How to Keep From Getting Disqualified Swimming Backstroke

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By gottalovelattes
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Avoid Backstroke Disqualification

I have seen many children swim a great backstroke race only to get disqualified by a stroke and turn official for turning over just a moment before they touch the wall. This is precisely why it is important to make sure that you, as a coach, a parent or a swimmer, are familiar with the rules for swimming backstroke in a meet.

The following disqualification rules apply to the backstroke as outlined in the USA Swimming rulebook. USA Swimming is required by it’s Bylaws to follow the Federation Internationale de Natation (FINA) rules.

Difficulty: Moderately Easy

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

Pool
Practice
More Practice

Step 1

STARTS: (the swimmer may NOT)
Stand in or on the gutter
Place the toes above the lip of the gutter
Bend the toes over the lip of the gutter (before or after the start)
Step 2

STROKE:
The swimmer cannot remain entirely under water after 15 meters (16.4 yards). After the start and after each turn, if the head has not broken the water by that point, the swimmer can be disqualified.
Step 3

TURNS:
At the turn some part of the body must touch the wall before starting the next length
To maneuver the turn, the swimmer can roll past vertical onto the stomach and perform a partial flip turn as long as the swimmer comes off the wall on their back. Once the torso moves past the vertical to initiate the turn, there can be one continuous arm pull OR a double arm pull (the arms must move simultaneously).
Step 4

FINISH:
The swimmer must touch the wall with some part of their body on their back (torso must not go past vertical).

Tips & Warnings

Stroke Count is extremely important to the backstroke flipturn (this is the part of the stroke that most often causes a swimmer to get disqualified).
Practice your backstroke starts, turns and finishes as much as possible. The more comfortable you are in the water, the less you will worry about getting disqualified and the more successful your swim will be.
NEVER stop swimming even if you think you may have gotten disqualified. Just because a judge raises their hand does not necessarily mean you are the swimmer getting disqualified. Focus on swimming your race...and only swimming your race.

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