Strokes and DQs
Officials
Officials play a crucial role in maintaining the integrity of competitive swimming by ensuring that all swimmers follow the established rules for each stroke. When a swimmer does not adhere to these rules, officials are responsible for issuing disqualifications (DQs). This promotes fairness and helps swimmers understand and correct any mistakes in their technique for the four strokes. We always need great officials. Below, you'll find an overview of each stroke, along with some of the most common reasons for disqualification.
If you want to see the four strokes swam, you can find videos on our Swim Videos page.
Freestyle
Freestyle is exactly as it sounds. You can swim however you want, so long as it is consistent. If you swim one of the other strokes in a freestyle event, you can be disqualified for breaking the rules for those other strokes. If anyone plans to do this, please talk to a coach about potential disqualifications.
The standard and fastest stroke swum here is called the front crawl. It involves a flutter kick with the legs alternating back and forth rapidly and a windmill-like motion with the arms. The best form for this is much more refined than these descriptions, but that is the general idea.
Notable Disqualifications:
1. Using the bottom of the pool or the lane ropes to propel yourself forward, intentionally or accidentally (applies to all strokes)
2. Not touching the wall on a turn (applies to all strokes)
3. Swimming underwater more than 15m (applies to free, back, and fly, but not breast)
Backstroke
Backstroke swims must begin in the water, unlike all other strokes which can begin off the blocks. The swimmer's back must start towards the pool, and they are required to remain on their back for the duration of the event. The backstroke involves a flutter kick with the legs alternating back and forth rapidly and arms moving in a windmill-like motion. It is similar to the front crawl detailed in the section above.
Common Disqualifications:
1. "Shoulders Past Vertical"; not staying on back. New young swimmers frequently turn over to look for the finish, or flip right before they touch the wall. This is a DQ, no matter how close they are.
2. "Delay Initiating Turn"; swimmer did not turn soon enough after flipping to their stomach.
Breaststroke
Don't try to understand this description. See our Swim Videos page. Swimmers must complete this stroke on their stomach. When underwater, the swimmer may complete no more than one pullout which involves pulling your arms from in front of your body, all the way down to your waist, and then performing a frog-like kick when you bring your arms back in front. In order to continue, you must be at the surface of the water, and the stroke at the surface is similar to the pullout, but the hands cannot pull down as far, the strokes are faster, and you must alternate one kick and one pull.
Common Disqualifications:
1. Incorrect kick like scissor, dolphin, or flutter kick
2. Arms pull past waistline on surface stroke
3. Non-simultaneous 2-hand touch or 1-hand touch at turn or finish.
4. Two arm pulls without kick in between, or two kicks without pull in between
Butterfly
Swimmers must complete this stroke on their stomach. The arms must pull through the water under the body, and recover over the water back in front of the head simultaneously. The legs too must kick together, performing the dolphin kick, and cannot alternate at any time.
Common Disqualifications:
1. Non-simultaneous arms
2. Incorrect kick (non-simultaneous or frog type kick)
3. Non-simultaneous 2-hand touch, or 1-hand touch at turn or finish
Individual Medley (IM)
The Individual Medley is an individual race of all four strokes. They must occur in a certain order. It can be remembered with the following mnemonic: "Butterfly on your back makes your breast feel free."
Notable Disqualifications:
1. Incorrect stroke order (commonly, swimmers will swim the wrong stroke for a single stroke)
2. Shoulders past vertical on back to breast turn (cannot be like a normal backstroke turn)
3. Any stroke related disqualification detailed above
Relays
See the "Relays" Section of the Meets 101 page for more information.
Notable Disqualifications:
1. "Early Takeoff"; The swimmer's foot leaves deck before the previous swimmer touches the wall.
2. Running start, or swimmer is pushed at the start.
3. Any stroke related disqualification detailed above.