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FINA has announced a series of technical changes for Swimming and Masters that will go into effect this fall. Among the changes: The so-called “Lochte rule” has been adjusted.
Previously, a swimmer could be on his or her back at no point while swimming freestyle during a medley race (IM or medley relay). That rule led to several DQs in the 400 IM at U.S. Nationals, including of apparent women’s runner-up Ella Eastin.
The rule has now changed to allow some wiggle room on the turns: “In medley swimming, on the freestyle section, the “swimmer must be on the breast except when executing a turn. The swimmer must return to the breast before any kick or stroke”. Moreover, each of the strokes must cover one quarter of the distance.”
Jay Thomas, Chairman of the USA Swimming Rules Committee, told Swimming World at Nationals that this change was likely. The previous rule had come under fire since swimmers naturally push off on their backs when swimming freestyle, but this rule gives athletes a bit more wiggle room to move towards their front.
“That would allow a swimmer to be towards their back, provided they are not kicking or stroking, to give them the time to roll,” Thomas explained.
Note that this rule will not take effect at the World Championships this week. Other rule changes announced include the prohibition of underwater kicking on one’s side during butterfly (i.e., the body cannot be at vertical) and the official elimination of timing to the 1/1000 of a second.
Read the full list of rule changes for Swimming and Masters below.
SWIMMING
– Update on the number of required timekeepers;
– Redefinition of the Inspector of Turns’ role;
– Precision on the butterfly rules. From now on, underwater kicking on the side is not allowed;
– In medley swimming, on the freestyle section, the “swimmer must be on the breast except when executing a turn. The swimmer must return to the breast before any kick or stroke”. Moreover, each of the strokes must cover one quarter of the distance;
– Timing to 1/1000 of a second is no longer a possibility;
– World Records can only be established in water with less that 3gr/litre of salt.MASTERS
– World Records are only accepted if recorded by automatic officiating equipment;
– Introduction of Mixed Team events in Diving and Mixed Duets in Synchronised Swimming;
– Revision of the required elements in synchronised swimming routines;
– Update on the World Record application form.
- FINA CHAMPIONSHIP PAGE
- ULTIMATE SCHEDULE GUIDE
- QUALIFIED HIGH DIVERS
- MEDAL TABLE
- 2015 WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP RESULTS
- LIVE RESULTS
- OPEN WATER LIVE RESULTS
- PSYCH SHEET
- DAY EIGHT FINALS HEAT SHEETS
- DAY ONE PRELIMS RESULTS
- DAY ONE FINALS RESULTS
- DAY TWO PRELIMS RESULTS
- DAY TWO FINALS RESULTS
- DAY THREE PRELIMS RESULTS
- DAY THREE FINALS RESULTS
- DAY FOUR PRELIMS RESULTS
- DAY FOUR FINALS RESULTS
- DAY FIVE PRELIMS RESULTS
- DAY FIVE FINALS RESULTS
- DAY SIX PRELIMS RESULTS
- DAY SIX FINALS RESULTS
- DAY SEVEN PRELIMS RESULTS
- DAY SEVEN FINALS RESULTS
- DAY EIGHT PRELIMS RESULTS
- DAY EIGHT FINALS RESULTS
They don’t even understand their own sport. Freestyle means that you are allowed to choose whatever style you wish. Swimmers choose front crawl because it’s generally the fastest. Why shouldn’t a swimmer use backstroke at some point. If you impose restrictions it’s not FREE anymore. Just another case of clerks wanting to be important.
“In Medley Swimming”
Freestyle, as an individual event, can be preformed as “whatever style you wish”. However, in the IM, the athlete can only swim the crawl (better known as freestyle) during the final leg of the IM. Hope this clarifies the difference.
As medley has to consist of 4 different strokes, and as the swimmer has already swum fly, back and breast, effectively that means the swimmer can not swim any of those strokes again.
Backstroke defines any stroke where you are located on the back, hence this rule has been specified further.
In medley relays and individual medleys, the final quarter of the race has been any other stroke except the first three for more than 50 years.
