[Vbsl] Receint Rule Interpretations

[Squires, John CTR]

VBSL Directors, Division Chairs, Team Reps, Coaches,
Officials, and supporters:

A few swim rule issues have come up in the last week
or two, and it is necessary to get a common understanding out to all of
you to head off
potential future issues.  In no particular order, the three issues for
now are as follows:

1.  A relay swimmer may not swim more than one relay
leg position in
the same relay event.  For example, a swimmer may not swim the first
leg of his team's "A Relay" and then shift lanes or heats and swim
another leg in his team's "B Relay" for the same event.

The relevant rules or published League wording
states:

"No swimmer shall swim more than one leg in any
relay event." 

Reference: 2008
VBSL Officials Training Handbook, section V.F.6.c).(1).

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2. Running starts are not permitted for any race, in
particular for relay swimmers swimming legs 2, 3 or 4.  This is a
safety issue most of all.  What is generally acceptable in USA
Swimming, the organization whose rules and customs apply when not in
conflict with VBSL rules, is for the 2nd, 3rd, and 4th leg relay
swimmers to have the area of their starting block (about 2 feet by 3
feet in size) from which to make a dynamic or moving start, if they
choose to.  

What that may amount to is a situation where the
swimmer is standing at the back edge of the block as his/her turn to
swim approaches, and to take a single step forward to initiate their
"track style" start as the previous leg swimmer comes into the wall. 
We can view this as "a step start," and it is clearly not a running
start.  Even if a swimmer takes two steps from the back of the block to
initiate a start, where they bring both feet forward and leave the
block with both feet side-by-side from the forward part of the block,
that is also acceptable.

So --- VBSL officials should be permitting this much
latitude for our swimmers' relay

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