The National Federation of State High School Associations (NFHS) has announced state high school associations may enact rules allowing the use of backstroke ledges beginning in the 2025-26 school year.
The rule, which goes into the handbook as Rule 2-7-3, was approved by the NFHS Swimming and Diving Rules Committee during its annual meeting following years of debate. The NFHS stated that “research focused on risk minimization and alignment with national and international swimming standards” drove the committee’s final decision.
The change does not force state associations to adopt wedges in competition, just gives them the option to do so. “I think the most important thing to consider about this rule passings is that it is a permissive rule,” said Rod Garman, chair of the Rules Committee and assistant executive director of the Kansas State High School Activities Association. “State associations will have the choice of whether to allow backstroke starting ledges in their state. We recognize this is a major change in high school swimming, so it may take time for some states to adopt it.”
The new rule states that for backstroke wedges to be used, pools must maintain a six-foot water depth and specifies the legal dimensions for ledges. The rule makes clear that a host team must provide identical ledges to all swimmers during a competition but that even if ledges are available, swimmers are not required to use them.
“I think it’s going to create an opportunity for swimmers to improve in backstroke events,” Garman continued. “Swimmers sometimes slip when placing their feet along the wal or touchpad at the start of a backstroke race. These ledges will help prevent that, allowing for stronger and more consistent starts. I’m excited to see the positive impact this will have on our sport.”
As part of its consideration of risk minimization when implementing this rule, the NFHS announced it will release a teaching protocol for backstroke ledges “in the near future.”
pls come to illinois
I don’t like this for HS mainly because come championship season some Regionals will have them and some won’t giving athletes an advantage when it comes to call ups in the relays and 100 back.
Our pool misses the depth requirement. Oh well
6 ft water depth is a crazy requirement though. Is there really a rash of swimmers diving too far down using a ledge and hitting their head?
No, because the pools that have them are an appropriate depth.
Similar to wedges there will be different styles and there will be disadvantages to swimmers whose schools do not purchase ledges or the exact same ones used at district and state competition. If safety is the concern then allow toes to cutlery over the top of the timing pad or gutter
Yes, please. Right before the 500 Free!
The 500 is already an event.
Unless you mean them swimming it before the 500 free in the event schedule? In that case, I’d say they should put it after 500 free so that IMers have more rest between races.
Honest q: why not just go back to using the lip of the pool ie not have to submerge the feet ? Or is that the standing start problem …?
Btw the standing start was super fun esp onto 3-4’ of water …
yeah it was!
A swimmer can qualify for our state’s Championship swim meet either by wining their event at sectionals, or by having one of the top times across all the sectionals. There has long been grousing about the advantage swimmers at one of the “fast pools” have. However, if some sectional pools used backstroke ledges and others didn’t, that would be a huge competitive advantage.
I mentioned the same thing below. I’m not opposed to using them at the district or state level but I think there would need to be a discussion to not allow them at Regionals for the reason of call-ups
Are you in Texas?
Many states don’t have direct qualification the way Texas does, though I agree that in states that do, they should be the same across the board.
Shouldn’t be too hard to fund 8 sets of wedges so that each regional site has them. At this point, are there any regional sites that aren’t 6 feet deep?