Northern Suburban Swim League Rules
Revised 3/18/02
RULE 1: LEAGUE ORGANIZATION
Section 1 – Members
The Northern
Suburban Swim League shall consist of a maximum of twelve (12) teams. Only teams who limit membership to
residents of the local community or area served by the pool may be members of
the League. Addition, removal, or
reinstatement of members must be approved by a two-thirds (2/3) majority of
current League members. Cause for
removal of a team includes failure to conduct dual meets properly, be
represented at League meetings, or carry out work assignments for the
Championship meet.
Under special
circumstances, a team may be allowed to pass on league competition for one
year with the payment of that year’s league dues. However, that team will not be allowed a vote at league
meetings. The following year, they
must return to active league status or their membership in the Northern
Suburban Swim League will be dropped.
A team choosing not to pay dues and swim for a year forfeits their
vote and membership in the League and must apply for reinstatement at a later
time.
Teams must notify
the league president by March 30th if they will not have a team
competing that year so that the schedule can be adjusted accordingly.
Section 2 – Annual League Meeting
A meeting of
representatives from each member team will be held in April. Each team shall have one vote in making
decisions at this and any subsequent meetings. Changes to the League Rules will require a two-thirds (2/3)
majority of current League members.
Section 3 – Officers
The League shall have three
officers: President, Vice-President,
and Secretary/Treasurer. Coaches
cannot hold office. The President shall
call the annual meeting, call additional meetings as needed, develop a dual
meet schedule, and handle all other business for the League. The Vice-President shall assist the
President, serve as chairperson of the championship committee, and become
President the following year. The
Secretary/Treasurer shall keep the minutes of all meetings, collect dues, and
keep League records. The officers
shall be provided by the teams in the following order:
2002
– Springdale 2003 –
Wyoming 2004 –
Greenhills 2005 – Middletown 2006 – Reading 2007 – St. Bernard 2008 – North College Hill 2009 – Sharonville 2010 – Evendale 2011 – Norwood
Each
team shall provide the President and the Secretary/Treasurer for the year
shown. The Vice-President shall be
from the team which will provide the President and the Secretary/Treasurer
the following year. It is expected
that the Vice-President will assume the presidency for the next year.
Section 4 – Dues
Each member team will pay an
annual $60.00 fee to cover administrative costs of the League. A financial report will be given at the
April League meeting and appropriate action taken to deal with large
surpluses or deficiencies.
Section 5 – Records
Northern Suburban Swim League
records will be set only at the annual League Championship Meet. Records will be updated annually, as
provided for in “Responsibilities for Championships,” using preliminary as
well as final results.
RULE 2: RULES COVERAGE
Section 1 – Application
These rules apply to all
competition among members of the Northern Suburban Swim League.
Section 2 – Team Members
Any person competing for a team
of the Northern Suburban Swim League must be a bona fide member of the swim
team that he/she is representing.
Section 3 – One Team Only
A person may compete for only
one team in the Northern Suburban Swim League. The team with which he/she practices with as of June 1st
of that given year shall be his/her team designate. The only time a team change is valid is when there has been a
bona fide change of address.
Section 4 – U.S.A. Swimming Rules
The current U.S.A. Swimming
Rules will govern competition except for variations covered in the Northern
Suburban Swim League Rules. No
leniency with regard to stroke and turn judging shall be allowed. This rule applies to all meets.
Section 5 – Pool Depth
All Northern Suburban Swim
League teams must adhere to a combination of the U.S.A. Swimming guidelines
and the host team’s policy regarding pool depth and the method of entry. As long as the minimum U.S.A. Swimming
depth requirements are met, the host team’s policy will prevail.
Section 6 – Backstroke Turn and
Finish
The N.C.A.A. rule for judging
the backstroke turn and finish shall be used:
Some part of the
swimmer’s person must touch the end of the racing course during each turn in
the backstroke. After any part of the
swimmer’s head has passed the backstroke flags (20-yard/meter mark), the
swimmer’s upper shoulder is allowed (but not required) to rotate past the
vertical toward the prone position before the touch is completed provided
such rotation is accompanied by an immediate initiation of the turning
action.
