ASCA ASCA Competitive Swimming Rules & Regulations 2 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: Which backstroke rule was changed to allow swimmers to turn onto their stomach before the touch?
- The backstroke can only be swum on the back at all times
- Swimmers may rotate past 90 degrees before the touch on a legal backstroke turn (Correct answer)
- Backstroke turns require two-hand touches
- Backstroke finishes require the swimmer to remain on their back
Correct answer: Swimmers may rotate past 90 degrees before the touch on a legal backstroke turn
Swimmers may rotate past 90 degrees from the horizontal plane before the touch at the wall on a backstroke turn or finish.
Question 2: What disqualifies a butterfly swimmer at the finish of a race?
- Touching with one hand only (Correct answer)
- Touching with both hands simultaneously below the water
- Touching with both hands at different heights
- Any touch that occurs underwater
Correct answer: Touching with one hand only
Butterfly requires a simultaneous two-hand touch at the finish; touching with only one hand results in disqualification.
Question 3: How far may a swimmer travel underwater off the start and each turn in backstroke events under USA Swimming rules?
- 10 meters
- 15 meters (Correct answer)
- 20 meters
- 25 meters
Correct answer: 15 meters
Backstroke swimmers may travel up to 15 meters underwater (on their back or in a streamline) following the start and each turn.
Question 4: In individual medley (IM) events, what is the correct order of strokes?
- Freestyle, backstroke, breaststroke, butterfly
- Butterfly, backstroke, breaststroke, freestyle (Correct answer)
- Backstroke, butterfly, breaststroke, freestyle
- Breaststroke, butterfly, backstroke, freestyle
Correct answer: Butterfly, backstroke, breaststroke, freestyle
The correct IM order is butterfly, backstroke, breaststroke, then freestyle, in that sequence for all distances.
Question 5: What does a yellow card mean when shown to a swimmer by a meet official in USA Swimming?
- Immediate disqualification
- A formal warning with no penalty (Correct answer)
- A 5-second time penalty added to the result
- Removal from the competition
Correct answer: A formal warning with no penalty
A yellow card in swimming is a formal warning issued to a swimmer for misconduct but does not directly penalize the time or result.
Question 6: Under USA Swimming rules, a swimmer in a breaststroke event must keep their head above the water surface at what point?
- At all times during the race
- Only during turns
- At some point during each arm cycle (Correct answer)
- Only at the start and finish
Correct answer: At some point during each arm cycle
Breaststroke rules require the head to break the surface of the water at some point during each complete arm stroke cycle.
ASCA ASCA Competitive Swimming Rules & Regulations 2
Which backstroke rule was changed to allow swimmers to turn onto their stomach before the touch?