swim of my life! I knew when I saw the red 19 on the lap counter that it didn't feel right. I just wasn't paying attention. The complicating factor was that my wife was counting my laps... She won't count for me anymore. :)

I'd be much more sanguine about it.And I'll be using this word today. One DQ in my life when I was 10, and my father DQ'd me. He noticed a very subtle issue with my freestyle, in that the race was the 50 butterfly.

I've been both on the giving end (as an S&T judge) and receiving end of DQs and neither is pleasant. As an S&T judge at (generally NTS) age group meets, I always try to focus on finding clear infractions and on giving the swimmer the benefit of the doubt. I'm not trigger happy, but I also don't think it's fair to the swimmer to let them 'get by' with something that is clearly against the rules; better for them to get called in an early or mid-season meet than to perpetuate something illegal throughout the season. While it's never fun to give a DQ, I generally find that most of the kids 13 & up know when they've done something wrong; many of the savvier 12 & unders do, as well. To me as a judge, it's a sign of a good call if the swimmer admits knowledge or, at a minimum, recognizes that they did something wrong. That doesn't happen 100% of the time, but a lot of times. As a competitor, I think I feel what a lot of people are alluding to above: you only get angry when you're convinced you were right. Many times I've been DQ'd and the vast majority of those I've known what I did. One DQ, though, still sticks in my craw from Junior Nationals in 1983 because I was having the meet of my life and got DQ'd for a 1 hand ***-free transition turn. My time would've put my in the finals. I didn't have video of this, but everyone who watched the race on my team said I was fine. Given that my turns are generally the slowest and most deliberate parts of my races, doing a 1 hand touch was really unlikely for me. I still feel like it was a wrong call. Yeah, still hanging onto that pain almost 30 years later! As for the backstroke turn stuff mentioned above, these days in USAS, we've been told to look for two separate calls: Failure to initiate the arm pull -- such as rolling over onto your stomach, keeping the 'freestyle' pulling arm outstretched and kicking or floating before either starting the pull or the turn Failure to initiate the turn -- such as rolling over, pulling with the 'freestyle' arm and then kicking/floating towards the wall before doing any noticeable turning movement These are both hard calls to make. Like the suggestion to remove the dolphin kick on the breaststroke pullout, it'd be a lot easier if we just went back to the old bucket backstroke turns -- touch on your back, turn, push off on your back. Heck, we've gotten rid of the 'cheating suits,' let's get rid of these cheatin' rules. Where are the swimming purists when we need them?:worms:

The fews times I have been DQ'd I totally deserved it! All for leaving early on relay starts, and it was indeed me diving (barely making it!) over the incoming relay swimmer's body. I think a toe touch one time! I got sooooo excited and I still smile when I think about how much fun it was!!!! The DQ issue is an interesting one, and one that I have thought about in preparing for races. It's a possibility any time, but not probable. Anyway, here's how I rationalize it: 1. The WORST thing that could happen is that you don't even make it to the blocks. That's a REAL problem, because it means I am either injured or really sick. 2. The next is a bummer, where you can't make it because you have some other commitment, like work. But that's rarely the case. Of course, I was on the witness stand from 10Am to 4PM this past week and thank goodness it wasn't on a swim meet day! I thought i'd only be on the stand for like an hour! Boy was my bum sore! 3. You false start. 4. You swim and get DQ'd 5. You have a "bad" race The question is, Am taking it "too seriously" if I get really upset about it? One thing that has really helped me "take risks" is to race often, that is, not placing "all my eggs in one basket". You might be surprised when, where, and in what event you will do great swims!! This weekend I was all prepared to do a local meet (USA). I was gloating because it's at a very familiar pool, annual local big meet, and while I always prefer masters, the tradeoff is that I would not have to travel. There were many choices for USA or masters meet this weekend! I emailed my entries to the coach on 10/31/10 and he confirm replied on 11/01/10. After a very stressful week (and I never knew I knew so much about bankruptcy, testifying for like 6 hours!!), I packed the car, confirmed babysitting, and then for grins just checked the team website for my entry. IT WASN"T THERE!!!!! Long story short, the coach had not entered me, which is USA entry-speak, meant I was totally shut out of the meet! I spent the entire evening emailing with him, the other coach, and trying to find out if I could still fly out to San Antonio or Long beach, or anywhere on Sat to swim on Sun (no, because no deck entries). The officials were emailing with the coach and at 11:17pm said they didn't know for sure, and that they'd let me know by 7am the morning of the meet........ The next morning I checked and found I was in! Of course, I was placed in Heat 1 of all my events, but at least I would get the opportunity to swim! Drumroll please.......lifetime best in 100 back; masters best in 100 *** (and that's saying alot, since i've been racing since 1993!), and very solid 50 free/100free/100 fly times. I'm glad I still went and made the effort. The point of that story is you win some, you lose some. I still feel so lucky that the officials let me in the meet. My coach said in his 23+ years, they have NEVER allowed anyone that exception. And that fact that they were still doing "meet stuff" way long after the first day was over, I really appreciate all the things that these people do. My sister is now an official, and I know it is physically tough (S&T judges standing for hours in the Az sun!!!) and having to watch 4 lanes, heat after heat, event after event. It is not easy. And she's a volunteer!!!!! And back to the DQ: I pump myself up by saying: The way I see it, I am way long overdue for a technical DQ or a mistake (ie, missing a 2 hand touch on fly, which happened in practice and that was kind of a shock!) I would be disappointed, but not devestated, no matter where or when the event occurs. There are so many opportunities in the span of my career (remaining 40's, then 50, 60, 70's etc!!!) that this will be a blimp on the screen. So just go out there and do it!

