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Contents:

USA Swimming Rules and Regulations
Updated: June 2004

Rule Changes
Technical Rules
INDIVIDUAL STROKES AND RELAYS
CONDUCT AND OFFICIATING
FACILITIES STANDARDS
Official Duties
What to Watch in a Swim Meet

USA Officials Website

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Newest USA Items of Interest
Last update: June 2004

Rule Changes

TECHNICAL RULES

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REFEREE

102.13 REFEREE

.1 Shall have full authority over all officials and shall assign and instruct them; shall enforce all

applicable rules and shall decide all questions relating to the actual conduct of the meet, the

final settlement of which is not otherwise assigned by said rules; can overrule any meet official

on a point of rule interpretation, or on a judgment decision pertaining to an action which

the Referee has personally observed.

.2 The Referee has the authority to disqualify a swimmer(s) for any violation of the rules that the

Referee personally observes and, except for false starts, shall at the same time raise one

hand overhead. If the Referee does not make such a signal there shall be no penalty.

.3 Shall signal the starter that all officials are in position, that the course is clear, and that the

competition can begin, before each race; shall assign marshals with specific instructions.

.4 Shall give a decision on any point where the opinions of the judges differ; shall have authority

to intercede in a competition at any stage, to ensure that the racing conditions are observed.

.5 For LSC and local records only, may assign three (3) additional official timers on request to

record a record attempt at initial distances in accordance with 102.16 and 104.2.1 D.

.6 When automatic or semi-automatic officiating equipment is used and an apparent malfunction

occurs it shall be his/her responsibility to make an immediate investigation to determine

whether the swimmer finished in accordance with the rules and/or if there was an actual

equipment malfunction.

.7 May prohibit the use of any device that disrupts or interferes with the meet, such as a laser

pointing device or artificial noisemaker.

.8 May modify any rule for a competitive swimmer who has a disability. Such modification shall

be in accordance with Article 105 of this rulebook.

.9 When the meet sanction allows conducting the events by starting them from the alternate

ends of a 50-meter course, the Referee shall establish the necessary administrative and officiating

procedures to conform to Part One of the rules and local conditions.

.10 Refer to 102.11 concerning protests.

102.14 STARTER

.1 Equipment — Loudspeaker start system conforming to 103.15, with or without an underwater

recall device, and an electronic strobe signal as provided in 105.3 shall be the preferred

starting device. A .22 caliber starting pistol may be used.

.2 Preparation — The Starter shall stand within ten feet of the starting end of the pool and

upon signal from Referee, shall assume control of swimmers until a fair start has been

achieved.

.3 Optional Instructions — The Starter may:

A Announce the event;

B Advise the heat when a swimmer will be attempting to achieve a time at an initial distance.

C For backstroke event starts, give the command, "Place your feet."

.4 The Start

A At the commencement of each heat, the Referee shall signal to the swimmers by a short

series of whistles to remove all clothing except for swimwear, followed by a long whistle

indicating that they should take and maintain their positions on the starting platform. In

backstroke and medley relay events, at the Referee’s first long whistle the swimmers

shall immediately enter the water and at the second long whistle shall return without

undue delay to the starting position (101.3.1).

B When the swimmers and officials are ready, the Referee shall signal with an outstretched

arm to the Starter that the swimmers are under the Starter’s control.

C On the Starter’s command "take your mark", the swimmers shall immediately assume

their starting position, in the forward start, with at least one foot at the front of the block.

When all swimmers are stationary, the starter shall give the starting signal.

D When a swimmer does not respond promptly to the command "take your mark", the Starter shall immediately release all swimmers with the command "Stand up" upon which the swimmers may stand up or step off the blocks.

.5 False Starts

A Any swimmer starting before the starting signal is given shall be disqualified if the Referee

independently observes and confirms Starter’s observation that a violation

occurred. Swimmers remaining on the starting blocks shall be relieved from their starting

positions with the "Stand up" command and may step off the blocks. The Starter shall

restart the race upon signal by the Referee.

