Masters Swim Meet Rule SW 4.6m

Swimmers may not know that Rule SW 4.6m states “Where a swimmer makes little or no attempt to take up and/or hold a starting position following the Referee’s long whistle or the Starter’s command, the Starter and the Referee shall consider this to be a disqualifiable infraction”.

Which means that, at the start of a race, you must be ready to swim. When the long whistle is blown you must be ready to step onto the front of the starting platform (freestyle, butterfly, breaststroke) or enter the water (backstoke). If you delay the start by pulling on or adjusting your cap or goggles, or in any way delay the start, you may be disqualified.