Stroke and Turn Judge's Guide to Swimming South Africa Galas All Ages 2025/26

Under World Aquatics rules (Part Two, Article 5):

• In a freestyle race the swimmer may swim any style. (In a medley, freestyle means any style other than backstroke, breaststroke or butterfly.)
• Some part of the body must touch the wall at the end of each length and at the finish. A turn without a touch is a breach.
• Some part of the body must break the surface throughout, except that the swimmer may be fully submerged during the turn and for up to 15 m after the start and each turn. The head must have broken the surface by the 15 m mark.
• The swimmer may be completely submerged once part of the head has passed the 5 m mark before the finish.
• Standing on the pool bottom is allowed in freestyle, but walking or stepping off the bottom, and pulling on the lane rope, are not.

In 400, 800 and 1500 m freestyle, the Inspectors of Turns count laps, show odd-numbered lap cards at the turning end, and the start-end inspector signals by whistle or bell when the swimmer has two lengths plus 5 m to go, repeating it after the turn until the 5 m mark.

Under World Aquatics rules (Part Two, Article 6):

• Start: swimmers line up in the water facing the starting end, both hands on the grips. No standing in or on the gutter or curling toes over its lip. With a backstroke ledge, at least one toe of each foot must touch the wall or touchpad face, and toes may not curl over the top of the touchpad.
• At the start and after each turn the swimmer must push off and swim on the back throughout, except during the turn.
• "On the back" includes a roll of up to, but not including, 90 degrees from horizontal. Head position doesn't matter.
• Some part of the body must break the surface throughout, except during the turn and for up to 15 m after the start and each turn; the head must be up by 15 m.
• Finish: touch the wall on the back. The swimmer may be completely submerged once the head has passed the 5 m mark before the finish.

Under World Aquatics rules (Part Two, Article 6.4), at a backstroke turn:

• The swimmer must touch the wall with some part of the body.
• During the turn the shoulders may rotate past vertical onto the breast. After that, the swimmer may use one immediate, continuous single-arm pull or one immediate, continuous simultaneous double-arm pull to start the turn.
• The swimmer must be back on the back on leaving the wall.

So the breaches to look for are: a pull after turning onto the breast that isn't immediate and continuous, or more than the one pull allowed; no touch on the wall; and leaving the wall not on the back.

At the finish, the swimmer must touch the wall while on the back, and may be fully submerged once the head passes the 5 m mark. Judges of Stroke make sure the backstroke flags are 5 m from each end wall before backstroke and medley events.

Under World Aquatics rules (Part Two, Article 7):

Start and turns

• After the start and each turn, one arm stroke completely back to the legs is allowed while submerged.
• A single butterfly kick is allowed at any time before the first breaststroke kick.
• The head must break the surface before the hands turn inward at the widest part of the second stroke.

During the race

• From the first arm stroke after the start and each turn, the body must be on the breast. No rolling onto the back, except at the turn after the touch.
• The cycle is one arm stroke then one leg kick, in that order.
• All arm movements are simultaneous, with no alternating.
• Hands push forward together from the breast, on, under or over the water. Elbows stay underwater, except on the final stroke before a turn, during the turn and on the final stroke at the finish.
• Hands come back on or under the surface, and not beyond the hip line (except on the first stroke after the start and each turn).
• Part of the head must break the surface in every cycle.
• Leg movements are simultaneous; feet turn outwards during the propulsive part of the kick. No alternating or downward butterfly kicks (apart from the one allowed off the start and turns). Feet breaking the surface is fine unless followed by a downward butterfly kick.

At every turn and at the finish in breaststroke and butterfly, the touch must be made with both hands, separated and simultaneously, at, above or below the water surface (World Aquatics rules, Part Two, Articles 7.7 and 8.5).

• "Separated" means the hands can't be stacked one on top of the other. You don't need to see space between them, and incidental contact at the fingers is allowed.
• A one-hand touch, stacked hands, or hands that don't touch simultaneously are breaches.