B If the starting signal has been given before the disqualification is declared, the race shall

continue without recall. If the Referee independently observes and confirms the starter’s

observation that a violation occurred, the swimmer or swimmers who have false started

shall be notified of the disqualification upon completion of the race.

C If the recall signal is activated inadvertently, no swimmer shall be charged with a false

start and the Starter shall restart the race upon signal by the Referee.

D Declared false start: swimmers reporting to the Referee prior to the start of their race and

declaring their intent not to compete will be disqualified except as noted in 207.7.9D.

.6 Warning Signal — With the exception of relays, in events 500 yards or longer the Starter or a

designee shall sound a warning signal over the water at the finish end of the lane of the leading

swimmer when that swimmer has two lengths plus five yards or five meters to swim. As

an alternative, a bell warning signal may be given over each lane by a lane judge or timer in

that lane.

.7 Deliberate Delay or Misconduct

A Any swimmer, who delays the start by entering water or by willfully or deliberately disobeying

a command to step on the blocks or to take a starting position, or for any other

misconduct taking place at the start, may be disqualified from the event by the Starter

with concurrence of the Referee.

B The Referee shall disqualify a swimmer who fails to appear at the starting platform ready

to swim in time for the initial start of his/her heat.

C Such disqualifications shall not be charged as a false start.

102.15 JUDGES — Shall have jurisdiction over the swimmers immediately after the race has begun.

.1 Chief — An overall "Chief Judge" may assign and supervise the activities of all stroke, turn,

place and take-off judges and may report their decisions, or if desired any judging category

may have a designated "Chief". Any "Chief" may act as liaison for the judges and may serve

simultaneously in one of the judging positions and shall assign those judges within the

"Chief’s" category.

.2 Place Judge — At the discretion of the Referee, two place judges — one on each side of the

course — shall be stationed near the finish and each shall judge the order of finish of all swimmers.

A place judge shall record a tie if a place distinction cannot be made. Judging results

shall be used only in accordance with Section 102.16.6C in determining the order of finish.

.3 Stroke Judge — Shall operate on both sides of the pool, preferably walking abreast of the

swimmers during all strokes except freestyle, during which events they may leave poolside, at

the Referee’s discretion; shall ensure that the rules relating to the style of swimming designated

for the event are being observed; and shall report any violations to the Referee on

signed slips detailing the event, the heat number, the lane number, the swimmer’s name and

the infraction.

.4 Turn Judge — Shall operate on both ends of the pool; shall ensure that when turning or finishing

the swimmer complies with the turning and finishing rules applicable to the stroke

used; and shall report any violations to the Referee on signed slips detailing the event, the

heat number, lane number, the swimmer’s name and infraction observed.

.5 Jurisdiction of Stroke and Turn Judges — Before the competition begins the Referee shall

determine the respective areas of stroke and turn responsibility and jurisdiction, which may

include joint, concurrent, and coordinated responsibility and jurisdiction. The Referee shall

insure that all swimmers shall have fair, equitable, and uniform conditions of judging.

.6 Relay Take-Off Judges —

A. Relay take-off judges shall be assigned by the Referee and shall stand so that they can

clearly see both the touch of the incoming swimmer(s) and the feet of the departing

swimmer(s) as they leave the starting platform, and shall judge whether the swimmer is

in contact with the platform when the incoming swimmer touches the end of the pool.

B. If dual relay take-off judging is used, the lane and side take-off judges shall independently

report infractions in writing without the use of the infraction hand signal. A relay

will be disqualified only if the lane take-off judge has reported an infraction and the

assigned side take-off judge has confirmed the same infraction.

.7 Infraction Signal — See Rule 102.10.1 DISQUALIFICATIONS for the infraction signal.

