The NCAA News - News and Features

December 8, 1997

Swimming committee takes steps to assure bona fide competition

No different strokes for different folks

BY SHAWNA HANSEN
STAFF WRITER

In NCAA swimming and diving, the key question may not be whether you won or lost, but rather, "Was it a bona fide competition?"

The nature of competition was a key topic of discussion earlier this year at the annual meeting of the NCAA Men's and Women's Swimming and Diving Committee.

The 1998 NCAA Swimming and Diving Rules describe bona fide competition as that in which "all NCAA rules relevant to swimming performances have been followed."

The rules book then offers a definition of bona fide competition: "A bona fide NCAA meet provides competition in an established program of events as described in Rule 8.... Bona fide competition must be between two or more teams of the same gender, from different four-year collegiate institutions...at the same time and site. All competitors must be eligible under NCAA rules to represent their institutions in the meet being contested. A bona fide meet must be open to the public, must be scored as described in Rule 7, must be included in both the approved schedule and the won-lost record (dual meets) or official team placings (multiple-team meets) of each participating institutions, and must have published results."

Many swimmers miss qualifying times by as little as one one-hundredth of a second. With qualification so near, some schools may create meets to provide a couple of swimmers with an opportunity to qualify for the championships.

"Bona fide competition verifies that everyone competing is using the same rules," said Timothy F. Welsh, head swimming coach at the University of Notre Dame.

He said the concept is a "rule of the game," much like the qualifying time standards themselves.

Donald L. Gambril, associate athletics director at the University of Alabama, Tuscaloosa, and chair of the swimming and diving committee, hesitates to say that the committee has "found the ultimate answer" in assuring bona fide competitions. However, he said the committee will continue to adjust and tighten the parameters to deter people who aren't currently running bona fide competitions.

"You can't legislate morality," Gambril said. "But we continue to adjust it."

Welsh said the issue has become more significant because of the limited number of positions available at the national championships.

"With only 235 spots at the national championships, the intensity to qualify has gone up," Welsh said.

Coaches and the swimming and diving committee have expressed special concern about meets held after conference championships.

Wording relating to bona fide competition will continue to appear not only in the rules book, but also will be added this year to the proof-of-performance and official entry forms submitted by coaches.

Coaches and athletics directors are required to sign the forms to verify the information they contain. Student-athletes will initial the form, to provide additional confirmation that the information is correct.

For 1999, the swimming and diving committee has formed a subcommittee to review the language of the bona fide competition section. Headed by Clark Yeager, athletics director at Kutztown University of Pennsylvania, the committee hopes to further clarify the intent and tighten up any loopholes.

"But again, these will just be words in a book," said Susan Petersen-Lubow, athletics director at U.S. Merchant Marine Academy and the swimming and diving committee's secretary-rules editor.

"To truly be legislated, the coaches need to take ownership and pride in their profession and make sure that all competitions are in the spirit of bona fide competition and fair play."