The immediate
initiation of the turning action shall be accomplished by a single-arm or
double-arm pull, or in the absence of such pulls, by a downward, underwater
movement of the head.
After the initiation of the
turning action, no additional arm pulls may be started (sculling is not
permitted); however, kicking and gliding actions are permitted.
If the swimmer’s
shoulder does not rotate past the vertical toward the prone position before
the touch is completed, the swimmer may then turn in any manner desired.
After the turn,
the swimmer’s upper shoulder must be at or past the vertical toward the
supine position when the swimmer leaves the end of the racing course during a
push-off.
At the finish of
the race, the swimmer's shoulder must be at or past the vertical toward the
supine position when he or she touches the end of the racing course with the
hand, head, or forearm.
Section 7 – False Starts
Each swimmer will be allowed
one (1) false start before being disqualified from that event.
Section 8 – Starts from the Water
In all meets where relay
swimmers must start in water deemed too shallow for diving, the following
rules shall apply: (1) the team of any swimmer who has lost contact with the
wall at any time during his/her preceding teammate’s final stroke and before
that teammate touches the wall shall be disqualified; (2) any swimmer
starting from the water may push off the wall only; pushing off the floor is
a stroke violation.
RULE 3: AGE GROUPING
Section 1 – Determination of Age
Age is determined for the
entire season by the swimmer’s age on June 1. A swimmer who was born on June 1 shall be considered, for the
purpose of this rule, to be the age he/she is on June 2. Graduating high school seniors will be
allowed to swim the summer season immediately following their graduation from
high school.
Section 2 – Age Groups
The age groups for swimming
shall be as follows: 6 and Under (free and back), 8 and Under, 9/10, 11/12,
13/14, and 15/17 year olds. Each age
group will be divided into boys and girls.
Section 3 – Age Group Competition
A competitor must compete in a
single age group (his/her age group or older) in a meet. There are two exceptions: (1) 8 and Unders may compete in the 9/10
Individual Medley; (2) Swimmers may be moved up one age group to fill a
position in the relays, but must return to the appropriate age group for
individual events; (3) 13/14 year old swimmers may swim up one age group to
compete in the 15/17 200 Individual Medley at dual meets only.
RULE 4: DUAL MEETS
Section 1 – Schedule
When the League is at its
maximum size of twelve teams, dual meets will be scheduled as follows: Eight
(8) dual meets shall be scheduled according to the final team placement in
the previous summer’s Championship Meet.
The top six (6) teams shall be scheduled to compete against each other
and the final six (6) teams shall be scheduled to compete against each
other. Then, the remaining dual meets
will be scheduled against teams from the other flight. When the League is smaller than twelve,
the League President will try to schedule at least seven (7) meets for each
team.
Section 2 – Awards
The hosting team shall provide
ribbons for First, Second, and Third places in all individual and relay
events. The hosting team shall also
provide ribbons for all exhibition swimmers.
Section 3 – Cancellation of Meets
No dual meet may be cancelled
without the agreement of both participating teams.
Section 4 – Scoring
Scoring shall be as
follows: (a) Individual events, 5-3-1
points for places 1-2-3 respectively; (b) Relay events, 7-4-2 points for
places 1-2-3 respectively. In six
lane pools or larger, sweeps will stand.
A tie called by a place judge will stand and the points divided
equally with duplicate awards given.
All individual event participants, relay team members, and exhibition
swimmers must be listed, with times, on the score sheet.
Section 5 – Event Limitations
An individual may compete in a
maximum of four (4) events for points, including one Medley and/or Freestyle
Relay. Each team may compete up to
three (3) swimmers or three (3) relay teams in a particular event in six-lane
pools or larger. In four- or
five-lane pools, each team may compete up to two (2) swimmers or two (2)
relay teams in a particular event.