102.16 TIMING

.1 Timing Systems — Every race in a swimming competition shall be timed with one or more of

the following systems, listed in their preferred order of use:

A Automatic — A timing system that is started by an electric impulse generated by a

starting device or a transducer capable of detecting a gun report and stopped at the finish

by the swimmer touching the touchpad.

B Semi-Automatic — A timing system that is started by an electric impulse generated by

a starting device or transducer capable of detecting a gun report and stopped by buttons

pushed by timers at the finish touch of the swimmer.

C Manual — A timing system consisting of individual lane timers, each operating a manual

watch that is both started and stopped by the timer as described in Section 102.16.3C.

Only hand-held, battery powered, digital read-out type watches designed for timing purposes

shall be used.

.2 Timing System Designation — Timing systems shall be designated in the order in which

results are used as follows:

A Primary System — The primary system shall determine the official time of each swimmer

unless a comparison of the primary with secondary and/or tertiary system times

indicates a malfunction of the primary system. A primary system shall always be in

place and shall consist of one of the following, listed in their preferred order of use:

(1) Automatic Timing.

(2) Semi-Automatic, with three (3) or two (2) buttons per lane, each operated by a

separate timer.

(3) Manual, with three (3) or two (2) watches per lane, each operated by a separate

timer.

B Secondary System — If manually operated watches are not the primary system, a secondary

system of precedence equal to or lower than the primary system must be used.

The secondary system may be:

(1) Semi-Automatic with one (1), two (2), or three (3) buttons, each operated by a separate

timer.

(2) Manual with one (1), two (2) or three (3) watches per lane, each operated by a

separate timer.

C Tertiary System — Unless the primary system consists of manual watches or the secondary

system includes at least one (1) manual watch per lane, a tertiary system of at

least one (1) manual watch per lane shall be provided.

.3 Timing Personnel and Their Duties —

A Chief Timer — The Chief Timer shall:

(1) Assure the assignment of Lane Timers to lanes and the designation of one timer

on each lane to be the Head Lane Timer.

(2) On the starting signal, start a watch(es) on every race. The time of this watch shall

be used if a Lane Timer’s watch fails.

(3) Be responsible for delivering all manual watch times, including those of disqualified

swimmers, to the Timing Judge.

B Head Lane Timer — The Head Lane Timer shall:

(1) Determine whether the swimmer or relay team is present and in the correct lane,

heat and event, and that relay swimmers are swimming in the order listed.

(2) Determine and record manual watch times or the absence of a swimmer or the

relay team seeded in that lane.

(3) Assign one timer to time relay splits and initial distance times if requested by the

Chief Timer.

(4) Report if the swimmer has delayed in touching or has missed the touch pad at the

finish, or if there is reason to believe the semi-automatic or manual times may be

inaccurate.

C Lane Timers — Officials assigned as Lane Timers may simultaneously operate two dissimilar

devices (one watch and one button) but not two similar devices (two watches or

two buttons). It is not within the Lane Timer’s jurisdiction to judge if the swimmer’s touch

conforms to the applicable finish rules or if a relay take-off infraction has occurred unless

assigned concurrent responsibility as a Lane Timer and Turn Judge or Relay Take-off

Judge. Each timer shall:

(1) Be in position at the start to have an unobstructed view and shall start the watch at

the instant of observing the visual starting signal. If the visual starting signal is not

observed, the watch shall be started upon hearing the sound of the starting signal.

(2) Stand directly over the assigned lane at the finish to observe a touch above, at, or

below the surface of the water and stop the watch and/or push the semi-automatic

system button when any part of the swimmer’s body touches the wall.

(3) Report the watch time to the Head Lane Timer or the designated recorder, report if

a late or missed pad touch is observed; and, if requested, present the watch for

inspection. Lane Timers shall not clear their watches until a command to "clear

watches" is given or the Referee signals that the next heat is ready to start.

