Northern Virginia Swimming League (“NVSL”)
BACKGROUND
The Northern Virginia Swimming League (“NVSL”) was founded in 1956 to sponsor competitive swimming and diving in and among the community swimming pools in that area of Northern Virginia contiguous to the District of Columbia, and to develop in the children participating in this program –
A love for the sport, advanced aquatic skills, teamwork, and the principles of good sportsmanship.
Today, 108 community swimming pools, seeded in 18 divisions, participate in the NVSL. By some estimates, there are more than 15,000 swimmers competing in the NVSL each year, making it the largest summer swimming league in the United States. National Age Group Record Holders, American Record Holders and World Record Holders, as well as Olympic Medalists, including Kate Ziegler, Markus Rogan and Ed Moses, have competed in the NVSL.
The NVSL maintains a website that provides detailed information about the league and the participating pools. The NVSL posts results for all “A” Meets and Special Meets on the website, which also includes a searchable database of individual times, including league records.
STROKES
Please take a moment to review the NVSL rules listed in this section. The stroke rules below are the US Swimming rules as modified for use in the NVSL. Teams in other leagues may have slightly different rules. (Please ask Dale Proctor for a copy of the current NVSL Handbook for further clarifications, if necessary).
FREESTYLE
Freestyle is defined as any means of swimming across the pool. Any stroke and kick are acceptable. There are, however, a few don'ts associated with this stroke, specifically: (1) You cannot walk on the bottom or pull yourself along using the lane lines and (2) In a 50 Meter race (two pool lengths) you must touch the wall at the 25 meter end before touching the wall at the 50 meter end.
BACKSTROKE
Like freestyle, almost anything goes in backstroke as long as you stay on your back. Backstroke starts are different from all others because the swimmer is in the water feet planted against the wall, and hanging on to either another swimmer's legs or the lip on the pool awaiting the starter's signal. "Legs" must be grabbed below the knee. Persons serving in an official capacity (such as timers or coaches) may not serve as “legs”. The backstroke flip turn is the one exception to staying on your back and can be used only as part of a turn (not a finish) at the pool wall.
BREASTSTROKE
Breaststroke has two components, the kick and the arm pull. The pull and its recovery must both be under the breast and cannot extend further back than the waist area. The kick is a "frog" kick and the toes must be pointed outward during the propulsive part of the kick. The arm pull and kick must be in an alternating sequence and the elbows must stay below the water except for tagging the wall at the finish. Breaststroke turns and finishes require a simultaneous two hand touch.
BUTTERFLY
There are two components of the Butterfly: the arm pull and the kick. The arm pull must be an over the water recovery (elbows breaking the surface of the water) with the arms moving simultaneously. The kick is a dolphin style kick with both legs moving simultaneously. Unlike Breaststroke, there is no requirement to alternate the kick and pull. Turns and finishes require a simultaneous two hand touch at the wall.
INDIVIDUAL MEDLEY
The individual medley (IM) is when an individual swims each of the four strokes in the sequence Butterfly, Backstroke, Breaststroke and Freestyle. In a 100 Meter IM, every turn is a stroke change and stroke finish rules apply. This means no Backstroke Flip Turns.
RELAYS
There are two kinds of Relays, the freestyle relay and the medley relay. Both involve a team of four swimmers, each swimming 1/4 of the total distance. In the freestyle relay, each swimmer swims the freestyle. In the medley relay, the sequence is Backstroke, Breaststroke, Butterfly and Freestyle. In all relays, each swimmer must wait until the previous swimmer touches the wall prior to leaving the deck. Running starts or pushes from teammates are not allowed.
DQ's
A DQ (short for disqualification) is any violation of the rules observed by any appropriate official. Some of the more common reasons for DQing are as follows:
Freestyle: Failure to touch the wall at the turning end of the pool. Walking on the bottom or pulling on the lane lines. Exiting the pool before swimming the specified distance
Backstroke: Past vertical towards the breast at any time except during a flip turn. Leaving the wall after a turn past vertical towards the breast Improper flip turn (older swimmers)
Breaststroke: Incorrect kick, such as a Scissors kick or Flutter kick. Non-Simultaneous two-hand touch or one hand touch at turn or finish. Toes not pointed outward during the propulsive part of the kick. More than one stroke underwater with arms fully extended at start or turn. Arm recovery past waist except on first stroke after start or turn. Head didn't break surface by conclusion of second arm pull underwater after a start or turn.
Butterfly: Non-simultaneous or one handed wall touch at the turn or finish. Non-simultaneous leg movement during kicks. Arms don't break water surface during recovery (judged at the elbows). Non-simultaneous arm movement during recovery.