Breaststroke extras:

• On the last stroke before each turn and at the finish, an arm stroke not followed by a leg kick is allowed.
• The head may be submerged after the last arm pull before the touch, provided it broke the surface at some point during the last complete or incomplete cycle before the touch.

Under World Aquatics rules (Part Two, Article 8):

• From the first arm stroke after the start and each turn, the body must be on the breast. Rolling onto the back isn't allowed, except at the turn after the touch, as long as the swimmer is on the breast by the first arm stroke off the wall.
• Both arms must come forward together over the water and go back together under the water.
• All up-and-down leg movements must be simultaneous. The legs or feet needn't be level but mustn't alternate. No breaststroke kick.
• After the start and each turn, the swimmer may take one or more kicks and one arm pull underwater, which must bring them to the surface, and the head must break the surface by 15 metres.
• Touch at every turn and the finish with both hands separated and simultaneously, at, above or below the surface.

In freestyle, backstroke and butterfly, some part of the swimmer's body must break the surface throughout the race, except that the swimmer may be completely submerged during the turn and for up to 15 metres after the start and after each turn. By the 15-metre mark the head must have broken the surface.

Near the finish: in these three strokes the swimmer may be completely submerged once part of the head has passed the 5-metre mark before reaching for the finish wall.

Breaststroke has no 15-metre rule. Instead, after the start and each turn, the swimmer may take one arm stroke back to the legs while submerged, and the head must break the surface before the hands turn inward at the widest part of the second stroke. After that, part of the head must break the surface in every stroke cycle.

Each stroke is swum for one quarter of the race distance, in this order (World Aquatics rules, Part Two, Article 9):

Freestyle leg of a medley: the swimmer may swim any style other than backstroke, breaststroke or butterfly, and the body must be on the breast except while turning. The swimmer may push off the wall on their back, but no kick is allowed until they have rotated past vertical onto the breast; after that, kicking (including butterfly kicks) is allowed.

Each section must be finished according to the rules for that stroke. For example, the butterfly-to-backstroke change in IM needs a two-hand simultaneous touch, and the backstroke leg must finish on the back.

Under World Aquatics rules (Part Two, Articles 2.8.8 and 10.4):

• The Inspector of Turns at the starting end checks whether the next swimmer is still in contact with the starting platform when the incoming swimmer touches the wall. If the next swimmer's feet have left the block before the touch, it's an early take-off.
• Where automatic equipment that judges take-offs is available, it's used as well, and the Control Room Supervisor reports early take-offs from the printout to the Referee.
• Take-overs must be from the starting platform; a running start from the pool deck isn't allowed.

Other relay rules to watch:

• Each team has four swimmers (mixed relays: two men and two women), and a swimmer may swim only once in a relay.
• A team member who isn't next to swim must not enter the water until all swimmers in the race have finished.
• Swimmers who have finished must leave the pool promptly without interfering.

A breach disqualifies the whole relay team. Legal splits swum before the disqualified swimmer are still recorded.

Under World Aquatics rules (Part Two, Article 10.2), in every race a swimmer must:

• Complete the full distance (or their quarter in a relay).
• Start, stay in and finish in their own lane.
• Touch the wall at every turn, and not take a stride or step off the pool bottom.
• Not stand or walk on the bottom, except in freestyle events or the freestyle leg of medley events, where standing is allowed.
• Not pull on the lane rope.
• Not obstruct or interfere with another swimmer.
• Not pace another swimmer or use a pacing device or plan.
• Leave the pool as soon as possible after finishing, without interfering with anyone still racing.

A breach means disqualification from that event. A swimmer who enters the water during a race they're not entered in is disqualified from their next scheduled race instead. If a breach hurt another swimmer's chances, the Referee may allow that swimmer a re-swim.

Under World Aquatics rules (Part Two, Article 2.3.7):

1. Report the breach you saw, within your own jurisdiction, verbally to the Referee.
2. The Referee decides whether to disqualify. Only the Referee can confirm it.
3. Once the Referee confirms the disqualification, complete and sign a disqualification card giving the event, lane number and infraction.

Each judge decides independently within their own role. A disqualified swimmer gets no time or place in the results.