D Timing Equipment Operator — The Timing Equipment Operator shall be responsible

for the automatic or semi-automatic timing equipment, including the electronic starting

system and scoreboard (if used), and shall advise the Referee of any system problems

that might affect the accuracy of times or whenever the touchpad is observed to have

failed to record the finish when the swimmer completed the race. The timing equipment

should be placed so that the operator is able to observe the finish of each race.

E Timing Judge — Under the direction of the Referee, the Timing Judge shall determine

the official time for each swimmer as follows:

(1) Receive and review the automatic and/or semi-automatic timing results from the

Timing Equipment Operator and compare primary timing results with the back-up

timing results to determine their validity.

(2) Receive the times recorded by the Head Lane Timers from the Chief Timer and

use those times to the extent needed to determine the official time for each swimmer.

(3) Notify the Referee whenever a time obtained by the primary timing system cannot

be used as the Official Time.

(4) Record disqualifications approved by the Referee. A written record of all disqualifications

signed by the Referee shall be given to the Recorder.

F Recorder — The Recorder shall:

(1) Record the Official Times and disqualifications;

(2) Determine the official Order of Finish;

(3) Publish the results; and

(4) May also determine the score of the meet.

.4 Requirements for Official Time

A Performance Requirements

(1) An official time can be achieved only in USA Swimming sanctioned or USA Swimming

approved competition, or in an observed swim in accordance with all applicable

rules. It may be achieved in:

(a) A preliminary or final heat.

(b) A swim-off held to determine qualifiers or alternates for consolation or final

heats.

(d) A split time recorded from the official start to the completion of an initial distance

with a legal finish within a longer event, provided the swimmer completes

the event or the lead-off portion of the relay in compliance with

applicable rules.

(e) A time trial or a record attempt.

(2) An official time for an event or a stroke can be achieved only in that event or

stroke, or in an initial distance of such event or stroke (e.g. a backstroke time must

be achieved in a backstroke event or the backstroke leg of a medley relay).

Regardless of the stroke(s) used, times achieved in freestyle events can be

recorded only as freestyle times.

B Timing Resolution — All timing systems, including manual watches, shall have a resolution

of one one-hundredth of a second (0.01 second). Times from all systems shall be

recorded to hundredths of a second. The digits representing thousandths shall be

dropped with no rounding.

What to Watch in a Swim Meet

USA Swimming

As most officials are aware, there are few differences between Y, HS, and USA officiating rules.
Below is an article copied from the USA site which is self explanatory.
USA rules match up very well with other organizations.

What to Watch in a Swim Meet

The Racing Course

The length of a long course racing pool is 50 meters. World records may only be set in 50-meter (long course) or 25-meter pools. FINA added the 25-meter world record at the 1991 FINA Congress in Perth, Australia. The competitive pool has a minimum of eight lanes, each lane anywhere from seven to nine feet wide. The racing course must be at least four feet deep and is frequently deeper. The top pools in the U.S. are six to nine feet deep. The water temperature must be between 78 and 80 degrees Fahrenheit. The front edge of the starting blocks are 30 inches above the surface of the water.

The Meet

There are 14 individual events and three relays for men and women in a swimming meet. In the Olympic Games, there are only 13 individual events and three relays for men and women. In the Olympics, men do not swim an 800-meter freestyle and the women do not swim a 1500-meter freestyle.

Freestyle

In the freestyle, the competitor may swim any stroke he or she wishes. The usual stroke used is the Australian Crawl. This stroke is characterized by the alternate overhand motion of the arms and a flutter kick which can be either a six-beat-per stroke or two-beat-per-stroke cycle rhythm. The slower two-beat kick is used in the distance races, while the faster, six-beat kick is used in the sprint events and at the very end of the distance races. In all U.S. Swimming and FINA competition, each swimmer's head must surface within 15 meters of the start of the race. This rule was passed at the 1998 FINA Congress in Perth, Australia. The freestyle is swum in 50-, 100-, 200-, 400-, 800- and 1500-meter distances at the Olympic Games. Women's events do not include the 1500-meter freestyle, while the men's schedule of events does not include the 800-meter freestyle.

