YMCA of the USA Competitive Swimming and Diving Fo: New Breaststroke Rule Interpretation

Message

   The USA Swimming Rules and Regulations Committee has issued a new interpretation concerning the downward butterfly kick allowed during the first stroke at the start and after each turn.  As you know, by their charter, USA-S is required to follow FINA rules and this interpretation reflects the current thinking at FINA on this subject.
The interpretation states: 

"For purposes of Article 101.2.3, as it relates to what constitutes the initiation of the first arm pull and the allowed single downward butterfly kick, the following applies:

After the start and each turn, any lateral or downward movement of the hands or arms is considered to be the initiation of the first arm pull."

This interpretation is effective immediately for all meets conducted under USA-S technical rules!

Undulating of the hands while in the streamlining position is not considered to be a lateral or downward movement as contemplated under the interpretation.

This interpretation only affects breaststroke; no parallels should be drawn to when the butterfly stroke begins for purposes of determining whether or not an underwater recovery has occurred.

Please continue to watch this Forum, as we will post additional guidance as it becomes available.

Ed Miller
National Officials' Committee Chair

Author	Message
Ed Miller Moderator Group Moderator - Officials Joined: Apr/29/2006 Location: United States Posts: 127	Topic: New Breaststroke Rule Interpretation Posted: Dec/12/2008 at 10:45am
	The USA Swimming Rules and Regulations Committee has issued a new interpretation concerning the downward butterfly kick allowed during the first stroke at the start and after each turn. As you know, by their charter, USA-S is required to follow FINA rules and this interpretation reflects the current thinking at FINA on this subject. The interpretation states: "For purposes of Article 101.2.3, as it relates to what constitutes the initiation of the first arm pull and the allowed single downward butterfly kick, the following applies: After the start and each turn, any lateral or downward movement of the hands or arms is considered to be the initiation of the first arm pull." This interpretation is effective immediately for all meets conducted under USA-S technical rules! Undulating of the hands while in the streamlining position is not considered to be a lateral or downward movement as contemplated under the interpretation. This interpretation only affects breaststroke; no parallels should be drawn to when the butterfly stroke begins for purposes of determining whether or not an underwater recovery has occurred. Please continue to watch this Forum, as we will post additional guidance as it becomes available. Ed Miller National Officials' Committee Chair

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jpsquires New Member Joined: Sep/10/2007 Location: United States Posts: 4	Posted: Mar/16/2009 at 11:48am
	Ed, I worked USY Championships this weekend in Cary, NC. I was stroke and turn judge for finals of the 200 Breaststroke. The swimmer left the block in a stream line position with the hands slightly apart. She held this position and did not move her hands. She then initiated a dolphin kick, then initiated the pull. I made a call that the kick was initiated before the pull (out of sequence). The Referee overturned the call because of the new interpretation of the rule. His reasoning was that since the hands were separated there was no way to tell if any movement in the hands occurred. In his view if a swimmer is not in a hand over hand streamline this call can never be made. Is this the intent of the new interpretation? I would like to pass a clear ruling on to my officials. Thanks John Squires YMCA Officials Trainer.
	John Squires YMCA Officials Trainer
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rhallapp Senior Member Joined: Feb/27/2007 Location: United States Posts: 45	Posted: Mar/16/2009 at 8:58pm
	I would like to see discussion of this point as well. While it is clear that any movement of the hands outward or downward is the initiation of the pull, it also seems clear that that the movement must continue in order to be a pull at all, and that merely separating from the hand-over-hand streamline to a static separated position is not a "pull." I think the purpose of the interpretation is simply to relieve stroke judges of the obligation to determine when the actual pull - catching water in the traditional sense - begins. The language of the rule does not relieve us of determining whether the movement is the start of a pull, or just a change of streamlining position. We make the same kind of determination in a continuous turn call, and I think the referee's position was too literal an interpretation of the interpretation, without considering the intent of it.
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Ed Miller Moderator Group Moderator - Officials Joined: Apr/29/2006 Location: United States Posts: 127	Posted: Mar/17/2009 at 11:55am
	It is always difficult to answer questions about a specific disqualification when you haven't seen the infraction. However, in this case, as the facts were presented, it appears that a disqualification would have been in order. The rule interpretation allows that any lateral or downward motion of the hands is considered the initiation of the stroke for purposes of the downward butterfly kick. In this case, it appears that the turn judge discerned that there was no such motion so the disqualification was proper. This is going to be a tough one for a little while until we all get more familiar with it. Ed Miller National Officials' Committee Chair
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jpsquires New Member Joined: Sep/10/2007 Location: United States Posts: 4	Posted: Mar/17/2009 at 12:02pm
	Thanks for the reply(s). I agree that it should have been an infraction. My concern is that the word sent out from USA swimming is being taken the way this referee did, in a literal sense and possibly not the way it was intended. Rhallapp I believe hit it on the mark and that it is to relive the stroke judges of the obligation to determine when the actual pull starts. I have posed the same question to our USA LSC chairs to ask their opinon.
	John Squires YMCA Officials Trainer
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