The DQ thread got me thinking about swimming rules I'd like to see repealed.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.
Yep. I'm envisioning it as "old" freestyle with unlimited SDK. That's why I like limiting it to the short distance races where people will actually be able to sustain more than 15m under water.
What I mean is that sprint freestyle is faster than SDK; you don't see the top guys really staying underwater very long: they generally pop right up after starts, and after turns they'll stay under just long enough to avoid that huge wave.
And in the long distances you don't see it either, b/c of concern for oxygen debt. In the mid-D events you see it a little, but not really a whole lot (with a few spectacular exceptions, like a Phelps or Lochte blasting off the last wall of the 200).
Agree with almost everything! :) Especially the in water start for backstroke. Makes sense, you're supposed to be on your back.
Except I prefer the 5th stroke as SDK.
And I can't imagine flip turns on evilstroke either.
Wow! I'm practically speechless! :)
What I mean is that sprint freestyle is faster than SDK; you don't see the top guys really staying underwater very long: they generally pop right up after starts, and after turns they'll stay under just long enough to avoid that huge wave.
And in the long distances you don't see it either, b/c of concern for oxygen debt. In the mid-D events you see it a little, but not really a whole lot (with a few spectacular exceptions, like a Phelps or Lochte blasting off the last wall of the 200).
Ah. Even though I couldn't make it work, I thought for those that are good, SDK was faster...
In that case I'm with Fort and let's have 50 SDK as an event.
Rule I'd like to see repealed: flags 5m from wall for ALL courses. Whomever kept the flags at 5y for SCY was clearly not a backstroker.
Right on! 5m, all courses.
A - meet directors and officials are volunteers typically who love the sport and get paid in free pizza.
B - would you rather a meet director not enforce the rules simply because a parent doesn't agree with it?
C - meet directors don't write the rules
D - every kid is nervous in a meet if they are young, many will cry, many will swim the wrong stroke, many will miscount, it's part of the gig
Sorry, can't agree with you on this one, although I have wished many times the 200 was only 150.
This weekend our local club hosted its annual December meet. 500 kids each day in an indoor, 6 lane 25y pool. Fortunately, it's split session, with 11-14 in the am, and 10/u and 15/o in the pm.
My 7 year old swam his first competitive 200y free ever the first night (Fri). Although he shows no fear, he was worried about losing count. So I told him I would use the lap counter for him. He went 3:30(!).
The next morning, within 30 secs of arriving on the deck, I got cornered by the meet director and was told that I had violated several USAS rules, the main two being "interfering with the swimmer" and "using a counter for a race of less than 16 lengths".
I absolutely lost it (I don't care for anal retentive meet directors, and his approach tee'd me off), and told him that that had to be the stupidest of many stupid USAS rules, and if they wanted to discourage young kids from swimming more than a 50, this was the way to do it.:bitching:
So, repeal the rule about lap counters for less than 16 lengths.
I would have been pissed off as well. Getting tackled by an anal retentive adult intent on DQ-ing a 7 year old on a technicality is a bit much. That's one rule that seems unnecessary for sure.
Chris, I like the flags set at 5 yards better than 5 meters. :) And I think I'm a backstroker. However, I agree that it would preferable if the distance was uniform.
I would have been pissed off as well. Getting tackled by an anal retentive adult intent on DQ-ing a 7 year old on a technicality is a bit much. That's one rule that seems unnecessary for sure.
I like a good old fashioned disagreement. In the unlikely event I was at this meet and not officiating and saw some parent counting for their kid in a 200 I would have immediately raised a stink. It isn't about the kid it benefits as much as about the other kids who it may distract.
If I was officiating the meet I would also have DQ'd the swimmer, sorry, them be the rules. It doesn't matter if a rule is perceived as a technicality, it is a rule and should be enforced. Technically, every rule is a technicality.
Now, if the meet officials had offered counting for all kids I would have been fine with it. But, the times would not be counted for those that used a counter since it does violate a few rules.
I would be interested in pwolf's view on this.
I could see the no counting for less than 400 meter rule being "relaxed" for 10 and unders. For them, that's a long swim and a lot of counting. In fact, I'm surprised that there is even a 200 freestyle event for 10 and unders.
The official should have made you stop counting during the race rather than DQ your son afterward (though I'm not sure he was DQ'd--that wasn't clear from your post). If all he did the next day was tell you that it was a violation and don't do it again, I don't think you had the right to "lose it" on the guy. If he DQ'd your son a day late, then you were right to be upset. This wasn't your son's fault and the DQ should have been prevented during the race by making you stop.
So, repeal the rule about lap counters for less than 16 lengths.
I agree. I think counting should be optional for all events. If someone needs a counter for a 50, go for it. If I don't want a counter for a 1650, that should be fine, too.