Section 6 – Order of Events
The order of events is listed
separately on the last page.
Section 7 – Officials
The visiting team will be
required to furnish one place judge, one stroke judge, one turn judge, and
one person for clerk of course.
Section 8 – Lane Assignments
The home team will have lanes
1-3-5 and the visiting team will have lanes 2-4-6 in six-lane pools or
larger; in four- or five-lane pools,
the home team will have lanes 1-3 and the visiting team will have lanes 2-4.
Section 9 – Exhibition
A maximum of sixteen (16)
exhibition heats will be permitted at dual meets. The exhibition heats should be decided upon by both coaches
prior to the start of the meet and the meet referee and/or starter should be
informed. In the normal order of any
event, the exhibition heat(s) will be swum before the regulation heat.
Section 10 – Line-ups
Coaches should give a copy of
their meet line-up to the meet starter and/or referee by the beginning of
their team warm-ups. Coaches should
also try to keep the meet starter and/or referee informed of last-minute
changes, particularly of any changes that may require adding or canceling a
heat.
Section
11 – Warm-ups
If warm-ups are divided (with
one team in the water at a time), the host team should warm up first, so that
the visiting team may warm up second.
RULE 5: CHAMPIONSHIP
MEET
Section 1 – Date
The Northern Suburban Swim
League Championship Meet shall be held during the last week of July. This date may be changed if agreed upon at
a general meeting. If the first
session of the preliminaries is canceled due to weather, all preliminaries
shall be canceled. The Championships
shall be conducted as timed finals on the second day.
Section 2 – Conducting
Championships
A committee chaired by the
League Vice-President shall plan and run League Championships. Each team will be assigned a
responsibility for the Championships Meet.
In addition, each team will be required to furnish timers and
officials. The host team shall have
exclusive rights to the concessions.
Section 3 – Entries
Each team will have unlimited
team entries in the Freestyle and Backstroke events. A maximum of six (6) entries per team, per
event, will be allowed in the 200 Freestyle, Butterfly, Individual Medley,
and Breaststroke events. A maximum of
two (2) Medley Relays per team, per event and two (2) Freestyle Relays per
team, per event will be permitted.
Section 4 – Eligibility
In order to be eligible to
compete in the Championship Meet, a swimmer must have competed in three (3)
scheduled league meets that season.
Any swimmer seeking a waiver of the three-meet rule must present a
letter to the league president requesting the waiver and explaining the
reasons for it by June 1. The League
Representatives will consider each such request on an individual basis by the
July meeting at the latest.
Section 5 – Seeding
Seeding of the preliminaries
for the Championship Meet will be based on actual times swum during the
current season and circle seeded. The
Championship and Consolation heats for finals will be seeded as timed finals
in accordance with rule 102.5 in the U.S.A. Swimming Rule Book.
Section 6 – Scoring
Individual events – for places
1 through 12 respectively:
16 - 13
- 12 - 11 -
10 - 9 - 7
- 5 - 4 -
3 - 2 - 1
Relay events – for places 1
through 12 respectively:
32 - 26
- 24 - 22 -
20 - 18 - 14
- 10 - 8 -
6 - 4 - 2
Section 7 – Awards
Medals will be awarded for
places 1 through 6; ribbons for places 7 through 12. Ribbons will also be awarded for places 13
through 18 in individual events for 12 and under swimmers; these places will
not be scored, however. For the
purpose of team awards only, the league will be divided into two divisions,
based on the numbers of swimmers entered in championships that year. Trophies will be given to the top
three teams in each division, and a plaque will be given to the remaining
teams in each division. All
participants will receive a participation ribbon.
Section 8 – Swimming Event
Limitation
A maximum of four (4) events,
including one Medley and/or Freestyle Relay, may be entered by an
individual. These events may be four
(4) individual events, three (3) individual events and one (1) relay, or two
(2) individual events and two (2) relays.
Section 9 – Entry Deadline
All entries for the
Championship Meet must be in the hands of the entry chairperson two weeks
prior to the beginning of the meet.
