As a way to close the gap between different rules between USA Swimming/FINA and the NCAA, the NCAA Rules Committee has announced that it will have designated officials at both the USA Swimming Winter National Championships and Winter Junior National Championships to monitor college swimmers.
Over the weekend in Doha, Qatar, FINA approved a rules change that allows breaststrokers to take their dolphin kick at any point prior to their breaststroke kick rather than requiring it be after the separation of the hands.
The rule went into effect immediately and USA Swimming verified that the new rules would be in effect at the upcoming Winter National Championships and Winter Junior National Championships.
The NCAA, however, won’t change their rules mid-season, meaning that if approved, this new breaststroke rule wouldn’t go into effect until the 2015-2016 season.
To work around the difference in these rules, along with those prohibiting NCAA swimmers from using backstroke start wedges which may or may not be in use at Winter Nationals, the NCAA’s solution will be to have an official present to observe collegiate swimmers specifically and to certify adherence with NCAA rules.
In an email sent to all NCAA coaches on Monday, Brian Gordon, the secretary-rules editor for the NCAA Men’s and Women’s Swimming and Diving Rules Committee says that more information about that official will be made available at the General Meeting at the USA Swimming National Championships.
The email didn’t address the matter of the FINA Short Course World Championships that begin on Wednesday. A similar rule will be in effect there, and that meet is designated as an NCAA Championship qualifying meet (with the designated meters-to-yards conversion standards).
A swimmer does not have to do a standard pullout now. To quote the rule “After the start and after each turn, the swimmer may take one arm stroke completely back to the legs.” The operative word is “may” which means permissive but not required. So a swimmer has always been able to dive in at the start or after each turn and immediately do a pull that recovers from breast vs the one pull (or pullout as we know it) that recovers from the legs.
A swimmer who elected to utilize the one butterfly kick had to implement that kick after the initiation of the first pull (regardless if is a pull that recovers from breast or legs) and… Read more »
I was a swimmer at that 2008 Texas Invite with the double suites. Wisconsin is the one that started it. Then Sons and other started doing it by the 4th session. Texas never did.
Then I recall the snnouxnment the following week banning it. It was such a disgraceful approach to a non issue. Let the season play out with the doubles then outlaw the suites all together.
HASTOMEN123, Thanks for the link. Although Tennessee has been known to push the envelope regarding stroke and turns, I agree, MHannis’ breaststroke looks legal to me too.
However, the rule change does not explicitly address the question of can a swimmer come off the turn, do a fly kick and then surface without the pullout? In one of the four recent articles posted on Swimswam, one comment referred to this idea. The comment below the ‘Cody’ article stated that Nort Thornton recommended that the fly kick be performed and then the swimmer immediately surfaces and begins the stroke cycle without a pullout. In its ambiguity, the new rule seems to make this type of breaststroke turn legal.
While I am an official, this is being written from general interpretations of the rules and not hearing any affirmation from any higher up rules officials. I don’t think that the new rule regarding the timing of the butterfly kick changes the fact that they head must surface by the time that the breaststroke pullout reaches the widest part of its stroke. Certainly I could be wrong – any other input is appreciated.
Yet another area where the NCAA needs reform.
They should update automatically with FINA rule changes to strokes and turns.
Do you happen to have a link to the designated meters to yards standards that the NCAA use? Thanks
How ridiculous; they could have EASILY done what US Swimming did and make it effective immediately. The change isn’t really that significant.
The NCAA has a policy that it does not allow rule changes for any reason once the playing season has begun. This protects those athletes who potentially have already achieved a high ranked “B Standard” time under the old rule that could be supplanted by a time swimming under a different set of rules.
A rules change mid-season is not without precedent, however. In mid-December 2008, the NCAA rules committee had an emergency meeting and implemented an immediate rules change. After many teams double-layered the Speedo LZR and the Blue70 bodysuits (LZR under for compression, B70 over for buoyancy), and these same teams put up INSANE relays and backstroke times, the NCAA immediately implemented a rule that there was to be no more doubling of suits. (They waited until FINA outlawed the plastic suits to outlaw as well, however.) It was a radical approach to create no loopholes, so even the practice of guys wearing a brief and a drag suit over it was forbidden thereafter.
In the current situation, I’m not sure… Read more »
Will every college breaststroker have there own official over their lane? And if so, does this mean the Tennessee women’s best breaststroker wont be able to do a fly kick with every stroke like she usually does?
Are you talking about Molly Hannis?
Looks legal to me . . . . https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h01g8izG5yc