To: USA Swimming Board of
Directors, General Chairs, Officials Chairs, Rules &
Regulations Committee, USA Swimming Officials and USA Swimming Coaches,
Good afternoon. Thanks for your attention and for
everything that each of you do for our sport. I am addressing this
large group in an attempt to directly communicate some important
changes to our Rules and the process of rules
changes.
The 2023 USA Swimming Rulebook
is currently in effect. Physical copies are being distributed to
those who requested copies through the portal. Digital versions are
always available on the USA Swimming Rules &
Policies Page.
All amendments approved at the September 2022
annual meeting of the House of Delegates ("HOD") are included and
effective immediately. Please reference Page 1, Major Legislation
and Rules Changes for 2023, in the 2023 Rulebook for an overview of
the rules that were deemed to be the most impactful to our
membership. To accompany this email, the entire 2023 Legislative
Packet including results of each vote and a redline of the
change from the 2022 to 2023 Rulebook is available here . Please note, there is
a typographical error on the top of page 21. In the past many rule
changes had an effective date of May 1 (of the year following the
HOD when they were approved). There is language on this page
stating in part, “Except as otherwise noted, all provisions
under Part One, Technical Rules, are effective beginning May 1,
2023, and until changed.” As noted in the Major Legislative
Changes section, as well as indicated in this letter, all changes
made by the HOD in September as well as all FINA / World Aquatic
related changes are currently in effect.
Additionally, several changes were made in response
to World Aquatics making changes to their technical swimming rules at a FINA Technical Congress
in October of 2022. The following changes, made in response to
World Aquatic rules changes, appear in the 2023 USA Swimming Rulebook:
-
USA Swimming Rule 101.1.3A (pp 22) – To Comply
with World Aquatics SW4.4
Any swimmer starting before the starting signal
is given shall be disqualified Any swimmer initiating a start before the signal may
be disqualified if the Referee independently observes
and confirms the 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.
-
USA Swimming Rule 101.2.2 (pp 22/23) – To Comply
with World Aquatics SW7.2
Stroke — After the start and after each turn
when the swimmer leaves the wall, the body shall be kept on the
breast. It is not permitted to roll onto the back at any time
except at the turn after the touch of the wall where it is
permissible to turn in any manner as long as the body is on the
breast when leaving the wall. Throughout the race the stroke cycle
must be one arm stroke and one leg kick in that
order.
All
movements of the arms shall be simultaneous and in the same
horizontal plane without alternating
movement.
The
hands shall be pushed forward together from the breast on, under,
or over the water.
The
elbows shall be under water except for the final stroke before the
turn, during the turn and for the final stroke at the finish. The
hands shall be brought back on or under the sur- face of the water.
The hands shall not be brought back beyond the hip line, except
during the first stroke after the start and each
turn.
During each complete cycle, some part of the
swimmer’s head shall break the surface of the water. After
the start and after each turn, the swimmer may take one arm stroke
completely back to the legs. The head must break the surface of the
water before the hands turn inward at the widest part of the second
stroke.
-
USA Swimming Rule 101.2.3 (pp 23) – To Comply
with World Aquatics SW7.4
Kick
— After the start and each turn, at any time prior to the
first breaststroke kick, a single butterfly kick is permitted.
Following which, all movements of the legs shall be
simultaneous and in the same horizontal
plane without alternating movement.
The
feet must be turned outwards during the propulsive part of the
kick. Scissors, alternating movements or downward butterfly kicks
are not permitted except as provided herein. Breaking the surface
of the water with the feet is allowed unless followed by a downward
butterfly kick.
-
USA Swimming Rule 101.4.1 (pp 24) – To Comply
with World Aquatics SW6.1
Start — The swimmers shall line up in the water facing the
starting end, with both hands placed on the gutter or on the
starting grips. Standing in or on the gutter, placing the toes
above the lip of the gutter, or bending the toes over the lip of
the gutter, before or after the start, is prohibited. When using a
backstroke ledge at the start, the toes at least one toe of both feet must
be in contact with the end wall or face of the touchpad. Bending
the toes over the top of the touchpad is
prohibited.
-
USA Swimming Rule 102.8.1E (pp 33) – To Comply
with World Aquatics SW10.8
No
swimmer is permitted to wear or use any device, substance or
swimsuit to help his/ her speed, pace, buoyancy or endurance during
a race (such as webbed gloves, flip- pers, fins, power bands,
adhesive substances, etc.). The use of technology and automated data collection
devices is permissible for the sole purpose of collecting data.
Automated devices shall not be utilized to transmit data, sounds,
or signals to the swimmer and may not be used to aid their
speed. Goggles may be worn, and rub-down oil applied if
not considered excessive by the Referee. Therapeutic elastic tape
is prohibited. Any other kind of tape on the body is not permitted
unless approved by the Referee.
-
USA Swimming Rule 102.21.15 (pp 40) – To Comply
with World Aquatics SW2.14 and SW2.15
Video replay footage from cameras approved in
writing in advance of the competition by the Program & Events
Coordinator (or his/her designee) may be used
to review stroke or turn infractions called on deck.
The official(s) reviewing the video may only confirm the call made
on deck, overrule the call, or advise the Referee that the review
proved inconclusive. ensure that
the rules related to the style of swimming designated for the event are being
observed, and to observe the starts, turns, and
finishes.
Finally, World Aquatics has made a change to its
governance structure that allows the World Aquatics Bureau the
authority to make changes to their rules more frequently. These
rules changes may come at any time and may also require changes to
the USA Swimming Rules. Accordingly, we will need to be
much more nimble in our process of addressing any technical rules
changes. Matt Wilson, your USA Swimming Officials’ Chair and I will work
together to ensure officials are aware of these rules changes. For
everyone’s benefit, I will also directly communicate any
additional rules changes as they occur, so please expect future
communications of a similar nature.
I
would ask all our officials to also make sure you are reading your
most recent Officials’ Quarterly Newsletter, as Jay Thomas
has provided additional information about a number of these rules
changes. I will also continue to use that publication as a place to
disseminate this type of information in addition to direct messages
like this one.
Again, I truly appreciate your time and your
dedication to our sport.
With best regards,
Derek Paul
Chair, USA Swimming Rules & Regulations
Committee
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