We have created a page for each swim style and listed some guidelines established by Swimming Canada and Swim Ontario to ensure you get official times in every meet. These guidelines are kept up-to-date, but they are not exhaustive. They cover the most common causes of disqualifications, but there might be cases only the referee has the authority and the knowledge to enforce.
We also want to educate the parents who avidly watch the races from the galleries and need clarification when their swimmers get disqualified (DQ). "What happened?!", "He was doing so well! Why do they DQ kids of such a young age?", "She wanted this time so badly. I don't get it!".
It's important to understand that officials don't relish disqualifying swimmers. They don't have a set number of disqualifications to meet, nor do they aim for them. Recognizing correct swimming is part of their training. They're instructed to give swimmers the benefit of the doubt when they're unsure, but if they clearly witness a violation, they're obligated to report it to the referee, who ultimately makes the decision. They do this with a heavy heart, knowing it's a part of the swimmer's learning process.
Please read these guidelines from time to time, before and during every meet. Keep them fresh in your memory and follow them during practices and warm-ups:
