New NCAA Swim/Dive Rules Committee Proposals Include Certifying SC World Champs

PHOENIX, Arizona, June 6. THE NCAA Men's and Women's Swimming and Diving Rules Committee recently presented a number of rule change recommendations.

First, the rules committee recommended that all NCAA dual meets have between two to four officials and that a minimum of six officials be required for all non-NCAA championship meets. If approved by the Playing Rules Oversight Panel on June 24, this would significantly up the minimum number of officials at NCAA dual meets from the two required previously. The recommendation of six officials for championship meets is based off of workload concerns over the course of a three to four day meet.

The committee next tabled its discussion of proposed rule changes in the backstroke and breaststroke. FINA will convene in July to discuss a proposed rule change that will allow swimmers to take as many dolphin kicks as he or she wants before surfacing at the 15-meter mark in breaststroke. Utilizing a wedge device for backstroke starts is also being proposed. Should FINA approve these rule changes, the NCAA Swimming and Diving Rules Committee will move forward with a proposed course of action.

The committee also proposed:

-That all heats become eligible to score in double dual, triangular and quadrangular meets.

-Expanding the use of video review to include double-checking relay judging equipment.

-Certifying the FINA Short Course World Championships as a NCAA qualifier meet, provided that a student-athlete is eligible to represent his institution at the time of the World Championships.