They should reinstate Ella Easton in the 400 IM…
Rowdy Gaines thoughts?
She would have been DQ’d under new rules also. No stroke or kick until towards breast.
True.
Still not well worded as a rule per how people actually execute a turn.
This was literally the dumbest rule in sports history
great. a few weeks late, but great.
About time
Drew Ross-Ashby
Thea Maria Nilsen
Odd Ivar Nilsen
Matthew Gougeon
If a turn is legal in freestyle should that same turn not be legal in the freestyle leg of the IM? This rule is still wrong and open to interpretation as your body must be not undulating at all(could be interpreted as kicking) until you are completely on your stomach. Still grey IMO.
“Moreover, each of the strokes must cover one quarter of the distance;”
Does this just mean you can’t do a stroke that you’ve done already? I always thought the final leg of the IM was front crawl anyway, rather than freestyle (which really means “do whatever you want”).
Still, the rules about kicking on your back should be consistent for freestyle events and front crawl in IMs. Otherwise, it just creates a distinction between the two, which leads to confusion for the swimmers, and ultimately disqualifications. Swimmers should be able to do fly kicks however they like on the underwater sections of the front crawl leg, but must surface into a front crawl stroke.
As a swimmer, I don’t want to train my IM Front Crawl turns separately from my Freestyle turns, especially as during a race I may forget to do my IM turns on the Front Crawl leg and get disqualified if they aren’t legal.
You can do whatever you want in freestyle except lhe 3 last styles 😉
No dolphin kicks on your side during a butterfly race!!! That’s a step backwards!!! They slightly loosened the IM rule, but tightened a rule in butterfly! Where did this come from??!!! ?
I can only imagine how Ella Easton is feeling ?
She would have still been dqd
Briana Batesole Did you see this
Yash Malviya
?
Not doing I.M this year? XD
A little late now.
Marlene Vuniwaqa Blake
UM HELLO … everyone’s missing the biggest FAIL – – – no dolphin kick on your side in butterfly? Imagine how turning can be officiated. I always have what could be consodered some kicking on what could be perceived as my side coming off a wall in butterfly.
Liliana Guzman Otalora esto salió desde que ensayamos los giros
Justo cuando aprendí jajaja
Laura
Paige Smyth Oliver
Sherouk Elmahdy
Please stop posting links and add a little bit of commentary
Jack Carr
Very disappointed that fina wants to outlaw kicking on the side off the wall in butterfly!! It makes butterfly exciting to watch and much more progressive than same old tradition. Swimming is going backwards. Shame on them.
Kathy,
I am the one that also disagreed above. I swam for Coach and Scott for 4 yrs (99-03). Still think about him all the time.
Hayley
So, In the IM and Medley Relay, for the Freestyle sector, the swimmers may turn and be on the back, but so long as No kicking is involved while on the back, it is Not a disqualification. But if you turn and kick while on the side or on the back, it IS a Disqualification.
Are there five recognized strokes by FINA? It appears to swim IM you must swim ‘Crawl’, yet FINA doesn’t have any description of ‘crawl’! There are only descriptions of freestyle. IM should refer to freestyle rules, hence, you are allowed to be on the back. Come on FINA sort it out quickly to avoid further confusion and disappointment!
Frank Sharp still gets dqd
Ismail Abdul Latif….Clement David….Edwina Ed….
Oonagh Mckevit Yvonne Dewick
Brian Parks
Tanya Noel-Rajack
Still bogus in my opinion. The free leg of the IM should be identical to straight freestyle.
Ilir
Then what is the definition of “on the side” for the butterfly underwater kick. Does the swimmers back/chest have to be in 90° angle to the water and is there a margin? When will he be off his “side” an on his chest ? It is very difficult to enforce rules like this with any consistency
Hilarious. Next it will be only 1 kick on your back, then all kicks must propel the swimmer into their breast, then in 20 years they will abandon it entirely.
Rod O Rico Howard Hunte
They have to justify their existence! Fancy making Masters swim in an electronic pool. We are flat out finding surveyed pools, let alone those which can afford electronic timing. The thought is fine but the practicalities are another thing altogether.