Long Island Swimming Officials Association
Serving Long Island Swimmers for 60 years!
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Let's see how this goes ...
Last month, the National Federation of State High School Associations (NFHS), the organization that writes the rules for high school swimming and publishes our rules book, approved some new rules that will take effect this year. In September, Bob Kersch will interpret and
update for us
these changes and this summer we are working with both Section VIII and XI on the implementation process. Those changes are explained in the following article.
Thank you,
George Fleckenstein, president
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Reorganized Swimming/Diving Rules.
Address
Event Clarity, Definition,
Flexibility
NFHS April 2018
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In an effort to assist meet personnel operating high school swimming and diving meets, the National Federation of State High School Associations (NFHS) Swimming and Diving Rules Committee reorganized Rule 1 and Rule 5 at its March 18-20 meeting in Indianapolis. All rules changes were subsequently approved by the NFHS Board of Directors.
Additionally, the committee’s other rules changes focused on pre-meet conferences, equipment requirements and the order in which diving may take place at non-championship events.
“While the list of 2018-19 swimming and diving rules changes appear to be extensive, in general, most of the proposed changes involve a reorganization of two rules,” said Sandy Searcy, NFHS director of sports and liaison to the Swimming and Diving Rules Committee. “These changes provide clarity, a definition and flexibility to accommodate swimming and diving meets that are conducted in a variety of formats and facilities, and with various team personnel.”
In addition to a reorganization of Rule 1, the committee approved new terminology that accurately reflects and defines meet specifications and organization, including the consolidation of several terms that label the types of meets such as dual, double-dual, triangular, invitational, multi-team, etc.
In a similar fashion, Rule 5 was reorganized to list meet specifications in a “logical stepwise fashion from the dual meet to the championship meet,” according to Searcy. Rule 5-3-2 was one of the notable changes within the rule, as additional lane assignments were provided to accommodate non-championship multi-team and double/triple dual meets.
“The changes to Rule 5 provide flexibility and direction for situations in which the number of teams and/or entries cannot be equally divided into the number of available lanes,” Searcy said. “New language delineates options for conducting meets based on high school facilities across the country.”
The committee approved a change in diving in Rule 5-1-2a. In non-championship events, diving may now be the first event. Beginning next year,
diving may be conducted either first, last or simultaneously with swimming events
.
“In addition,
it is now permissible to conduct 11-dive competitions during any non-championship meet with prior mutual consent of competing teams
,” Searcy added.
Another change involves the pre-meet conference in Rule 4-2-1d.
A mandatory pre-meet conference with the referee, starter, and the captain and coach of each team must be held to review meet procedures, special instructions and any unusual pool conditions
. Equipment requirements were addressed in Rule 2-4-5, which now
mandates a 15-meter mark on both sides of the pool deck. Markings may also be integrated into each lane marker, but deck markings take precedent
.
Other rules changes include:
- Rules 2-6-1 through 4, which were reorganized to clarify mandatory requirements versus recommendations.
- Rule 2-7-2b, which adds the prohibition of the backstroke starting ledge to the rules so that there is no question that the equipment is not permitted in high school swimming.
- Rules 4-5-3 and 4-7, which clarify and confirm that responsibilities of stroke inspectors and turn/finish judges can be combined. This is especially the case when the availability of officials is limited. The flexibility to staff the deck effectively and efficiently with available officials should be preserved.
A complete listing of all rules changes is available on the NFHS website at
www.nfhs.org
. Click on “Activities & Sports” at the top of the home page, and select “Swimming & Diving.”
Swimming and diving ranks eighth in popularity among girls with 170,797 participants and 10th among boys with 138,364 participants, according to the 2016-17 NFHS Athletics Participation Survey.
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LISOA Meeting Dates
Tuesday,
September 25
– Rules interpretation
Wednesday,
November 7
- Pre-Season meeting
Tuesday,
November 27
– Relay Carnival for Section VIII
Tuesday,
December 4
- Relay Carnival for Section XI
Thurs,
January 10
- Nominating/Business
Tuesday,
January 29
- General Elections
March 2019
- Annual Recognition Dinner
Active members are required to attend a minimum of three (3) meetings. As prescribed in Article I of the By-Laws, attendance at a rules interpretation meeting is required.
