The Cardinal Rule: The Swimmer Always gets the Benefit of Doubt!
There is only one penalty for breaking the rules in a swimming competition...
It's not two minutes in a penalty box, a free throw for the opponent or 5 yards marked off.
If you declare, as an official, that a swimmer has broken the rules of a stroke during a race, they are disqualified. It's as if they never swam.
Due to this severe penalty we, as officials, must be absolutely sure that the swimmer has violated the rules.
On the other hand. It is unfair to swimmer who is doing the stroke correctly to not enforce the rules.
A Swim Official's job is not to "punish" swimmers that are doing a stroke incorrectly. It is to PROTECT those that are doing them correctly!
It's not two minutes in a penalty box, a free throw for the opponent or 5 yards marked off.
If you declare, as an official, that a swimmer has broken the rules of a stroke during a race, they are disqualified. It's as if they never swam.
Due to this severe penalty we, as officials, must be absolutely sure that the swimmer has violated the rules.
On the other hand. It is unfair to swimmer who is doing the stroke correctly to not enforce the rules.
A Swim Official's job is not to "punish" swimmers that are doing a stroke incorrectly. It is to PROTECT those that are doing them correctly!