The National Federation of State High School Associations considered the issue of which swimsuits would be legal for high school competition. (Mark J. Terrill, Associated Press)
A rules committee for the National Federation of State High School Associations decided Friday to recommend that non-textile suits be banned for the 2009-10 school year, but it gave the organization’s board of directors the option of outlawing long-length suits this year or next.
The board will consider the issue and announce a decision by Tuesday. No rules can go into effect without board approval.
“There’s a recommendation coming from the committee to bring our rules more in line with what is taking place in other rule codes,” said Becky Oakes, an assistant director for the NFHS.
Oakes and other members of the committee declined to elaborate on the specifics of the proposal. Rules committee member Merle Gunderson, however, said the issue that flummoxed the committee was when to impose a ban on the length of the suits.
“We’re not really sure what’s going to happen,” Gunderson said. “We gave [board members] an area they could lean one way or the other … The length, that’s the question mark. We gave them a choice of … this year or next year. It’s a real hard decision.”
Gunderson, who is from Montana, said committee members feared teams or swimmers whose seasons are about to get underway might already have purchased textile, long-length suits, assuming woven suits of any length that have been worn for years would remain legal. He said the committee was concerned with issues of cost, fairness and convenience to all of its member associations.
The NFHS has no current restrictions on suits, but officials felt compelled to consider a ban after the world swimming governing body (FINA), USA Swimming and NCAA announced plans in recent weeks to allow only waist-to-knee textile suits for males and neck-to-knee textile suits for females.
Should the NFHS decide to allow full-body textile suits this year, area swimmers might find themselves wearing one suit at high school competitions and another at club events.
But swimmers who take part in any high school meets, such as state championships, that are sanctioned by USA Swimming will have to abide by USA Swimming rules.
The rules committee, made up of 11 representatives from around the country, met for two hours by conference call Friday afternoon.
“We’re trying to get away from technical suits,” rules committee member Dan Miller of Utah said. “It was well-discussed. It wasn’t just done as a rubber stamp.”
After the NFHS board of directors makes its decision, each state association will have to decide whether to implement it.
Its too late for this year. Our season is already started. If they ban the suits now, I’m out hundreds of dollars.
The suits need to be banned at the beginning of the season period. You are out hundreds of dollars no mater what.. To be honest, given all the suit talk and the overwhelming opinion by colleegs and usa swimming to outlaw the suits, I am not sure why you would buy one before the season started. Chalk it up to lesson learned..
Amy,
Not sure where to post this question but are you at the Open? Rumor has it that all the guys in the A final of the 2IM wore speedo briefs..
Pretty cool if they did
That was the box the NFHS put parents in by refusing to rule earlier. The put out a memo at the end of May, the END of May, that stated that “Tech suits do not violate . . .” NFHS rules. They also had already put out their supposedly final rule changes for the 2009-2010 season. So as a parent you are in the following box: Don’t buy a suit until later in the season, and run the risk that suits are not available due to the ban in the rest of the sport. If that happens, all the kids that bought them last year are at a great advantage. Or buy one right at the start of the season while they are still available, holding your nose all the while, but knowing that at least 75% of the swimmers have them already, so if your kid doesn’t, they are at a big disadvantage. Again, our season has started, banning them now is not banning them before the start of a season, it banning them during the season.
I agree the suits need to banned at the beginning of a season, but doing it now, after refusing to do anything all summer, really sucks.