FALSE START
A false start occurs whenever a swimmer moves towards the pool after having assumed a still position (taking his/her mark) and before the Starter has started the race. If the false start is detected before the starting signal is sounded, the offending swimmer can be removed from the race prior to it starting. If a false start occurs but the starting signal has sounded, the race will not be stopped. Instead the false starting swimmer(s) will be notified of their false start at the conclusion of the race. The use of a recall signal is now limited to a bad start (i.e., not all swimmers were ready) or for a safety reason. If the Starter sounds the recall signal, no swimmer can be removed for a false start.
OFFICIALS
NVSL rules require all officials to wear white shirts and navy blue shorts/pants/or skirts. No blue jeans. Highlands is again extremely fortunate in the quality of its officials, but we need to train more parents to ensure continuity and backup support. Please contact Dale Proctor (571-643-5629, dale.proctor@whompingturtles.org) for further details on attending clinics and training.
REFEREE
The Referee is the chief official for each swim meet. He is responsible for the conduct of the meets and is the final authority on the interpretation and enforcement of all swimming rules. Prior to the start of each race, the Referee sounds two or three short blasts to advise the participants to get ready. After the event is announced by the announcer or starter, the Referee sounds one long blast as a signal for swimmers to get into position for the start or to jump feet first into the water for a backstroke event. For Backstroke events, a second long blast is given to bring the swimmers to the wall for the start. When the referee sees that all the swimmers are ready, he extends his arm pointing towards the starter. At this point, the starter takes control.
STARTER
The Starter is responsible for ensuring that all swimmers are given a fair and equitable start. The Starter will instruct the swimmers to "Take your mark". After all swimmers are ready and still, the Starter will start the race. A race can be recalled only if it was a bad start by the Starter (i.e., not all swimmers were ready) or for a safety reason. NVSL pools do not use starting blocks – all swimmers enter the pool from the pool edge.
CLERK OF THE COURSE
The Clerk of the Course is the "gatekeeper" for all swimmers in our meets. Highlands is very fortunate to have very capable parents to serve this function. They are responsible for getting the swimmers to the right lanes for the correct race. All swimmers must report to the Clerk of the Course before their race begins. NVSL rules specifically prohibit swimmers from obtaining coaching or assistance for an event after reporting to the Clerk of the Course. The rules clarify that a Backstroke swimmer may secure a handhold on the legs of another person (only below the knees) for starting, and swimmers may place a towel on the pool edge for starting, without violating this prohibition.
STROKE AND TURN JUDGES
Once the race has started, the Stroke and Turn Judges are responsible for ensuring that all swimmers obey all the rules for the stroke that they are swimming. These people are always at the ends of the pool for starts and finishes and walk the sides of the pool as best they can within the physical constraints of the pool. If a Stroke and Turn Judge sees a violation of the rules, he/she raises a hand to signify that an infraction has occurred. A disqualification is recorded on a DQ slip, which the Referee reviews and approves and forwards copies to the Table workers and the Team Rep.
RELAY TAKE-OFF JUDGES
During relays, you'll see four Relay Take-off Judges at each end of the pool (two per lane). Their job is to ensure that each swimmer touches the wall prior to the next swimmer in the relay leaving the deck. Each Judge notes on a slip of paper whether each swimmer in his lane left before or after the swimmer in the water touched the wall. Relay Take-off Judges do not raise their hands when they observe an early take-off because a disqualification occurs only if both Relay Take-off Judges observe an early takeoff.
TIMERS
The timers are the most important people to every swimmer. They are the people who determine each swimmer's official time for each race. Being a timer is a good entry level position for new parents to help out. Timers start their watches on the strobe light from the Colorado system and stop their watches when the swimmer touches the wall. There are three timers per lane (6 lanes) and all three times are recorded. The middle time is the official time. The Chief Timer collects the time cards from the timers, reviews them for accuracy and completeness, and forwards them on to the table workers. This year, our Chief Timer will be Maura Dolan (703 942-5668) for “A” Meets and Nora O’Sullivan (703-790-3596) for “B” Meets. They will need plenty of volunteers.
MARSHALS
Marshals are responsible for ensuring that Warm Ups are conducted safely and that order is maintained on deck during all NVSL sanctioned meets.
TABLE WORKERS
The time cards from the timers and any DQ slips go to the Table Workers who determine the order of finish for each event, score the “A” Meet, prepare ribbons for the participants and enter times into our computer. Several people from each team perform these functions to ensure that errors are caught before the results are announced.
