Swimming Strokes and Rules

Strokes

The five competitive disciplines are freestyle, backstroke, breaststroke, butterfly, and individual  medley.  Each swim offers a variety of events and distances, depending on the age group.  

In freestyle events, the competitor may swim any stroke. The stroke most commonly used is the  crawl, which is characterized by the alternate overhand motion of the arms and an alternating  (up-and-down) flutter kick. On turns, some part of the swimmer must touch the wall. Most  swimmers do a flip turn and touch the wall with their feet.  

Backstroke consists of an alternating motion of the arms with a flutter kick while on the back.  On turns, swimmers may rotate to the stomach and perform a flip turn with some part of the  swimmer touching the wall.  

The breaststroke, which is the oldest stroke dating back hundreds of years, requires  simultaneous movements of the arms on the same horizontal plane. The hands are pressed out  front in front of the breast in a heart shaped pattern and recovered under or on the surface of the  water. The kick is a simultaneous somewhat circular motion similar to the action of a frog. On  turns and at the finish, the swimmer must touch the wall with both hands simultaneously at,  above or below the water surface. 

Some consider the butterfly to be the most beautiful of the strokes. It features a simultaneous  over water recovery of the arms combined with an undulating dolphin kick. In the kick, the  swimmer must keep both legs together and may not flutter, scissors or use the breaststroke kick.  (The butterfly is the newest stroke and was developed in the early 1950s as a variation of the  breaststroke. It became an Olympic stroke in 1956 in Melbourne, Australia.)  

The individual medley, commonly referred to as the I.M. features all four strokes. In the I.M., the swimmer begins with the butterfly, then changes after one-fourth of the race to backstroke,  then breaststroke and finally freestyle. Some people feel that being the best in the I.M. means you  are the best swimmer.  

In the medley relay, all four strokes are swum. The first swimmer swims backstroke, the second breaststroke, the third butterfly, and the final swimmer anchors the relay with freestyle.  

The freestyle relay events consist of four freestylers, each swimming one quarter of the total distance of the event.  

Starts, turns and finishes. Many races are won or lost by the swimmer’s performance in the  start, turn or finish. At the start, the swimmer is called to the starting position by the starter who visually checks that all swimmers are motionless. When all swimmers are set, the gun or starting  horn is sounded to start the race. If the starter feels that one of the swimmers has moved, left  early or gotten an unfair advantage, the guilty swimmer may be disqualified after the race for a  false start. Under USA Swimming rules, one false start disqualifies the swimmer.  

Rules  

The technical rules of swimming are designed to provide fair and equitable conditions of  competition and to promote uniformity in the sport. Each swimming stroke has specific rules  designed to ensure that no swimmer gets an unfair competitive advantage over another swimmer.  

Trained officials observe the swimmer during each event to ensure compliance with these  technical rules. If a swimmer commits an infraction of the rules, a disqualification will result. This  means that the swimmer will not receive an official time and will not be eligible for an award in  that event. A disqualification may result from actions such as not getting to the starting blocks on  time, false starting, performing strokes in an illegal manner, or unsportsmanlike conduct.  

Disqualifications are a result of technical rules violations. They include but are not limited to :  

Freestyle: Walking on the bottom; pulling on the lane rope; not touching the wall on a turn; not competing the distance. 

Backstroke: Too many pulls into the wall once a swimmer has turned passed the vertical on to the breast; turning onto the breast before touching the wall with the hand at the finish of the  race.  

Breaststroke: An illegal kick such as flutter (freestyle), dolphin (butterfly), or scissors (side  stroke); shoulders not level; alternating movements of the arms; taking two arm strokes or two leg  kicks while the head is under water; touching with only one hand at the turns or finish.  

Butterfly: Alternating movements of the arms or legs; pushing the arms forward under instead of  over the water surface (underwater recovery); a breaststroke style of kick; touching with only one  hand at the turns or finish.  

For specific language on any technical rules consult the USA Swimming Rules and Regulations  book. Violations of the rules are reported to the referee. The rules require that every reasonable  effort be made to notify the swimmer or his coach of the reason for the disqualification. If your child is disqualified in an event, be supportive rather than critical. For beginning swimmers, a  disqualification should be treated as a learning experience, not as a punishment. A  disqualification alerts the swimmer and coach to what portions of the swimmer’s stroke need to  be corrected. They should be considered in the same light as an incorrect answer in schoolwork - they point out areas that need further practice. Disqualifications are necessary to keep the  competition fair and equitable for all competitors. A supportive attitude on the part of the official, coach, and parent can make a positive situation out of the disqualification.