Lovettsville Dolphins

Stroke & Turn officials from each team observe swimmers during each race. This ensures that each of the strokes is performed properly and keeps the competition as fair as possible. If the stroke and turn judge observes a stroke infraction, they will fill out a DQ slip. This DQ slip is reviewed by a higher level official, and if it is approved, the DQ is recorded in the computer and then gets passed to the swimmer's coach.

Our coaches address DQs with the swimmers so that they can develop the proper technique and avoid continued DQs. If you have any questions, please reach out to the coaches or a team official after the meet for additional information.

Disqualifications are a large part of the learning process for new swimmers, and are a major focus for each season. Is a disqualification a failed attempt at something? Yes, it is, but it can be, it should be, a positive failure; one that will lead to future excellence.

During the 2024 season, around 25% of Dolphins DQs were in backstroke, around 50% were in breaststroke, and around 25% were in butterfly.

The DQ slip is shown below and includes the common infractions. See the detailed explanations below the picture to understand what each infraction means:

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Butterfly

• Kick: Your feet must kick together. You cannot swim with an alternating kick (freestyle kick), breaststroke kick, or scissor kick. The toes of both feet must be turned OUT during the propulsive part of the kick. A scissors kick happens if you turn out one foot, but not the other.
• Arms: Your arms must move simultaneously throughout the stroke. The arms must also be pulled forward at or above the surface of the water.
• Touch: You must do a simultaneous, two-hand touch for turns and finishes. Your hands must touch the wall at the same time at, above or below the surface of the water. One hand cannot touch the wall before the other. This applies to the butterfly part of the IM as well.
• Body Position: You must swim the race and & finish on your stomach. During turns, you must be at or past the vertical, you can’t push off on your back or too far to one side. Some part of your body must remain above the surface during the swim.

Backstroke

• Touch: Any part of your body may touch the wall at the turn or the finish.
• Turn: You may touch the wall on your back, or do a flip turn. The turn must be one, continuous movement. You are allowed to turn onto your stomach and take one single-arm or double-arm freestyle stroke before flipping. The turn onto the stomach, arm pull, and push off the wall must be one continuous movement to avoid an infraction. You must push off the wall on your back.
• Start: You cannot grip your toes over the edge of the wall; your feet must be underwater on the wall.
• Body Position: You must stay on your back for the duration of the race (except during turns). You may fully submerge your body in the last five meters of the race. You may not turn over to touch the wall at the finish, you must stay on your back at the finish.

Breaststroke

• Kick: Your feet must kick simultaneously. You cannot swim with an alternating kick (freestyle kick), butterfly kick, or scissor kick. The toes of both feet must be turned OUT during the propulsive part of the kick. A scissors kick happens if you turn out one foot, but not the other.
• Arms: Your arms must move simultaneously throughout the stroke, and may not extend beyond the hipline. Your elbows must remain below the surface of the water.
• Touch: You must do a simultaneous, two-hand touch for turns and finishes. Your hands must touch the wall at the same time at, above or below the surface of the water. One hand cannot touch the wall before the other. This applies to the breaststroke part of the IM as well.
• Start/Turn: At the start of the race and after each turn, you are allowed to do one full arm pull beyond the hipline, one dolphin kick, and one breaststroke kick. Your head must break the surface of the water before your hands are at their widest part of the second arm pull.
• Body Position: You must swim the race and & finish on your stomach. During turns, you must be at or past the vertical, you can’t push off on your back or too far to one side.
• Cycle: The stroke must maintain the arm/leg cycle of one arm stroke and one leg kick before another arm/leg cycle. Your head must break the surface of the water during each cycle.

Freestyle

• Lane Line: Pulling on the lane line is not allowed. You cannot deliberately use the lane line for propulsion.
• IM: During the IM, you cannot swim any other stroke during the freestyle portion of the event.
• Body Position: Some part of your body must remain above the water.

Individual Medley

• Stroke: The rules for each individual stroke apply. You must finish the touch for the stroke you are completing before starting the next stroke.
• Order: Butterfly, Backstroke, Breaststroke, Freestyle

Medley Relay

• Stroke: The rules for each individual stroke apply. You must finish the touch for the stroke you are completing before starting the next stroke.
• Order: Backstroke, Breaststroke, Butterfly, Freestyle

Miscellaneous

• 15-Meter Rule: In starts and turns for butterfly, backstroke and freestyle, you cannot go more than 15 meters underwater. Some part of the body must break the surface at the 15-meter mark. Most lane lines have a marker that signifies the 15-meter mark. This rule does not apply to breaststroke.
• False Start: In an individual event (and the first leg of a relay), a false start occurs when you begin your start (feet leave the pool deck) before the buzzer goes off. Any flinch or movement after the Starter says “take your mark” can be considered a false start. For the second, third and fourth legs of a relay, you will false start if your feet leave the pool deck before your teammate has touched the wall. In relay starts, you are allowed to take one step forward and be moving before your teammate touches the wall.
• Pulling on the Lane Line: Pulling on the lane line is not allowed. You cannot deliberately use the lane line for propulsion.
• Touching the Bottom: Pushing off the bottom (or using the bottom for any sort of forward motion) is not allowed. You may touch the bottom of the pool during the race, but you cannot propel using the bottom of the pool.