Stroke and Turn ClinicPart 1

The Professional Stroke and Turn OfficialRecommended Stroke Briefing

Stroke and Turn Clinic

October 21, 2012

Professional Stroke and Turn Official or Eyes on the Referee

• Read and be familiar with– the “Guide to Officiating Swimming”

• http://usaswimming.org/DesktopDefault.aspx?TabId=1509&Alias=Rainbow&Lang=en

– Lead/Lag Coverage for Stroke Judges• http://www.usaswimming.org/

DesktopDefault.aspx?TabId=1727&Alias=Rainbow&Lang=en

Professional Stroke and Turn Official or Eyes on the Referee

• Know the rules– http://www.hawaiianswimming.org/

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• Know the official interpretations– http://www.hawaiianswimming.org/

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Professional Stroke and Turn Official or Eyes on the Referee

• Read and Understand the Meet Announcement Information

• Attend the Officials Briefing– Assignment– Review Technical rules– Review jurisdiction for this meet– Relief procedures– Meet and talk with each other

Professional Stroke and Turn Official or Eyes on the Referee

• Mental Checklist– Before the session: know where to meet;

prompt and ready to go; participate in the meeting; positive attitude; be in position 5 minutes prior to start of session

– Before each event: visualize stroke; review rule requirements and techniques for observation; heat sheet out of sight …

Professional Stroke and Turn Official or Eyes on the Referee

• Mental Checklist– Before each race: don’t block timers and

strobe at start; know when and where to stand.

– After the start: Observe!! Scan all lanes in jurisdiction. Raise hand if you observe a violation; don’t discuss calls with others, except CJ/Deck Referee; visualize before reporting; use rule book language: What did I observe? My jurisdiction? Rule violated?

Professional Stroke and Turn Official or Eyes on the Referee

• Mental Checklist– Benefit of the doubt goes to the swimmer!!!– After the event: know where to stand; relieve

judges between events; be aware of relief time and report back on time; take breaks off deck.

Professional Stroke and Turn Official or Eyes on the Referee

Consider your “body language” when “on duty” and at all other times when you are accessible. Always assume you are “on camera!”

Be alert, attentive, focused, calm, professional and approachable

Always be “friendly” and helpful to coaches, swimmers, and other officials; even if they are not!

Professional Stroke and Turn Official or Eyes on the Referee

Avoid coaching, cheering or fraternizing with coaches or swimmers

Questions should be directed to the appropriate official. Do not engage in discussions regarding a disqualification

Take discussions and emotional issues off-deck Do not abuse your credentials. If you are not working

the meet you are a spectator, and should act as such

Maintain a sense of humor

Breaststroke

• At the start and after each turn of the race, the swimmer may take one arm pull and a single downward butterfly kick folllowed by a breastroke kick, in that order, while completely submerged.

• The head must break the surface of the water before the hands turn inward at the widest part of the second stroke.

Breaststroke

• From the beginning of the first arm stroke, the body shall be kept on the breast, and the arms shall be in the same horizontal plane. It is not permitted to roll onto the back at any time.

• The arms must move in the same horizontal plane with no alternating movement, but the position of the shoulders is irrelevant (rules comm. interpretation).

Breaststroke

• During the recovery, the hands must be pushed forward from the breast, which has been defined as the area in front of the chest between the shoulders.

• The elbows must stay in contact with the water during the recovery phase of the arm stroke throughout the race except for the last stroke at the turn and finish (rules comm. interpretation).

Breaststroke

• The only time the hands may be brought back beyond the hipline is during the first arm pull after the start and each turn.

• All vertical and lateral motion of the legs shall be simultaneous, except for a single downward butterfly kick followed by a breaststroke kick after the start and each turn.

• The position of the toes is key to judging the breaststroke kick. If the toes are pointed out during the propulsive part of the kick, it is probably a legal breaststroke kick.

Breaststroke

• There shall be no scissors, flutter or downward butterfly kick except as provided for by the rules after the start and each turn. – Breaking the surface of the water with the feet is not a

disqualification unless accompanied by a downward butterfly kick.

– If the feet are dropping with the toes still turned in while the knees are pulling up during the recovery, it is legal.

• At the turns and the finish, a two hand simultaneous touch is required.

Breaststroke

• After the final pull into the wall at the turns and the finish the arms no longer need to be in the same horizontal plane.

• However, the shoulders do have to be at or past the vertical towards the breast when the feet leave the wall at each turn and at the finish.

Butterfly

• After the start and each turn, the swimmer's shoulders shall be at or past vertical towards the breast.

• The swimmer may take as many kicks as they want but when they begin their first arm pull, the body shall be kept on the breast and that first arm pull must bring them to the surface of the water.

Butterfly

• After the start, the head must break the surface of the water by the 15-M mark and – some part of the body must remain on the

water surface throughout the swim, – except for the first 15-M after each turn.

• The body may be submerged at the touch.

• During the swim, the arms must recover simultaneously over the water surface.

Butterfly

• All movements of the legs and feet shall be simultaneous. – There shall be no alternating, scissors or

breaststroke kicking movement (toes turned outward during the propulsive part of the kick).

• At the turns and the finish, there shall be a two hand simultaneous touch.

Butterfly

• After the final pull into the wall at turns and finish, the shoulders do not have to be horizontal, but the swimmer shall be on the breast at the touch at the turn and finish.

• There shall be no underwater recovery during the swim or at the turns or finish.

Backstroke

• Either before or immediately following the start, standing in, placing the toes above the lip of the gutter, or curling the toes over the lip of the gutter is not permitted.

• The swimmer must be at or past the vertical towards the back during the swim.

Backstroke

• After the start, the head must break the surface of the water by the 15-M and some part of the body must remain on the water surface throughout the swim, – except during the turn, for the first 15-M after

the start and each turn, and at the finish.

• At each turn, some part of the swimmer must touch the wall.

Backstroke

• The swimmer may turn past the vertical towards the breast, and may utilize a continuous single or continuous simultaneous double arm pull to initiate the turn.

• Once a swimmer has left their position on the back, there shall be no gliding or kick independent of the continuous turning action.

• The swimmer must be towards the back when the feet leave the wall after each turn and must touch the wall at the finish while on the back.

Backstroke

• At the finish, the swimmer may be completely submerged. Prior to the finish and after the 15 meter mark, some part of the swimmer’s body shall remain on the surface.

• When you observe that the swimmer has completely submerged, you check if a hand has touched the wall at the finish. If the hand is not on the wall, the swimmer is disqualified.

Freestyle

• The swimmer may choose to swim any style they want but their head must break the surface of the water by the 15-M mark after the start.

• Some part of the body must remain on the water surface throughout the race except for the first 15-M after each turn.

• The body may be submerged at the touch. • Some part of the swimmer's body must touch

the wall at the end of each length of the swim.

Individual Medley

• The Individual Medley is swum in the following order: Butterfly, Backstroke, Breaststroke, and Freestyle. – Freestyle is to be done in any stroke other than the

previous three.

– Relays are swum in this order: Backstroke, Breaststroke, Butterfly and Freestyle.

• Each leg of the race shall be judged by the rules pertaining to that stroke and each transition from one stroke to another shall conform to the finish rules of that stroke.

Relay Take-offs

• Watch the feet of the swimmer on the block. When the toes of both feet on the block leave the starting platform, look down to the pool to see if the incoming swimmer has touched the wall. If so, the exchange is good.

• In recording your observation, an O indicates a good take-off and an X represents an early take-off.

• Do not raise your hand for an early take-off as this is dual confirmation, unless you are judging the lane by yourself (single confirmation).