The National Federation of State High School Associations (NFHS) has announced eight rule changes to high school swimming and diving for the 2023-24 season.
Risk minimization and national trends were at the forefront of the reasoning behind the alterations, which were discussed and ultimately made by the NFHS Swimming and Diving Rules Committee at its annual meeting March 19-21.
Perhaps the most notable rule change is one we saw make headlines earlier this year: allowing swimmers in backstroke events to be fully submerged at the finish.
USA Swimming made the same rule change in March, with the rule having come into the limelight last summer when American Justin Ress was initially disqualified after winning the men’s 50 backstroke at the 2022 World Championships due to being fully submerged, though he was ultimately reinstated.
The NFHS said the change “allows the official to concentrate on the finish at the wall and aligns with national trends. The rule applies to all backstroke finishes including the medley relay and the individual medley.”
There were also two changes in butterfly and breaststroke, done in order to provide “clarity, consistency, and alignment with national trends.”
The NFHS will now require “the arms and legs to move simultaneously but does not require the arms and legs to be in the same horizontal plane” in breast and fly, and will also require the “separation of the hands during the touch at turns and finish.”
This language aligns with current USA Swimming rules.
There were also several diving changes, including imposing a penalty if the diver’s head is too close to the board.
“We wanted to make it clear that safety is paramount and that we have a penalty in place that elevates the divers’ and coaches’ awareness of entering the water from an appropriate distance from the board,” said Sandy Searcy, NFHS director of sports and liaison to the NFHS Swimming and Diving Rules Committee.
“It is important that the NFHS provide educational resources to illustrate what is too close and specify the referee’s vantage-point.”
FULL LIST OF RULE CHANGES
Courtesy: NFHS
3-3 Note: Moves the note to the beginning of Section 3 and adds language prohibiting accommodations altering compression, buoyancy, or competitive advantage.
Rationale: The section will make it clear this provision applies to all articles in Section 3.
3-3-2: Removes language which specifies that a competitor shall only be able to compete in a suit that is of decent appearance.
Rationale: Eliminates the subjectivity of “decent appearance” for an official when making an illegal suit determination.
8-1-3d PENALTY 2, 8-1-6 PENALTY: Added the requirement of a written record for dual confirmation of a false start.
Rationale: The change aligns language with the current requirement that when dual confirmation is used, the relay takeoff judges are required to report in writing any violations to the referee.
8-2-1g: Removes the language about some part of the body at or above the surface during a backstroke finish.
Rationale: The change aligns with national trends, allows the official to concentrate on the backstroke finish (wall touch), and may prevent lunging at the wall which reduces risk.
8-2-2d-h: Requires the arms and legs to move simultaneously but does not require the arms and legs to be in the same horizontal plane. Also requires separation of the hands during the touch at turns and finish.
Rationale: Changes provide clarity, consistency, and alignment with national trends and do not provide a competitive advantage.
8-2-3c, e, g: Requires the separation of hands and a simultaneous touch with the hands during the turns and finish.
Rationale: Changes provide clarity, consistency, and alignment with national trends and do not provide a competitive advantage.
9-5 Diving Table: Removes dives 104A, 304A and 402A from the Diving Table.
Rationale: When each dive is performed slightly short of vertical, the diver’s head may be precariously close to the diving board. The risk of hitting the board in these cases is far greater than other dives on the table.
9-7-4c: Adds a penalty for when a diver’s head is too close to the diving board. The diving referee shall make the determination and inform diving judges to score the dive as unsatisfactory.
Rationale: Minimizes the risk factor of the diver performing the dive in a way that brings the diver’s head too close to the board.
I don’t like the latest thing that NFHS put out for diving, where the divers can make lists using jumps and lineups. I was told this was for those kids in “more rural” areas who “didn’t have direct access to diving instruction” but still wanted to represent their school in a diving event. They can make a list with jumps and lineups.
I initially thought, “I like that.” But, then, I thought of “who didn’t have direct access to diving instruction”. Would we allow football players to play football without any instruction? No. Would we allow basketball players to play basketball without any instruction? No. Baseball players? No. Then, why divers?
One might come back with, “How are they going… Read more »
Ten years from now backstroke will be swam completely underwater.
“Also requires separation of the hands during the touch at turns and finish”
Why are we taking away the streamline position of the breaststroke swimmer at the wall? This one doesn’t make much sense to me.
You don’t usually finish in full stream line anyway. So it doesn’t really hurt or help anyone so it’s somewhat pointless.
So this means that a backstroker can surface at the markers, breathe, plunge back under, and dolphin kick the rest of the lap (SC)? Or some variation?
Yep, falling in line with the USA Swimming change.
No – the swimmer must surface at or prior to the 15 meter mark and remain on the surface until their head passes the 5 meter / 5 yard mark as they approach a finish. In High School Swimming they have about 3.6 yards where their head must be at the surface (distance between the 15 meter mark and the flags 5 yards from the finish). Some swimmers are definitely going to be try to resubmerge, but they will have to take a stroke or two before doing so.
isn’t it only for the finish lap
I’m pretty sure it only applies to the finish lap. However the 200 medley relay leg will only be swam 25% on the surface