Hi,
I’m our Referee again this year and for the last couple of years have also been a Stroke and Turn judge. Early in the season, especially with the younger or newer swimmers, we see a lot of disqualifications. The coaches teach the swimmers the stroke techniques/rules but it never hurts if we parents are aware of the basics and pass it on as well. And yes, I have disqualified my 3 daughters numerous times…

Below is a very short list of the basic things the swimmers should know. Typically they know it very well but forget in the excitement. Again, it is aimed at the less experienced swimmers – I’ve highlighted the most common errors.

Freestyle
- Pretty much anything goes. Just do not pull forward on the lane lines, walk along the bottom, or spring forwards off the bottom. Note: in freestyle swimmers can hold the lane line for safety and stand on the bottom – just not achieve propulsion from it.

Backstroke
- Must be swum on the back (except for the turn, but lets ignore turns here). Key thing for younger swimmers is that they must swim into the finish on their back. Its heartbreaking to DQ a young swimmer who at the last second flips to their front to touch the wall. Note that in our developmental league most of the Timers are shouting at the swimmers to stay on their back and warn them the end is near...
- As long as you are on your back, any stroke style is acceptable - even just kicking your feet.
- No propulsion from lane lines at all - and standing is a disqualification as you are not on your back.

Breaststroke
- This is by far the hardest stroke for less experienced swimmers because it’s the only stroke with specific rules about arm and leg coordination in the stroke cycle – must be one arm pull to each leg  stroke (we will ignore the start for the moment). The leg action is often counter intuitive for younger children and the rules governing the underwater stroke cycle at the start of the race were written with Olympians in mind rather than mere mortals…
- Leg kick must have toes pointing outwards and must push water with soles of feet. In other words, the feet should be splayed outward. This is the biggest cause of DQ’s at any event.
- You must touch the finish on your front with both hands simultaneously. The hands do not need to be physically together (although for younger swimmers that makes it easier) – they just must touch at the same moment. Single hand touch is the cause of quite a lot of DQ’s.

Butterfly
- Arms must ‘recover’ (ie be flung forwards…) over the water. If one or more is fully submerged it’s a DQ.
- Arms must move forward and enter the water simultaneously.
- Legs must move simultaneously in the kick – no scissors effect.
- As with breaststroke – must touch with two hands simultaneously. You cannot reach out and grab the wall at the end of the race without having started an over the water arm recovery - no sneeky grabs for the wall underwater.

Relay
- Feet of next swimmer must not leave the side of the pool before prior swimmer has touched.

By reinforcing the key rules:
- Stay on back in backstroke
- Two handed touch in breaststroke and butterfly
- Single kick per leg stroke and toes out propulsion from bottom of feet in breaststroke
- Arms recover over the water in butterfly
We can help the younger swimmers avoid the DQ’s they find so frustrating.

We want them to have fun!

Note that there is a short PDF on this on the website: www.swim-team.us/team/docs/9600.pdf

Good luck to all,
Jeremy.