With hurricanes shaking up training sites in the southern United States, USA Swimming has temporarily lifted its rule requiring swimmers to wait 120 days before switching teams for competition.
The decision comes in the midst of a few key changes to the federation’s structure coming out of the USA Swimming Convention this weekend. You can read more about the changes to the governance structure here.
USA Swimming typically requires athletes to undergo a 120-day waiting period while changing from one team to another. Athletes are usually able to compete as “unattached,” but the wait period does keep them from competing on relays with a new club. USA Swimming acknowledged the devastation from hurricanes Harvey and Irma as a driving reason for lifting that restriction for about one calendar year.
Here’s the relevant piece of the USA Swimming press release:
Due to the extraordinary and monumental devastation and destruction of hurricanes in the U.S. this season, USA Swimming recognizes that member athletes have been displaced from not only their homes but their swim clubs as well. USA Swimming believes enabling displaced athletes to be included as part of a team is also part of the recovery process. To support this, the House of Delegates passed the resolution that will grant a temporary exception to the 120-day representation rule to allow swimmers to swim with other teams. Typically, swimmers must wait 120 days in order to switch teams for competitions. This will be effective immediately and expire at the closing of the House of Delegates in September 2018.
The rule takes effect right away and will last until next September.
It would be nice to see some details like how a swimmer can request the exemption if that is in fact required. Otherwise, how do they know whether a swimmer has switched clubs due to hurricane displacement or normal movement?
Where can you find the details?
This is only for people affect by the hurricane. If you read the resolution, it states you have to submit your FEMA number to USA-Swimming. It allows swimmers to join a new club and allows them the ability to go back to their old club within the year.
Where did you find the details?
How do you actually read the whole thing?
I am pretty sure that the rule is only for those actually displaced from the hurricane, not the entire country
Any particular LSC’s or the entire membership?
Only those that are victims of the disasters and have to re-locate.
Now we can have swimmers/parents try every team in the area 2 or 3 times before making a decision…which we had even with the rule in place.
I think it’s a good idea for a swimmer to try a team before switching. Helps them make the best decision they can.
What an ignorant comment…
Is this a universal exception or applies to just a specific LSC?