CH Summer Swim LeagueStroke and Turn Clinic

Josh Rose / Champs Meet Referee

• S&T referee philosophy

• Overview of the rules of swimming

• Components of every stroke

• USA Swimming Video – Although some differences, a very good tool for learning about the stroke

• Stroke rule follow along with common disqualifications for each

Agenda

S&T Philosophy

• Know the rules. Ask if not sure.• Judges must see an infraction to disqualify a swimmer• Other observers may not “report” illegal swims for disqualification.• If you do not see an infraction or you are not completely confident

that an infraction has occurred – do not disqualify the swimmer.• If in doubt, benefit the swimmer

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III. STROKE and TURN / DISQUALIFICATIONS From Chapel Hill Summer Swim League Bylaws 2012

A. STROKE AND TURN see attachment #1 (handout) for stroke and turn judging criteria

B. Stroke and turn judges officiating at any meet must have been certified by the CHSSL. The league will provide a stroke and turn clinic each year prior to the start of the season.

C. DISQUALIFICATIONS 1. All disqualifications will be documented by the official stroke and turn

judges on the appropriate DQ slips2. DQ slips will be written in duplicate. One copy will go to the scorers; one

copy will be given at the meet to the coach of the offending swimmer.

• All new officials and returning officials that have not worked the previous season, must attend the clinic. After attending the S&T clinic, new officials must apprentice with an experienced S&T official for one meet prior to officiating independently. 4

DQ Slip

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• At start and turn head must surface by the 15M mark

• On the start, body must be on the breast

• Not a cycle stroke

• 1st arm pull must bring them to the surface of the water

• Once they are on the surface, they must remain on the surface

• The arms must recover over the water and pulled back simultaneously

• Up and down movement of the legs and feet must be simultaneous

• Touch must be a simultaneous two-hand touch at, above or below the surface of the water

• Common disqualifications: head not up by 15M, underwater recovery, illegal kicks, illegal touches, nonsimultaneous arms, not on breast off wall, submerged during the swim/prior to the turn/prior to the finish

Highlights of Butterfly

• Line up facing the starting end

• Must push off on their back and continue to swim on their back throughout the race

• Not a cycle stroke

• Any style of kick is permitted

• At start and turn head must surface by the 15M mark

• Once they surface, the must remain on the surface

• For turns – swimmer is allowed to turn towards their breast and take a single or double arm pull as part of one simultaneous turn.

• Must leave the wall past vertical on their back

• Must finish on their back

• Common disqualifications: head not up by 15M, not on back off wall, pulling on laneline, standing on the bottom, submerged during the swim/prior to the turn/prior to the finish, past vertical during the swim/at the finish

Highlights of Backstroke

• Cycle stroke

• At start and each turn the body shall be on the breast

• All movements of arms shall be simultaneous and in the same horizontal plane

• Hands shall recover from the breast on, under or over the water

• Hands shall be brought back under the water and only past the hipline on the first stroke at start or turn

• Head must break surface of water during each complete cycle

• After start and each turn, a single optional butterfly kick, must be followed by a breaststroke kick is permitted during or at the completion of the first arm pull

• At the turns, a simultaneous two-hand touch must be made at, above or below the surface of the water

• Head may be submerged after the last arm pull prior

• Common disqualifications: kick prior to pull, hands past the hipline, two strokes under water, illegal kicks, illegal touches, not on breast off wall, arms or legs not in the same plane, non-simultaneous arms

Highlights of Breaststroke

•May swim any style

• At start and turn head must surface by the 15M mark

• Once on the surface they must remain on the surface

• Some body part must touch the wall at each turn/Finish

• Common disqualifications: head not up by 15M, no touch at turn, pulling on laneline, walking on or pushing off the bottom, submerged during the swim/prior to the turn/prior to the finish

Highlights of Freestyle

Swimmer ages 6 and under

• The 6 and under can turn to their breast during the backstroke to check wall location but must go back to swimming backstroke and complete the race on their back.

• During all events the 6 and under can hanging on lane rope for rest or adjusting goggles. However they cannot pull on the lane rope to advance themselves

• Note: all age group swimmers, including 6 and under, are not allowed to pull past their hipline in the breast stroke. They must also recover over the water during the butterfly stroke.

Swimmer ages 10 and under

• Do not DQ for poor/illegal flip turns on 50 Back for this age group unless more than one freestyle stroke is taken after turning over onto the breast. We do not want to penalize these swimmers for trying to do this difficult turn.

Swimmer 11 and up

• No exceptions to the stroke and turn rules.

Age Related Exceptions to the Standard S&T Rules

•Must swim correct order of strokes

• All individual stroke rules apply

•Must touch wall prior to next swimmers’ feet leave the wall

• No “running” starts

Medley relay• Order of strokes is Backstroke, breaststroke, butterfly and freestyle

• Start and finish rules of each stroke apply

• Common disqualifications: strokes out of order, swimmers out of order, stroke infractions from above, early takeoff during exchange

Individual Medley• Order of strokes is Butterfly, Backstroke, Breaststroke and Freestyle

• Start and finish rules apply for each stroke

• Common disqualifications: strokes out of order, stroke infractions from above

Highlights of Relays

Order of Events