Significant Rule Changes and Interpretations

Section 103.3.3 Turns -- Upon completion of each length, some part of the swimmers body must touch the wall. During the turn, the shoulders may be turned past the vertical toward the breast after which a continuous single arm pull or a continuous double arm pull may be used to initiate execute the turn. Once the body..."

The turn actually starts when the body rotates past vertical toward the breast, not when the arm pull starts.

For any event, heats may now be swum fast to slow and/or alternating between men and women

Finals may also be swum fastest to slowest. Substitution rules for late scratches/failure to report situations also have changed. If there is an empty lane in finals, fastest seed from the consolation heat may be directly substituted into the empty lane in finals. In turn, that swimmer would be replaced by fastest swimmer from Bonus (if scheduled) or the 1st Alternate. The intent is to allow direct substitutions into each heat so that the heats (but not the lanes) are properly seeded and to permit the substitutions to be made as quickly as possible.

These exceptions to the traditional (and now presumed seeding rules) must be stated in the meet announcement, otherwise the event is to be swum from the slowest to the fastest heat with no alternating between sexes.

It is expected PVS will start to implement policy beginning with the Junior and Senior Championship meets in March, 1998.

The rule is being clarified to make it clear that protests regarding matters of judgment by deck officials may not be appealed beyond the meet referee to a meet jury.

International rules regarding use of a series of short whistles to disrobe (except for swim wear) followed by a long whistle to step on the blocks (forward starts) or a long whistle to enter the water and a second long whistle to place your meet (backstroke starts) will go into effect for National Championship Meets only. The only verbal starter command under these procedures will be to say "take your mark." The referee turns over responsibility to the starter via a hand signal.

Note: There are no current plans to implement this policy in PVS.

The rule regarding the use of arm signals was not changed. The Rules Committee explanation for not supporting a request for a rule change that would have prohibited the dropping of the arm at start was that "since the arm signal is optional" if the strobe is visible to the swimmer, no change in the rule is needed. PVS policy will be NOT to drop the arm if a visible strobe is functioning.

The Starter shall advise the swimmer of the position of the strobe light. For backstroke starts, the light shall be positioned so that the swimmers do not have to turn their heads backwards.

It is now clearer that this is a planning rule. Therefore, it is not the referee's responsibility to stop a session, if it is going to last more than four hours. If a session does take longer than four hours, the pass down sheet should note the time of both the first start and last finish of the session so that planning of subsequent meets can be improved. If the delays are caused by equipment problems, pool conditions, etc., this should also be noted.

The application of the rule was expanded to include all non-championship meets involving 12 and unders.

The fastest heat in finals will now be referred to as the "A" Final Heat, the consolation heat as the "B" Final Heat, and the bonus heat as the "C" Final Heat. PVS has tentatively decided to start implementing these terms in September, 1998. Please do NOT use the new terminology is included in the meet announcements

A synopsis of the guidelines will now appear in the USS Rule Book as Appendix 2-A

Section 301.3 regarding swimmers' appeal rights is now broadened to include all officials of USS. This makes clearer that officials now have the same protections as athletes that are provided by Article 301.

This section has been expanded to not just include athletes, but all members of USS (which includes officials.) It states among other things that all USS members have a responsibility to "comply with the rules and regulations of USS...as well as to avoid acting in any manner which brings disrepute upon USS or upon the sport of swimming."

"When a swimmer has traveled a sufficient distance that the officials can judge with certainty that the competitor is swimming in the style of butterfly, breaststroke or backstroke, then a DQ is appropriate."

The preference is that this be judged by a turn (not stroke) judge. "If the swimmer completely submerges prior to the turn judge having to shift his attention to the touch at the wall, this would be a DQ. Once the turn judge must watch for the touch, this DQ would be too close to call."

(Informal guidance) Once the official's eyes move from watching the body to observing whether the touch is proper (i.e., simultaneous) it would be too close to make a call regarding dropped shoulders.

USS is not providing guidance since many states, municipalities and other local agencies have their own guidance.

No advertising on swim suits exceeding 16 sq cm is permitted.

Surfacing by 15m in butterfly (USS favors 25m)

50m backstroke, butterfly and breaststroke becoming world championship events in long course.