Swimming Competition Rules and Officials
Competitions follow specific rules to ensure fairness and consistency. Below are the basic rules for starts, strokes, turns, and finishes, as well as an overview of the roles of officials who help ensure the smooth running of events.
Basic Rules for the Start, Strokes, and Finish
The One-Start Rule
Once swimmers are in the starting position, they must remain completely still. Any movement, including adjusting goggles, is considered an attempt to gain an advantage and will result in disqualification.
Breaststroke
- Movements of the hands and feet must be simultaneous and in the same horizontal plane.
- The head must break the surface during each stroke.
- At the start and turns, swimmers may complete one full stroke underwater (one arm pull followed by one leg kick) before surfacing.
- At turns and finishes, both hands must touch the wall simultaneously.
- Elbows must remain underwater at all times except during the turn.
Butterfly
- Movements of the hands and feet must be simultaneous.
- Arms must move forward above the water’s surface and return on or below the surface.
- At turns and finishes, both hands must touch the wall simultaneously and at the same level.
- At the start and turns, one or more leg kicks and one arm pull are permitted underwater.
Backstroke
- Swimmers must stay on their back throughout the race, except during turns.
- During turns, swimmers may rotate their shoulders past vertical to the breast, but they must push off the wall on their back.
- Gliding into a turn is not allowed and may result in disqualification.
- At the finish, a touch must be made with any part of the body (hand, arm, shoulder, or head), with some part of the body above the water.
Individual Medley (IM)
- The stroke order is Butterfly, Backstroke, Breaststroke, and Freestyle.
- Rules for each stroke apply as described above.
- For the Backstroke to Breaststroke turn, swimmers must touch the wall on their back before pushing off on their front.
The Finish
After finishing a race, swimmers should remain in the water and hold onto the lane rope until instructed to leave by an official.
Officials and Their Roles
Swim England rules dictate the number and type of officials required to ensure fair competition. Officials are easily recognisable in their all-white uniforms. Here’s an overview of their roles:
- Referee: The authority over the competition, venue, and officials. The referee ensures adherence to swimming laws, and their decision is final.
- Starter: Responsible for starting each race.
- Stroke Judge: Observes swimmers from the poolside to ensure compliance with stroke regulations.
- Place Judge: Positioned at the finish to determine the official race placements. May also act as a Turn Judge.
- Turn Judge: Ensures swimmers comply with rules regarding turns and relay takeovers.
- Chief Timekeeper: Compiles and records official times from the Timekeepers, adjusting if necessary under the Referee’s supervision.
- Timekeeper: Records the time for the swimmer in their assigned lane. This time may be adjusted to align with the official placements.
- Announcer: Shares results, provides safety announcements, and delivers other relevant information.
- Marshals: Organise swimmers into heats for their events.
- Technical Desk: Manages data entry for event results, heat assignments, and swimmer timings. After the meet, the results are submitted to Swim England for official publication.
These rules and roles ensure that competitions are conducted fairly, efficiently, and in accordance with Swim England guidelines. For any questions about competition rules or officials, please contact a member of the coaching team.