Newer Officials Clinic
April 9, 2011
Agenda
1.
2.
3.
4.
Introduction
Philosophy of Officiating
Officiating Team
Rules Covering the Four Strokes
1. Rules Covering IM and Relays
5. National Officiating Program
6. Next Steps
Philosophy of Officiating
“All competitive swimming events held under
USA Swimming shall be conducted in
accordance with the following rules which
are designed to provide fair and equitable
conditions of competition and promote
uniformity in the sport so that no
swimmer shall obtain unfair advantage
over another.”
Philosophy of Officiating
• Look, Act, and Be Professional
– White shirt, polo-style
– Khaki shorts, slacks, or skirt
– Rubber soled shoes or sandals (all white
preferred)
– Display current USA-S registration
• Give Benefit of Any Doubt to the Swimmer
• Honesty and Impartiality
Fairness and Consistency
• Officials do not disqualify swimmers—they
disqualify THEMSELVES—you are only
recording the dq
• Learning to do it right
– 1+1=2, regardless of age
• If not, the ones working hard and doing it
right get punished!
Swimming Officials
• Are Part of a “Team”
– Coaches, Swimmers, Parents & Officials
• Conduct competition so all swimmers have
a fair chance of winning
– DQ is NOT a penalty but a PROTECTION of
others
– Give swimmer benefit of any doubt
• Keep it FUN, fair, and safe
Disqualifications
• Remember– Swimmers disqualify
themselves
– the judge only records the infraction.
Call Only What You See
• Only call what you actually saw happen,
not what you think may have happened, or
what you didn’t see!
• The benefit of any doubt goes to the
swimmer!
– Illegal versus ugly
Swimming Governance
IOC
FINA
USOC
USAS
USA-S
LSC
USWP
USD
USSS
Border
Officiating Team
• Wet Deck
– Referee, Stroke & Turn Judges, Take-off
Judge, Timers
• Dry Deck
– Administrative referee, clerk of course,
equipment & computer operators
Stroke and Turn Judges
• Ensures rules relating to style of
swimming, turns, and finishes designed for
each event are followed
• Works under jurisdiction of the Referee
Disqualifications
• All Strokes
– Artificial Assistance
• Pulling on lane lines
• Springing from or walking on bottom
• Aids to buoyancy and speed
– Failure to complete required distance
– Finishing in different lane
When Observing DQ
• Must raise hand (palm
facing outward),
immediately upon
observing infraction
• Notify referee/chief judge
by radio
• Reply to “The Three
Questions”
• When confirmed, notify
swimmer on start end
The Three Questions?
• The Referee or Chief Judge asks them
• Where were you?
– Are you making a call in your jurisdiction?
– Were you able to see clearly?
• What did you see?
– Describe for the Referee who did not see
• What rule was violated?
– Know the Rule Book.
Disqualification
• Made only by official within whose
jurisdiction the infraction was committed
• Must be based on personal observation &
knowledge
– Don’t listen to others
• Give swimmer benefit of any doubt
• Be ready for the Three Questions
Other DQ’s
• A swimmer who acts in an unsafe or
unsporting manner may be considered for
disciplinary action.
• Entering the pool, when not entered in the
ongoing race
• Interference with swimmer in pool
• Early takeoff in relay
• 15 meter violation (except breaststroke)
Unfair Advantage?
• DQ’s do NOT depend on “advantage
being gained”
– “Unfair advantage” may be one reason why
an action is an infraction
• Competitor is disqualified whether or not
advantage is gained
Competitive Events
•
•
•
•
•
Backstroke
Breaststroke
Butterfly
Freestyle
Combination
– Individual Medley
– Medley Relay
Freestyle
• Forward start
• Use of any stroke
– Except IM or Medley Relay when freestyle leg
MUST NOT be one of the other, legal strokes
• Must touch wall at turns and finish with
some part of body
Common Freestyle Violations
• Failure to touch at turn
• Walking or springing from pool bottom
• Artificial assistance
– Pulling on lane lines
– Pushing off side walls
Backstroke
• Back start
– Toes generally* under water at start
• Push off on back and continue swimming
on back
• During turn, shoulders MAY turn past
vertical after which a continuous arm pull
(single or double) may be used to initiate
turn
• Finish on back
Common Violations
• Failure to initiate turn after the arm pull
(or once on the breast)
• Failure to return to “past vertical toward
the back” when leaving the wall at turn
• Finishing “past vertical toward breast”
• Miss wall at turn
– May NOT scull back to wall
Breaststroke
• Forward start
• Body on breast and shoulders in line with
water surface
• Arms and legs move simultaneously and
in same horizontal plane
• Hands pushed forward together from
breast and brought back under or on
surface
Breaststroke (Continued)
• Elbows kept under water on recovery
(forward arm action)
• Feet MUST turn out during propulsive
phase of kick
• Hands not brought past hipline except first
arm stroke at start and turn
• Head must break surface before hands
turn inward at widest point of second arm
stroke at start and turn
More Breaststroke !