The Northern Virginia Swimming League (“NVSL”) was founded in 1956 to sponsor competitive swimming and diving in and among the community swimming pools in that area of Northern Virginia contiguous to the District of Columbia, and to develop in the children participating in this program –
A love for the sport, advanced aquatic skills, teamwork, and the principles of good sportsmanship.
Today, 108 community swimming pools, seeded in 18 divisions, participate in the NVSL. By some estimates, there are more than 15,000 swimmers competing in the NVSL each year, making it the largest summer swimming league in the United States. National Age Group Record Holders, American Record Holders and World Record Holders, as well as Olympic Medalists, including Kate Ziegler, Markus Rogan and Ed Moses, have competed in the NVSL.
The NVSL maintains a website that provides detailed information about the league and the participating pools. The NVSL posts results for all “A” Meets and Special Meets on the website, which also includes a searchable database of individual times, including league records.
STROKES
Please take a moment to review the NVSL rules listed in this section. The stroke rules below are the US Swimming rules as modified for use in the NVSL. Teams in other leagues may have slightly different rules. (Please ask Dale Proctor for a copy of the current NVSL Handbook for further clarifications, if necessary).
FREESTYLE
Freestyle is defined as any means of swimming across the pool. Any stroke and kick are acceptable. There are, however, a few don'ts associated with this stroke, specifically: (1) You cannot walk on the bottom or pull yourself along using the lane lines and (2) In a 50 Meter race (two pool lengths) you must touch the wall at the 25 meter end before touching the wall at the 50 meter end.
BACKSTROKE
Like freestyle, almost anything goes in backstroke as long as you stay on your back. Backstroke starts are different from all others because the swimmer is in the water feet planted against the wall, and hanging on to either another swimmer's legs or the lip on the pool awaiting the starter's signal. "Legs" must be grabbed below the knee. Persons serving in an official capacity (such as timers or coaches) may not serve as “legs”. The backstroke flip turn is the one exception to staying on your back and can be used only as part of a turn (not a finish) at the pool wall.
BREASTSTROKE
Breaststroke has two components, the kick and the arm pull. The pull and its recovery must both be under the breast and cannot extend further back than the waist area. The kick is a "frog" kick and the toes must be pointed outward during the propulsive part of the kick. The arm pull and kick must be in an alternating sequence and the elbows must stay below the water except for tagging the wall at the finish. Breaststroke turns and finishes require a simultaneous two hand touch.
BUTTERFLY
There are two components of the Butterfly: the arm pull and the kick. The arm pull must be an over the water recovery (elbows breaking the surface of the water) with the arms moving simultaneously. The kick is a dolphin style kick with both legs moving simultaneously. Unlike Breaststroke, there is no requirement to alternate the kick and pull. Turns and finishes require a simultaneous two hand touch at the wall.
INDIVIDUAL MEDLEY
The individual medley (IM) is when an individual swims each of the four strokes in the sequence Butterfly, Backstroke, Breaststroke and Freestyle. In a 100 Meter IM, every turn is a stroke change and stroke finish rules apply. This means no Backstroke Flip Turns.
RELAYS
There are two kinds of Relays, the freestyle relay and the medley relay. Both involve a team of four swimmers, each swimming 1/4 of the total distance. In the freestyle relay, each swimmer swims the freestyle. In the medley relay, the sequence is Backstroke, Breaststroke, Butterfly and Freestyle. In all relays, each swimmer must wait until the previous swimmer touches the wall prior to leaving the deck. Running starts or pushes from teammates are not allowed.
DQ's
A DQ (short for disqualification) is any violation of the rules observed by any appropriate official. Some of the more common reasons for DQing are as follows:
Freestyle: Failure to touch the wall at the turning end of the pool. Walking on the bottom or pulling on the lane lines. Exiting the pool before swimming the specified distance
Backstroke: Past vertical towards the breast at any time except during a flip turn. Leaving the wall after a turn past vertical towards the breast Improper flip turn (older swimmers)
Breaststroke: Incorrect kick, such as a Scissors kick or Flutter kick. Non-Simultaneous two-hand touch or one hand touch at turn or finish. Toes not pointed outward during the propulsive part of the kick. More than one stroke underwater with arms fully extended at start or turn. Arm recovery past waist except on first stroke after start or turn. Head didn't break surface by conclusion of second arm pull underwater after a start or turn.
Butterfly: Non-simultaneous or one handed wall touch at the turn or finish. Non-simultaneous leg movement during kicks. Arms don't break water surface during recovery (judged at the elbows). Non-simultaneous arm movement during recovery.