Backstroke

In the backstroke the swimmer must stay on his or her back, except during the turns. The stroke is an alternating motion of the arms -- much like the crawl stroke -- with a flutter kick. Since April of 1991, a swimmer is no longer required to touch the wall with his or her hand before executing the turn maneuver. The key to proper interpretation of the backstroke rule is the phrase "continuous turning action", i.e., a uniform, unbroken motion with no pauses. In a more technical interpretation, after the shoulder rotates beyond the vertical toward the breast, a continuous simultaneous double arm pull may be used to initiate the turn. There shall be no kick, arm pull, or floatation that is independent of the turn. The position of the head is not relevant. In all U.S. Swimming and FINA competition, each swimmer's head must surface within 15 meters of the start of the race. This is a change from the 1988 FINA rule change which stated that a swimmer must surface within 10 meters of the start of a race. The rule was passed after America's David Berkoff set a world record in Seoul using a 35-meter underwater start, nicknamed the "Berkoff Blastoff" by NBC swimming commentator John Naber. Backstroke race distances are 100 and 200 meters.

Breaststroke

Perhaps one of the most difficult strokes to master, the breaststroke requires simultaneous movements of the arms on the same horizontal plane. The hands are pushed forward from the breast on or under the surface of the water and brought backward in the propulsive stage of the stroke simultaneously. The kick is a simultaneous thrust of the legs called a "frog" or breaststroke kick. No flutter or dolphin kicking is allowed. Swimmers must touch the wall with both hands at the same time before executing their turn. Breaststroke race distances are 100 and 200 meters.

Butterfly

The most physically demanding stroke, the butterfly features the simultaneous overhead stroke of the arms combined with the dolphin kick. The dolphin kick features both legs moving up and down together. No flutter kicking is allowed. As in the breaststroke, swimmers must touch the wall with both hands before turning. The butterfly was "born" in the early 1950's as a loophole in the breaststroke rules and in 1956 became an Olympic event in Melbourne, Australia. In all U.S. Swimming and FINA competition, each swimmer's head must surface within 15 meters of the start of the race. This rule was passed at the 1998 FINA Congress in Perth, Australia. USA's Misty Hyman, among other swimmers, had utilized an extended underwater start prior to the restriction. Butterfly races are swum in 100 and 200 meter distances.

Individual Medley

The individual medley, commonly referred to as the "I.M.," features all four competitive strokes. In the I.M. a swimmer begins with the butterfly, changes to the backstroke after one-fourth of the race, then the breaststroke for another quarter and finally finishes with the freestyle. The "no-touch" backstroke rule comes into play in the individual medley events in that the new turn may be used in the 400-meter IM (100 meters of each stroke) only in the middle of the backstroke leg. The new turn may not be used in the backstroke to breaststroke turn, however, and is therefore not allowed in a long course 200-meter individual medley race. The IM is swum in 200 and 400 meter distances.

Medley Relay

In the medley relay, all four strokes are swum by four different swimmers. No swimmer may swim more than one leg of the relay, which is swum in backstroke, breaststroke, butterfly and freestyle order. Additionally of their muscles. Swimming the first portion of the race too fast can sap a swimmer's strength and cause a poor finish. Swimming the first portion of the race too slowly can separate the swimmer from the pack and make catching up impossible. Swimmers may elect to swim the race evenly (holding the same pace throughout the race) or they may "negative split" the race. A negative split occurs when the swimmer covers the second half of a race faster than the first half. In the late 1970s and early `80s "negative splitting" was considered the way to win a distance race. World records have been set by Janet Evans and Jorg Hoffman using "even pace" strategies as well.

For the original source for this article go to:
What to Watch in a Swim Meet

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