Stroke and Turn Protocol at National Level Swim Meets

This article was prepared by Paul Jenkins in the January 1999 B.C.S.O.A. newsletter "Off the Blocks".

Many of us who will be visiting Victoria will be Judges of Stroke and Inspector of Turns. The following notes are excerpts from the Swim Canada Meet Management Handbook for Stoke/Turn Judges.

1. Stay seated except when judging - stand whenever judging.

2. Judges of Stroke - judge form backstroke flags to backstroke flags and right to the finish on the final leg. DO NOT walk on freestyle - walk AHEAD of backstrokers - behind others. When two judges are used on each side, one moves with the lead swimmers, the other follows with the slower swimmers. At the turn end these positions are reversed. The judges must judge the 15 metre mark for all stroke styles except breaststroke.

3. Inspectors of Turns judge their assigned lane (or lanes) only from the backstroke flags into the wall and back out to the backstroke flags.

4. Chief Turn Inspectors judge all lanes at their end from the backstrokes flags into the wall and back out to the backstroke flags.

5. Judge by international standards. Do not nit-pick the niceties of correct style. Allow sufficient tolerance to a possible infraction - give the benefit of ANY doubt to the swimmer. Remember officials are there to ensure fairness of competition. If an obvious infraction occurs (which gives a swimmer an unfair advantage) a disqualification MUST be called. The degree of tolerance must be established by the referee prior to the session.

6. When a turn infraction takes place which requires disqualification, the Inspector of Turns should discuss it with the Chief Inspector of Turns. If the Chief Inspector of Turns agrees, the Inspector of Turns fills out the disqualification form. The Chief Turn Judge takes the infraction to the Referee.

7. When completing the Disqualification Form, describe the rule infraction and describe the degree of the infraction (i.e. missed touch by .5 metre).

8. All infractions shall be decided by the Referee.