The NCAA News - News and Features

The NCAA News -- October 11, 1999

Swimming panel puts restrictions on 'last-chance' meets

The NCAA Men's and Women's Swimming and Diving Committee has determined that meets planned for the final 10 days of the championships qualifying period must be registered with NCAA championships beginning this year.

The action, taken during the committee's annual meeting September 19-22 in Philadelphia, is effective for all divisions and is intended to regulate "last-chance meets," which have become an increasing concern for the committee in recent years.

The action requires any institution planning meets or invitationals scheduled for this time period to submit the site, date, time, meet officials, host, event order, entry procedures and deadline information to the NCAA by January 15 to be eligible. All registered meets will be listed on the College Swimming Coaches Association of America Web site for public information. Detailed information will be mailed to coaches and administrators.

The committee also reviewed survey results regarding the possible addition of a 1,000-yard freestyle to each division's championships format. The committee did not make any changes for the 2000 championships but will continue researching the addition over the upcoming year. The proposal will be surveyed with more specific information about the format to be used.

The committee also is examining issues regarding the qualifying process for the new event and the effect on the competitors' cap for Divisions I and III.

The committee also acted on several other issues (covered by division):

Division I

Drug testing will be more stringent at the Division I championships and will include random testing after each session. The action already has been approved by the Division I Championships/Competition Cabinet.

Last year, random drug testing of championships participants was limited to the end of the day's competition. The testing between sessions also will include an option for swimmers setting world record marks to be tested under FINA regulations to qualify the times internationally.

Coaches will receive a letter outlining the specific differences in NCAA and FINA drug-testing procedures.

In diving, the committee will forward a recommendation the Championships/Competition Cabinet to lengthen zone diving meets from two days to three to enhance meet administration and account for student-athlete fatigue when performing both one-meter and platform competitions in the same day. Also in zone diving meets with more than 24 competitors, the field will be cut to 18 divers after optionals in the interest of saving time.

In other actions, the committee discussed alternative methods of qualification for the national championship meet. In the proposed format, the committee would set "A" times for automatic qualification into the meet. Studies have shown consistency among qualifying times over the past seven years, which would help control the number of automatic bids for each event. After diving qualifiers and relay swimmers are added to the number of meet participants, the committee would systematically add swimmers to the meet by the "B" standard times until the maximum number of competitors have been invited to the meet (if the maximum number of competitors has not already been met).

The proposal will be presented on next year's survey for consideration by the membership.

Regarding future championships sites, the committee is recommending to the Championships/Competition Cabinet that the University of Texas at Austin serve as host of the 2002 women's championships.

Bids are being solicited for the 2002 men's championships and both the men's and women's championships sites for 2003.

Division II

Bids are being solicited for the Division II men's and women's championships for 2001 and 2002. The 2000 championships will return for the second year at the Flickinger Aquatic Center in Buffalo, New York.

The committee also noted that updated results and top-20 rankings and qualifying times will be made available on the World Wide Web at www.thesportspages.com. The page is being provided by Rob Nasser, who will coordinate qualifying times and verification for the championships meet this season.

Division III

In an effort to utilize every possible invitation under the cap of competitors for championships, the committee revised its time line for selecting alternates for the championship.

Last year, alternates were selected 10 days before each championship. In 2000, alternates will be invited as late as Tuesday before the start of Thursday competition to account for necessary travel time for the alternate and to accommodate as many possible changes in invited competitors.

The committee also recognized the Division III Championships Committee's addition of 16 relay-only swimmers for the 2000 championships field and examined procedures to select and incorporate them into the meet.

Regarding automatic qualification in diving, the committee will recommend that the conferences that received automatic provisions for diving in 1999 be given the same privileges for 2000.

Regarding future championships sites, the committee is reviewing bids for both the men's and women's championships for 2001 and beyond. Decisions are expected to be made and forwarded to the Championships Committee for approval in February, 2000.

Rules issues

The NCAA Men's and Women's Swimming and Diving Committee acted on several rules issues at its recent meeting, including an option in diving -- when platform diving is part of the competition -- that would allow competitors a choice in whether to complete voluntary dives in one-meter championship formats.

The new format stipulates that when voluntary dives are not completed in a championships meet, women will complete six optional dives rather than the five (out of 10), which had been standard in the previous rule.

The action is an effort to incorporate gender equity, because the men perform six optional dives (out of 11) as a standard.

Another change will be when voluntary dives are performed in competition, optional dives will be judged first, followed by the optionals, thus allowing student-athletes to be fresher during the optional rounds. Also, divers will have the option to change dives up to the end of the final workout group before the contest, not one hour prior to the start of the contest.

In other changes, swimmers must break the surface of the water by the 15-meter mark in freestyle events, which is consistent with FINA and USA Swimming regulations. This alters Rule 2-2-5-b listed on page 31 of the 2000 Swimming and Diving Rules Book.

All rule changes will take effect with the 2000-01 academic year. Rules proposals to be considered by the committee at next year's meeting should be submitted to Susan Petersen Lubow, secretary-rules editor for the committee and director of athletics at the U.S. Merchant Marine Academy, before January 15.

The committee agreed on a change in protocol regarding rules proposal for this year in that any rules proposal submitted must be supported and signed by three coaches from NCAA institutions.

Once all proposals have been collected, a "discussion survey" will be mailed to institutions in February for review during conference and national championships meets. Final surveys then will be mailed April 1 to swimming and diving coaches. Persons attending the College Swimming Coaches Association of America meeting in May will be asked to vote while in attendance.