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Things Every Diving Judge Should Know...
Know the description of each of the judging categories (Excellent, Very Good, Good, Satisfactory, Deficient, Unsatisfactory and Failed), and score each dive based on the scores within each category.
If in doubt, give the benefit to the diver.
Not show the score for a dive until it has been called for and once called not delay showing the score.
Expect properly-executed dives be performed in front of the board and at an appropriate distance from the board and walls.
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CDC REPORT REVEALS WHAT’S LURKING IN PUBLIC POOL WATER
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The Center for Disease Control (CDC) has released its 2018 report on the state of public pools and it isn’t exactly pretty. According to the report, more than 27,000 people have gotten ill from recreational water, including pools, hot tubs and splash pads, in the United States over the span on 2000-2014.
Outbreaks of infectious etiology include Cryptosporidium (think major gastro issues), Legionella (can lead to pneumonia) and Pseudomonas (otherwise known as ‘hot tub rash’ – enough said). 32% of outbreaks, which the CDC defines as when at least 2 people report similar illness, occurred in hotels, with half of all outbreaks nationwide occurring during June-August with a smaller peak in March.
While most pathogens are inactivated within minutes of coming into contact of chlorine-treated recreational water, some are particularly stubborn. Cryptosporidium, or ‘crypto’ to which it is commonly referred, carries a higher-than-most tolerance against chlorine-treated water, able to survive for more than 7 days. It is most often transmitted when a
‘
diarrheal incident occurs in the water and the contaminated water is ingested.’
Sustained attention to ‘improving design, construction, operation and management of public treated recreational water venues’ is the first-line of defense against pathogens.
Educating the public about things such as not letting kids swim if they’re sick or have diarrhea is also paramount.
However, the next time you dive in your pool, still remember that “
As long as the pH and chlorine levels in the pool are being maintained, the disinfectants will kill off most germs that could make you ill.
”
from Swim Swam
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Sometimes, individuals have been involved in high school sports and have an interest in officiating but simply do not know the steps necessary to making that a reality.
As individuals graduate from college, there are many former athletes who may be interested in staying connected to the world of sports along with making some extra money as they begin their career.
Each year we lose officials so we need to be constantly adding good, new officials to replace those that choose not to continue.
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Ranked by Golf Digest as #4 on their list of 100 Greatest Golf Courses, Shinnecock Hills Golf Club in Southampton will host the 118th US Open June 11-17, 2018.
The 2018 U.S. Open Championship will be Shinnecock’s fifth (and 2026 with be its sixth). Shinnecock hosted the second ever U.S. Open in 1896, when James Foulis won.
The club is the first venue to host the US Open in three centuries.
From the moment it opened, Shinnecock has been open to women members, making it the first U.S. organized golf club to admit female members.
Most wins - Four golfers have won the US Open four times: Willie Anderson, Bobby Jones, Ben Hogan and
Jack Nicklaus
.
Youngest winner - John J. McDermott is the youngest player to win the US Open at 19 years, 10 months in 1911.
Oldest winner - Hale Irwin is the oldest player to win the US Open at 45 years and 15 days in 1990.
Biggest comeback, final round -
Arnold Palmer
has the greatest comeback in US Open final round history - he came back from 7 strokes off the lead in the final round to win the US Open in 1960.
Largest margin win -
Tiger Woods
won the US Open by the largest margin ever in 2000 - 15 strokes.
Most strokes on one hole - Ray Ainsley, who played in the 1938 US Open, holds the record for highest score on one hole - 19 strokes on a par 4.
Five golfers have won all four majors (British Open, US Open, Masters and PGA Championship), though none have done it in the same year: Gene Sarazen, Ben Hogan, Gary Player, Jack Nicklaus and Tiger Woods.