I was DQ'd on a 500 yd swim. Only went 450yds. Why didn't you just do the final 50 after you realized your mistake? Did you already leave the pool or something?

And I'll be using this word today. One DQ in my life when I was 10, and my father DQ'd me. He noticed a very subtle issue with my freestyle, in that the race was the 50 butterfly. I thought the 200 IM was the 200 free one time in high school... :doh: Another time in college I dropped an arm prior to the last turn of a 200 fly. The first time I swam the 100 fly as a kid, I barely finished, and got DQ'd for uneven arms. All of those DQ's were legit. (Well, the 100 fly DQ probably was, I don't remember the race clearly enough to say. :cane:) That 200 fly DQ taught me the importance of doing things right in practice so that bad habits don't form. You never know when an occasional bad habit like a one-hand fly touch will pop up in a race. One thing's for sure, you won't be thinking about it when it happens. :bed:

Breaststroke DQs The rule and the interpretation of the rule re the pull before the kick (off blocks and walls) creates a logical disconnection. I have researched this in depth, including speaking to the highest levels of USAS rules officials, the ultimate answer being that the system does not want those calls, and thus overturns them in the video rooms at the high end meets (I have previously supplied links to several examples). You just can't be sure the swimmer did not do even a tiny down or side motion with the hands (even though the hands stayed together, sometimes locked together) before the kick. However, not all officials get the unwritten 'memo'. My concern is consistency across officials and meets. I think the rule regarding this does not need to be rewritten, simply dropped. A pull does not really mean pull anymore with the current interpretation of FINA intent. Another occurrence (that sometimes gets a DQ but usually does not) that also goes against the written rule...the last strokes before a wall. The breaststroke is unique in that it is a cycle stroke...pull, then kick, pull, then kick etc. However, relatively common (ie, not 1 in a thousand) at the finish as the wall is faced 'early', many (not most) swimmers put in a double pull (with no intervening kick). There is no requirement that swimmers be notified right after their swim about their DQ. Officials try, but the next heat is not delayed in order to notify.

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. My second least favorite DQ was 2003 USA-S US Open. I made consolation finals and they hit me for a one handed turn in my 200 LCM Fly. I think those are petty sometimes, but I'm sure it was a good call. my own insignificant DQ (At nats! In a 1000 free! For the start! And they let me swim the whole race!) That's rough you did the whole race. Also a little funny.

The backstroke turn rules both just baffle me as to why they are even rules. They give no unfair advantage to anyone breaking them, in fact, if you turn over and "coast", you are at a huge disadvantage. I can see where you're coming from, but on the other hand the stroke is backstroke. The rules allow you to turn onto your stomach, but only when this is part of the turn. If you turn over too soon and kick into the wall it's not really backstroke anymore. Whether or not this confers an advantage is immaterial.