FALSE START
A false start occurs whenever a swimmer moves towards the pool after having assumed a still position (taking his/her mark) and before the Starter has started the race. If the false start is detected before the starting signal is sounded, the offending swimmer can be removed from the race prior to it starting. If a false start occurs but the starting signal has sounded, the race will not be stopped. Instead the false starting swimmer(s) will be notified of their false start at the conclusion of the race. The use of a recall signal is now limited to a bad start (i.e., not all swimmers were ready) or for a safety reason. If the Starter sounds the recall signal, no swimmer can be removed for a false start.
OFFICIALS
NVSL rules require all officials to wear white shirts and navy blue shorts/pants/or skirts. No blue jeans. Highlands is again extremely fortunate in the quality of its officials, but we need to train more parents to ensure continuity and backup support. Please contact Dale Proctor (571-643-5629, dale.proctor@whompingturtles.org) for further details on attending clinics and training.
REFEREE
The Referee is the chief official for each swim meet. He is responsible for the conduct of the meets and is the final authority on the interpretation and enforcement of all swimming rules. Prior to the start of each race, the Referee sounds two or three short blasts to advise the participants to get ready. After the event is announced by the announcer or starter, the Referee sounds one long blast as a signal for swimmers to get into position for the start or to jump feet first into the water for a backstroke event. For Backstroke events, a second long blast is given to bring the swimmers to the wall for the start. When the referee sees that all the swimmers are ready, he extends his arm pointing towards the starter. At this point, the starter takes control.
STARTER
The Starter is responsible for ensuring that all swimmers are given a fair and equitable start. The Starter will instruct the swimmers to "Take your mark". After all swimmers are ready and still, the Starter will start the race. A race can be recalled only if it was a bad start by the Starter (i.e., not all swimmers were ready) or for a safety reason. NVSL pools do not use starting blocks – all swimmers enter the pool from the pool edge.
CLERK OF THE COURSE
The Clerk of the Course is the "gatekeeper" for all swimmers in our meets. Highlands is very fortunate to have very capable parents to serve this function. They are responsible for getting the swimmers to the right lanes for the correct race. All swimmers must report to the Clerk of the Course before their race begins. NVSL rules specifically prohibit swimmers from obtaining coaching or assistance for an event after reporting to the Clerk of the Course. The rules clarify that a Backstroke swimmer may secure a handhold on the legs of another person (only below the knees) for starting, and swimmers may place a towel on the pool edge for starting, without violating this prohibition.
STROKE AND TURN JUDGES
Once the race has started, the Stroke and Turn Judges are responsible for ensuring that all swimmers obey all the rules for the stroke that they are swimming. These people are always at the ends of the pool for starts and finishes and walk the sides of the pool as best they can within the physical constraints of the pool. If a Stroke and Turn Judge sees a violation of the rules, he/she raises a hand to signify that an infraction has occurred. A disqualification is recorded on a DQ slip, which the Referee reviews and approves and forwards copies to the Table workers and the Team Rep.
RELAY TAKE-OFF JUDGES
During relays, you'll see four Relay Take-off Judges at each end of the pool (two per lane). Their job is to ensure that each swimmer touches the wall prior to the next swimmer in the relay leaving the deck. Each Judge notes on a slip of paper whether each swimmer in his lane left before or after the swimmer in the water touched the wall. Relay Take-off Judges do not raise their hands when they observe an early take-off because a disqualification occurs only if both Relay Take-off Judges observe an early takeoff.
TIMERS
The timers are the most important people to every swimmer. They are the people who determine each swimmer's official time for each race. Being a timer is a good entry level position for new parents to help out. Timers start their watches on the strobe light from the Colorado system and stop their watches when the swimmer touches the wall. There are three timers per lane (6 lanes) and all three times are recorded. The middle time is the official time. The Chief Timer collects the time cards from the timers, reviews them for accuracy and completeness, and forwards them on to the table workers. This year, our Chief Timer will be Maura Dolan (703 942-5668) for “A” Meets and Nora O’Sullivan (703-790-3596) for “B” Meets. They will need plenty of volunteers.
MARSHALS
Marshals are responsible for ensuring that Warm Ups are conducted safely and that order is maintained on deck during all NVSL sanctioned meets.
TABLE WORKERS
The time cards from the timers and any DQ slips go to the Table Workers who determine the order of finish for each event, score the “A” Meet, prepare ribbons for the participants and enter times into our computer. Several people from each team perform these functions to ensure that errors are caught before the results are announced.