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Choose to Defuse Conflict
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When situations explode on the field or court (or in the pool), it’s up to sports officials to restore the peace and defuse conflict. In managing conflict, showing a little empathy, demonstrating good listening skills and providing people with options rather than threats go a long way.
The work of conflict management should begin well before any crisis has erupted — for sports officials it starts when first arriving and meeting participants. Not only does appearance matter, but how officials first communicate with people sets an important stage. Greet people with a smile. It’s the universal greeting and it disarms people. Introduce yourself and let coaches and players know you understand what they are saying.
That’s a basic starting point for “Verbal Defense and Influence/ Conflict Management for Athletic Officials,” a management approach used to defuse conflict that Pete Jaskulski, developed from his years of experience in law enforcement and officiating.
Five Maxims
His conflict management program focuses on five maxims, which have an underlying theme of treating people with dignity by showing them respect.
- Listen to people with all of your senses. There are things happening on the field, on the court and on the benches that will give the official a sense of how the game is progressing. Officials should be listening and not just hearing what is being said.
- Ask, don’t tell. All people, including coaches and players, want to be asked rather than being told what to do. Instead of telling a batter to get back into the batter’s box, an umpire can ask the batter to return to the box. That is a sign of respect and generates less resistance.
- Explain why. Not every call needs to or should be explained, but when appropriate, give explanations. The first great American question is “why?” Explanations answer that question.
- Offer options, not threats. By offering options you give the players and coaches the choice of which way to go. The options start with the positive choices and then outline the negative choices — but it’s helpful to review the positive choice at the end.
- Give a second chance. All sports are emotional. We have all done things that we later regretted. When it’s appropriate, let the players and coaches think about the options you give them. Good officials can talk players and coaches out of an ejection.
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Research has found that in order to remember something, you should hand write your notes, rather than type them. Writing is believed to boost your memory, as note taking by hand requires different cognitive processes than typing.
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SITUATION
A breaststroke contestant turns in such a manner that the body is on the back when the
feet leave the wall
; but, prior to the first arm pull or leg kick, the body returns to breast down with arms in the same horizontal plane.
RULING:
Illegal
The shoulders shall be at or past the vertical towards the breast when the feet leave the wall (8-2-2g)
SITUATION
A breaststroker's head goes beneath the surface of the water as he/she is completing a stroke cycle during the race.
RULING:
Legal
provided his/her head had broken the surface of the water some time during that stroke cycle. [8-2-2c(2)]
SITUATION
During the start of the breaststroke event, Swimmer A’s head breaks the surface of the water after the hands turn inward at the widest part of the second arm stroke but prior to the arms beginning the recovery part of the second arm stroke. Swimmer A is disqualified.
RULING:
Correct procedure.
COMMENT: The head must break the surface of the water before the hands turn inward at the widest part of the second arm stroke at the start and after each turn. (8-2-2c)
SITUATION
The referee disqualifies a breaststroker for pulling the hands past the hipline as she swims down the pool even though the head breaks the surface of the water on each stroke cycle.
RULING:
Correct procedure.
COMMENT: Pulling the hands past the hiplines is only permitted on the first arm stroke following the start or turn. [8-2-2c(1)]
SITUATION
A competitor in the breaststroke, prior to the initiation of the arm pull, takes (a) a dolphin kick followed by one arm stroke beyond the hipline, followed by a breaststroke kick; (b) two downward dolphin kicks.
RULING: (
a) legal
and
(b) illegal.
COMMENT: On the start or turns, one arm stroke beyond the hipline followed by one breaststroke kick may be made while the swimmer is underwater; anytime before the breaststroke kick,
a
single
butterfly kick
is permitted. (8- 2-2c)
SITUATION
A butterfly swimmer inadvertently: (a) drags one arm in the water and fails to make a simultaneous arm recovery; (b) catches one arm under a lane marker and fails to make a simultaneous arm recovery.