• Head must break surface at least once
during each complete cycle of one arm
stroke and one leg kick, in that order,
except at start and turn.
• At turns and finish, both hands must touch
wall simultaneously
• Must be on breast when leaving wall at
turns and when finishing
Even More Breaststroke
• At start and after each turn, swimmer MAY
take one downward “butterfly” kick during
or after the first arm pull.
– At any other point would be DQ
• The butterfly kick must be followed by a
breaststroke kick
Common Violations
• Touch not simultaneous or only onehanded
• Scissors or flutter kick
• Not on breast when leaving wall
• Breaking stroke cycle
– One arm pull followed by one leg kick
• Elbows out of water on recovery
Butterfly
• Forward start
• On breast
• One or more leg kicks but only ONE arm
pull underwater at start and turns
• Arms brought forward over water and
pulled back simultaneously
• All up and down movement of feet and
legs must be simultaneous
More Butterfly
• Legs and feet need not be on same level
but must NOT alternate in relation to each
other
– No flutter kick or breaststroke kick
• Two-hand simultaneous touch at turn and
finish
Common Violations
• Hand touch
– One-hand
– Non-simultaneous
• Underwater recovery
– At finish or during stroke
• Flutter kick
Individual Medley
• Butterfly, backstroke, breaststroke,
freestyle
• Stroke rules apply to relevant portion of IM
• Transitions from one stroke to another are
“finishes” NOT “turns”
• Freestyle in IM means anything other than
back, breast, or fly
Relays
• Freestyle
• Medley
– Back, breast, butter, free
• Free means something other than back, breast, or
butter
• Stroke rules apply to relevant portions of
relay
• Transitions are “finishes”
• Takeoff when preceding swimmer finishes
Common Violations
•
•
•
•
•
Early takeoff
Stroke violation
Improper order of stroke
Entering water without permission
Failure to complete required distance
National Officiating Program
• National Certification Program
– N1 – Local (what you are now)
– N2 – Sectional, Zone, Grand Prix
– N3 – National Championship
• Certification Requirements
– Evaluation, local participation, continuing
education, training and mentoring of other
officials
National Officials Certification
• Evaluations
– Done at Officials Qualifying Meets (OQM’s)
• OQM’s are designated as N2 or N3 qualifying
• By approved national evaluators
– Work up “in order”
• N2 stroke & turn → N3 stroke & turn
• N2 starter → N3 starter
• Positions
– ST, CJ, SR, AR, DR
Officials Tracking System
• History is kept of OQM participation and
evaluations
• Submit application for National Officials
Certification
• View/Print current certification cards
Go to www.usaswimming.org
You also need to register on the site if you haven’t already
Click on Officials
Seven Ways to Become An
Excellent Official
Look Professional
Uniform and even the way you stand
Act Professional
Never react to a coach’s emotion in an
emotional manner
Be in Position
Be Consistent
Seven Ways to Become An
Excellent Official
Know the rules (backwards and forwards)
Communicate Effectively
With coaches, swimmers, parents, and
fellow officials
Be Humble
There is a difference between being in
control of a meet and being in charge of a
meet
Have Fun!!!
• Officiating is rewarding
• But, it takes effort to do it well
– Re-read rule book, often!
– Try to work out-of-town meets
• The kids deserve our best performance
Questions?
• Call Jim Holcomb at (915) 581-9594 or
email at [email protected]
• Call Joe Brown at (915) 833-0212 or email
at [email protected]