Comments on: High School Officials Don’t Have Suit List

By: Kelly

Kelly — Tue, 19 Jan 2010 21:35:06 +0000

There needs to be consistency between: high school, USA Swimming and FINA.
Adopting Fina’s list would make the decision making for judges, officials, and coaches clear and concise. Making a rule with out giving us the proper information to enforce it is ridiculous. We need more infomation prior to state competition so we can “preserve the integrity, tradition and heritage of the sport and promote FAIR play. ” Without this list we can not “guarantee fairness in competition throughout the high school swimming season,” and officials can not be fair and consistent when the rule is so vage.

By: Ginnie

Ginnie — Sun, 18 Oct 2009 22:27:24 +0000

FINA just released their list of approved suits. Can this be used as guidance for NFHS & USA swimming?

By: paul

paul — Sun, 20 Sep 2009 03:16:08 +0000

its time to go back to the trust old speedo…

By: Carlos

Carlos — Sun, 06 Sep 2009 20:36:11 +0000

Peter & Kevin: You bring up some excellent points. I can see a coach protesting several swimmers suits during a district, regional or state meet and creating a lot of confusion to where the meet will either shut down or all the races being contested with a state court having to come in with an “injunction”. The whole season could end up being a joke.

By: Billy

Billy — Fri, 04 Sep 2009 03:13:02 +0000

I see a future of cotton suits

By: Rich

Rich — Thu, 03 Sep 2009 15:30:09 +0000

If you are unsure go with a standard suit. swimmers should rely on their talent and ability not Hi-tec.

By: jacksonlynch

jacksonlynch — Wed, 02 Sep 2009 22:18:32 +0000

Props get what you

By: Kelvin Koch

Kelvin Koch — Tue, 01 Sep 2009 16:09:16 +0000

This is what happens when very little forethought and coordination goes in to a sport. Right now we will very likely have three different answers (possibly 4 depending on YMCA competition) from meet officials, coaches and referees regarding suits that can be used in competition in the USA. If you thought the past few years have been a mess, just wait.

Having an open ended situation like this for High School is particularly bad due to the fact that High School officiating for swimming and diving is open to human nature more than the rest. I was just told by one of our customers that their son and almost everybody at their district meet was pulled off the blocks last year by a meet referee because of the “two logo rule.” The referee said that having a team logo AND a manufacturers logo (even if it was within size requirements) was not allowed. And it was done regardless of the manufacturer. Clearly the logo rule pertains the number of manufacturer logo’s on the suit….not the team logo + the manufacturer. Either this referee did not understand the rules, or decided to have a field day with coaches and swimmers, which any one who has coached HS understands can happen at any meet.

Now expand that to what type of suit is legal. Are you going to buy 3-4 suit models to take with you for your conference, state qualifying or state meets just in case the meet referee is having a bad day or decides that because a certain logo is not familiar that it must not be approved?

I know that the NCAA and NFHS do not feel the need to have conforming rules with USA Swimming in many instances, but on this issue it would seem almost necessary to have a single set of rules to work by for competition on USA soil. Since athletes go between the organizations for competition in ways that affect meet qualifying and national records, it would make sense to have a single set of suit rules to work from. Otherwise athletes will need to buy 3-4 models of suits to use at championship levels each season to use based on the meet they are attending. That would certainly help the bottom line of the manufacturers, but not exactly a recipe for growing the sport.

By: Peter

Peter — Fri, 28 Aug 2009 19:08:26 +0000

You have summed up the problem quite nicely. Is a particular suit legal? Who knows? The rule says the official on deck is required to disaqualify a swimmer who steps on the blocks with an illegal suit. What criteria an official uses to make that ruling, is not specified. The NFHS appears to be saying that if you ask about a particular suit ahead of time, they refuse to answer. Our state association has taken the same approach. They in fact will not even acknowledge that such a question has been asked.

If they issue a rule like this, they owe us enough clarity to allow us to at least have a chance of complying with the rule. I can’t belive I’m even suggesting this, but perhaps it will take a class action lawsuit to get them to focus and do their jobs.

By: The Screaming Viking!

The Screaming Viking! — Fri, 28 Aug 2009 17:24:29 +0000

I just want to know if the FS-Pro is still legal… and the FS-II. It was left off the approved list in May because of the coating. Who do we even ask?