Late entries will not be accepted.
For an entry to be complete, it must include the list of entrants with
times stated to hundredths of a second and the entry fee. If hundredths are not stated, 0.99 will be
added.
Section 10 – Entry Fees
The entry fee is $1.50 per
swimmer per individual event and $6.00 per relay team per relay event.
Section 11 – Official Times/Places
Automatic electronic timing
equipment shall be used in the Championship Meet. A primary (touchpad) and secondary (back-up button) system
shall be used, backed up by manual watches in case of electronic failure. The official time shall be determined
using the current U.S.A. Swimming Rule Book.
Section 12 – Equipment Required for
Championship Meets
1. Electronic timing system,
computerized scoring and head sets (rented equipment paid for by the League)
2. Public address system
3. Starting blocks at both ends, pool
depth permitting
4. Lane lines
5. Backstroke flags
6. False start rope
7. Two starters’ guns with blanks
8. Bull horn for Clerk of Course
9. Ready chairs for Clerk of Course
10. Tables for the timing system,
computers and awards
11. Two whistles for the referee and head
timer
12. DQ slips for referees and judges
13. U.S.A. Swimming Rule Book and N.S.S.L.
Rules
14. N.S.S.L. Record Book
Section 13 – Minimum Officials
Required for the Championship Meet
1. Meet
Referee
2. Assistant
Meet Referee
3. Starter
4. Recall
Starter
5. Head
Timer
6. Stroke
Judges (2)
7. Turn
Judges (4)
8. Relay
Take-Off Judges (2)
Section 14 – Minimum Workers Needed
for the Championship Meet
1. Meet
Director (provided by the host team)
2. Admissions
& Heat Sheets – team assignment
3. Announcer
– team assignment
4. Awards
– team assignment
5. Clerk of Course – team assignment
6. Entries & Scoring (computer) – team assignment
7. Runners
(minimum 2) – team assignment
8. Records
– team assignment
9. Timers
(2 per lane) – team assignment
10. Timing System Operators (provided by whoever supplies the
timing system)
Section 15 – Alternates
An alternate, once he/she is
placed on the starting blocks by the meet starter, will not be called down
and the qualified swimmer then gives up his/her opportunity to swim that
event.
Section 16 – Order of Events
The Championship Meet
preliminaries will be divided into two sessions: Session I – 6 & Under timed final events, 8 & Under,
9/10, and 11/12 year old girls' individual events, and the 8 & Under
Girls and Boys Freestyle Relay timed final events, according to the
prescribed order of events; Session II – 11/12 year old boys, 13/14
and 15/17 year old individual events according to the prescribed order of
events. The League may vote at its
April meeting to alter the distribution of age groups or events among the
sessions for that season only in the interest of keeping both sessions to a
manageable length; such a vote will not constitute a change of this rule.
The Championship
Meet finals will be run according to the prescribed order of events, with the
exception of the 6 & Under Freestyle and Backstroke events and the 8
& Under Freestyle Relay events, which will have already been contested.
Section 17 – Gate Admission and
Heat Sheets
Gate admission will be $1.00
per person per day and does not include a heat sheet. Children under 4, league swimmers and
league coaches are free. Workers must
pay. Heat sheets are $2.00 each.
RULE 6: PROTESTS AND
DISQUALIFICATIONS
Section 1 – Protests by Individuals
At any dual meet or
championship meet, all protests shall be directed to the meet referee. The meet referee shall decide any protest
and the meet shall continue. Coaches
and/or parents shall have no communication with the judges, timers or
officials in the matter of complaints.
Section 2 – Disqualification
Explanation
Any disqualifications that
occur during a dual meet or championship meet shall be explained, when
possible, to the swimmer and/or coach at the end of the event.
RULE 7: INVITATIONAL
MEETS
Section 1 – Scheduling of Invitational Meets
Any team in the Northern
Suburban Swim League may host an invitational swimming meet. However, no invitational meet may be held
within five days before or after the League Championship Meet.
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