RULING: In
both (a) and (b)
the stroke is
illegal and the competitor is disqualified
. (8-2-3c)
SITUATION
A swimmer in the 100-yard butterfly dives in and kicks the first lap under water.
RULING:
Illegal.
COMMENT: A swimmer may be completely submerged for a distance of not more than 16.4 yards (15 meters) after the start and each turn. By that point, some part of the head must have broken the surface. (8-2-3f)
SITUATION
A swimmer misses the wall during the turn of the 500 freestyle. Upon realizing that the wall was missed, the swimmer sculls back to the wall, touches the wall and continues the swim.
RULING:
Legal.
COMMENT: There is not a specific body position in freestyle. Since the turn requires some part of the swimmer’s body to contact the end wall, the swimmer can scull back and touch the wall if missed on the turn. (8-2-4b, c)
SITUATION
A contestant in the 50 freestyle does a flip turn and
kicks the remaining lap under water
.
RULING:
Illegal
COMMENT: A swimmer may be completely submerged for a distance of not more than 16.4 yards (15 meters) after the start and each turn. By that point, some part of the head must have broken the surface of the water. (8-2-4d)
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Will Justify become the 13th Triple Crown winner?
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There have been 12 Triple Crown winners:
- 1919 Sir Barton
- 1930 Gallant Fox
- 1935 Omaha
- 1937 War Admiral
- 1941 Whirlaway
- 1943 Count Fleet
- 1946 Assault
- 1948 Citation
- 1973 Secretariat
- 1977 Seattle Slew
- 1978 Affirmed
- 2015 American Pharoah
The
Kentucky Derby,
1.25 miles in length, is run annually on the first Saturday in May at Churchill Downs in Louisville, Kentucky. The Kentucky Derby was established in 1875.
The winner is given a blanket of roses, so the race is also known as the "run for the roses."
The Preakness, 1 and 3/16 miles in length, is traditionally run the third Saturday in May at Pimlico in Baltimore, Maryland. The first Preakness Stakes was run in 1873.
The winner is covered by a blanket of black-eyed Susans.
The Belmont Stakes, the oldest (1867)and longest of the three triple crown races at 1.5 miles; often referred to as the "Test of the Champion", is generally run on the first or second Saturday in June at Belmont Park in Elmont, New York. The winner of the race is given a blanket made of between 300-400 white carnations, the traditional flower of the Belmont Stakes.
June 9, 2018 - The 150th Belmont Stakes is scheduled to take place and Justify could become the 13th Triple Crown winner.
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Master the Art of Grilling
As the summer months are upon us, it's time to wake the grill from its winter slumber. In addition to beloved crowd favorites such as hot dogs and burgers, get creative and try some new recipes on the grill this summer. Inspiration on the grill happens when you change the way you view it — less like a big flame in the backyard, and more like an outdoor oven.
Did you know grilling and barbecuing are not one-in-the-same? The difference is cook time and heat zones.
Let’s put grilling in perspective: broiling in the oven is the same as grilling — heating over or under a very hot direct source of heat. Now consider the oven: an insulated box of hot air in which you bake and roast food.
On the grill, you can broil and bake at the same time by creating direct and indirect cooking zones. This is where creativity meets the grill — learning how to successfully use different cooking zones.
How to create direct and indirect heat zones on a gas grill:
Keep two burners (or one side) on to create direct heat. The other side with two burners (or one side) off will be used as indirect heat.
On a charcoal grill: Rake the coals to one side. Cooking right over the coals provides direct heat. The other side of the grill serves as indirect heat.
At the end of the day, it's all about having fun while grilling, regardless of the dish. Branching out with inspired recipes will impress the neighbors and release your inner Grill Girl or Guy!
from Land O Lakes
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The purpose and goals of the LISOA and its members shall be to:
Officiate all meets in a competent and professional manner.
Have its members actively work to improve interscholastic swimming and diving officiating.
Provide a consistent interpretation and administration of interscholastic swimming and diving rules.
Service and collaborate with the swimming and diving community for the improvement of swimming and diving.
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