Swimming Officials News
19 Oct 2012
Backstroke- October 2012
Recently I have received a couple of emails concerning
backstroke. It would appear that
officials are comfortable with what they see providing it is expected. However when swimmers perform something out
of the ordinary uncertainty creeps in. It is usually the younger inexperienced swimmers who get into a
tangle whilst turning and
this is when a thorough knowledge of all the technical rules is required.
Question 1:- A swimmer turns onto their breast at the
turn, brings one arm over and touches the wall with the hand at the end of the
arc (no drifting in and no underwater pull), brings their legs under their body
and pushes off from the wall on their back is this OK?
Answer: There is no reason to disqualify either swimmer
in the situations given above.
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.
SW 6.2 At the signal for starting and after turning the
swimmer shall push off and swim upon his back throughout the race except when
executing a turn as set forth in SW 6.4. The normal position on the back can
include a roll movement of the body up to, but not including 90 degrees from
horizontal. The position of the head is not relevant.
SW 6.3 Some part of the swimmer must break the surface of
the water throughout the race. It is permissible for the swimmer to be
completely submerged during the turn, at the finish and for a distance of not
more than 15 metres after the start and each turn. By that point the head must
have broken the surface.
SW 6.4 When executing the turn there must be a touch of
the wall with some part of the swimmer's body in his/her respective lane.
During the turn the shoulders may be turned over the vertical to the breast
after which a continuous single arm pull or a continuous simultaneous double
arm pull may be used to initiate the turn. The swimmer must have returned to
the position on the back upon leaving the wall.
SW 6.5 Upon the finish of the race the swimmer must touch
the wall while on the back in his/her respective lane.
In question 1 the swimmer left the position on the back
to execute the turn, (SW6.2) touched the end of the pool with some part of the
body- the hand- and left the wall on the back. (SW6.4)
In question 2 the swimmer touched the wall with some part
of the body and pushed off from the wall on the back. The swimmer did not push
off from the bottom of the pool nor did he/she take a stride or step from the
bottom of the pool. (SW10.4)