The DQ thread got me thinking about swimming rules I'd like to see repealed. Here's my list:
15M rule on freestyle -- You're allowed to do virtually anything you want in a freestyle race provided you touch the walls, don't push off the bottom and don't pull on the lane lines. Why is going beyond 15 meters doing SDK not "freestyle?"
15M rule on backstroke -- Again, the rule seems arbitrary as I could go 15M underwater SDK, pop up and then kick the rest of the way still doing SDK on my back and be perfectly legal. What's so magical about 15M?
Dolphin kick off the wall on a breaststroke pullout -- just have the guts to DQ Kitajima back when he should've been DQd and this whole :worms:wouldn't have been opened.
Rollover backstroke turns -- go back to the bucket turn (touch on your back, turn, push off on your back) and you save a whole bunch of DQ hassles for swimmers & judges. Yeah, times will be way slower, but we banned tech suits, so clearly the swimming purists should be lined up behind this one.
Standup backstroke starts -- what's so magical about starting with your toes / feet in the water when we get to start with our feet out of the water on all other races? Let's stop the discrimination against backstrokers!
For the record, with the exception of #5, I would derive no speed benefit from any of the above rule changes as a competitor (I can't hold my breath in a race for 15M and my doplhin kick on the *** pullout is weak at best). As an S&T judge, though, all of these would make my life easier and, I believe (#5 possibly excepted), be more consistent with the overall rules for the strokes.
IMVHO, current FINA rules are poorly conceived, and even more poorly expressed and enforced. Here, briefly, are the outlines of some changes I would recommend for consideration:
*Return to conventional swimsuits, on the principle that they should neither enhance nor impede performance, while covering the private parts.
*Define each stroke according to one type of kick and one type of arm movement:
-Freestyle would be renamed 'frontstroke,' defined by the flutter kick and alternating arm pulls.
-Backstroke similarly defined, only on the back. As in all events, starts would begin with an entry dive. Backstrokers would be permitted to roll over on their front sides for turns and the finish, and to remain on their fronts for each length until taking their first arm recovery.
-Breaststroke would be defined by a whip kick and simultaneous double-arm pull with full underwater recovery. A single dolphin kick would be allowed DURING the first arm pull of each length.
-Butterfly would be defined by a dolphin kick and simultaneous double-arm pull with above-water recovery. At the beginning of each length, two dolphin kicks would be allowed before the head surfaces.
-Sidestroke would be introduced as a competitive event, defined by a scissors kick and alternating underwater arm movements. A single arm pull and no kick would be allowed before the head surfaces for each length.
*Freestyle would be a no-rule stroke, other than the obvious restrictions.
*All events would allow any type of turn.
*Optional events of public interest might be strict underwater SDK races, on the back and front.
This is just an outline, folks. Let the feeding frenzy begin...
Too complicated.
Wear whatever suit you want.
Free = anything goes, it's free
Back = stay on your back
*** = stay on the ***, do whatever kick you like
Fly = requires some double arm flying motion
No sidestroke, that's for noodlers
IMVHO, current FINA rules are poorly conceived, and even more poorly expressed and enforced. Here, briefly, are the outlines of some changes I would recommend for consideration:
*Return to conventional swimsuits, on the principle that they should neither enhance nor impede performance, while covering the private parts.
*Define each stroke according to one type of kick and one type of arm movement:
-Freestyle would be renamed 'frontstroke,' defined by the flutter kick and alternating arm pulls.
-Backstroke similarly defined, only on the back. As in all events, starts would begin with an entry dive. Backstrokers would be permitted to roll over on their front sides for turns and the finish, and to remain on their fronts for each length until taking their first arm recovery.
-Breaststroke would be defined by a whip kick and simultaneous double-arm pull with full underwater recovery. A single dolphin kick would be allowed DURING the first arm pull of each length.
-Butterfly would be defined by a dolphin kick and simultaneous double-arm pull with above-water recovery. At the beginning of each length, two dolphin kicks would be allowed before the head surfaces.
-Sidestroke would be introduced as a competitive event, defined by a scissors kick and alternating underwater arm movements. A single arm pull and no kick would be allowed before the head surfaces for each length.
*Freestyle would be a no-rule stroke, other than the obvious restrictions.
*All events would allow any type of turn.
*Optional events of public interest might be strict underwater SDK races, on the back and front.
This is just an outline, folks. Let the feeding frenzy begin...
Too complicated.
Wear whatever suit you want.
Free = anything goes, it's free
Back = stay on your back
*** = stay on the ***, do whatever kick you like
Fly = requires some double arm flying motion
No sidestroke, that's for noodlers
