Basic Swimming Rules

General

·         No touching the bottom

·         No pulling on lane lines

·         No interfering with another swimmer in their lane

Freestyle

·         The feet have to touch the wall on the turn.

·         Any stroke is allowed for a freestyle event. For the freestyle leg of a medley relay or individual medley, any stroke besides butterfly, backstroke or breaststroke is allowed.

Backstroke

·         The toes must be under the water on the start

·         On the start and turn the swimmer may stay wholly submerged until the head reaches the 15 meter mark

·         The swimmer must remain on their back except for the turn. Elementary backstroke is allowed (but not very fast)

·         The turn can start once the head passes the flags. The swimmer is allowed to rotate to their stomach using one continuous pull. The swimmer may kick or glide into the wall for the summer league. (In the USA Long Course meets, the swimmer may not kick or glide into the wall)

·         After the turn, the upper shoulder must be at or past vertical before leaving the wall

·         On the finish, the shoulder must not be past vertical. Any part of the swimmers body may touch the wall.

Breaststroke

·         On the start and turn the swimmer is allowed 1 arm pull and 1 arm kick underwater. The head must then break the water surface before the start of the second pull.

·         The arms must be simultaneous in the same horizontal plane with the elbows under water. The hands must not extend past the hipline except on the first pull on the start and turn.

·         The legs must be simultaneous on the same horizontal plane. No dolphin kick allowed.

·         Each stroke cycle must include only one pull and one kick.

·         The touch at the turn and finish must be with two hands at, above, or below the surface.

Butterfly

·         On the start and turn the swimmer is allowed one or more legs kicks under water until the head reaches the 15 meter mark.

·         Arms must be simultaneous at the same horizontal level. The arms move forward over the water and backward under the water.

·         The legs must move up and down together. No breaststroke, flutter or scissors kick.

·         The touch at the turn and finish must be with two hands at, above, or below the surface.

Individual Medley

·         The order of strokes is Butterfly, Backstroke, Breaststroke and then Freestyle

Medley Relay

·         The order of strokes is Backstroke, Breaststroke, Butterfly and then Freestyle.

False Starts

·         A false start occurs when the swimmer is in motion before the start signal. A false start may also be called if the swimmer delays assuming/holding the start position or if they cause an unnecessary delay after the whistle.

·         If the swimmer enters the water after the “stand up” command, this is not considered a false start.

·         A false start on a relay occurs when the toes have left the block before the preceding swimmer touches the wall.

·         For eight & unders that start in the water, one hand must remain on the wall until the preceding swimmer touches the wall.