MVS Related Rules, Regulations and Information
Sections 1 through 4
Section 1 -- Introduction
Missouri Valley Swimming operates under two sets of rules. As a corporation, and an affiliated member of USA Swimming, Missouri Valley Swimming's formal structure is governed by The By-Laws of Missouri Valley Swimming. Those are discussed in the next section. In addition to its By-Laws, Missouri Valley Swimming has adopted rules relating to its swimming operations. The areas covered by these rules include registration of athletes, rules dealing with swimming competitions, including
sanction rules, age group swimming classification rules, scratch rules, rules regulating the length of time swimmers may compete (known as the Four Hour Rule), rules concerning safety and safety training, and rules relating to cancellation of scheduled meets. Those rules are collected in this Section, "MVS Related Rules, Regulations and Information."
All rules are subject to the Official By-Laws and Rules of USA Swimming, Inc. which may be purchased from USA Swimming.
Missouri Valley Swimming also publishes a Meet Director's Guide and offers scholarships for swimmers with demonstrated financial hardship. Information about those services are also in this Section.
Missouri Valley Swimming, in conjunction with USA Swimming, certifies and re-certifies Officials and provides for training of those Officials. Rules relating to that certification and training, as well as information about swim meet officiating generally are also contained in this Section.
Finally, the Missouri Valley Board of Review is available for some challenges to actions or rules relating to our sport. Information about the MVS Board of Review is in this Section.
All rules contained in this Section may be changed or modified according to the rules governing Missouri Valley Swimming. Proposed changes must be submitted in writing to the General Chair thirty days in advance of either the Spring or Fall House of Delegates meetings.
In 1997, Missouri Valley Swimming adopted new By-Laws designed to comply with requirements adopted by USA Swimming, the National Governing Body of amateur swimming under the United States Amateur Sports Act, 36 U.S.C. §371 et seq. Listed below, are the major sections of the By-Laws:
Article 1 -- Name, Objectives, Boundaries, Jurisdiction
Article 2 -- Membership
Article 3 -- Dues and Fees
Article 4 -- House of Delegates
Article 5 -- Board of Directors
Article 6 -- Officers
Article 7 -- Divisions, Committees, Coordinators
Article 8 -- Annual Audit, Reports, Remittances
Article 9 -- Competition
Article 10 -- Member's Bill of Rights
Article 11 -- Board of Review, Hearings, Right of Appeal
Article 12 -- Organization, Amendment, Dissolution
Article 13 -- Indemnification
Article 14 -- Parliamentary Authority
Article 15 -- Permanent Office and Staff
Article 16 -- Miscellaneous
Article 17 -- Definitions, Rules of Interpretation
Article 18 -- Special Rule for Division II Short Course
A. In order to participate in sanctioned swimming competition, an athlete must be currently registered. Missouri Valley registration cards are issued anytime during the year and expire at the end of each calendar year. After registration, swimmers are automatically covered by certain insurance benefits during organized swim practice and sanctioned competition. Information about USA Swimming's Insurance Coverage is contained in the "USA Swimming Organization and Services"
page
located on this site.
B. Once a registered athlete lists a member club affiliation, the affiliation can be changed only in compliance with the Missouri Valley Transfer Rules contained in the next section, with the following two exceptions:
1. A swimmer registered with a club who wishes to compete for a high school, college or university shall automatically be released without notice by the club upon commencement of the school swimming season to compete for that high school, college or university, and shall be similarly automatically released without notice by such school immediately upon termination of such swimming season and can represent the club of choice immediately. Verification of the school's swimming season's
commencement and termination days may be required. If necessary, registration in a different LSC may be required and notification of renewal of representation may also be required.
2. An athlete may represent two different organizations, if one is in closed competition and one is in open competition. For instance, if Jane Doe represents "ABC Club," a member of MVS and part of the Metropolitan Swimming League, a closed league, she may also represent "XYZ Club," with whom she is currently registered, in all open competitions. Athletes in closed league competition are governed by all MVS rules unless waived by a sanction.
C. Athletes and non-athletes will not be covered by USA Swimming insurance until they are registered.
D. The following are the rules applicable for swimmers and non-athletes to register with both USA Swimming and Missouri Valley Swimming:
1. It is the responsibility of each Missouri Valley Swimming Club to register its swimmers with USA Swimming and Missouri Valley Swimming in a timely fashion prior to competition;
2. Registration is accomplished by completion of a USA Swimming Athlete Registration Form and submission of that form, with the accompanying fee, to the Missouri Valley Swimming Registration Chair;
3. Where meet reconciliation reports, discussed in section E below, indicate that one or more of a Club's swimmers scheduled to swim in a meet are not registered, the registration form can be turned over to the meet referee;
4. All registration fees must be paid by CLUB, not individual, check;
5. The registration date for all swimmers is the date of the postmark on all mail containing their registration form and fees sent to the MVS Office or the date the form and fees are received by a Referee at a meet. Registration forms faxed to the Missouri Valley Office do not constitute registration until the date of the postmark of the mail containing the complete registration fee.
E. Meet Reconciliation Reports: In order to assure that only USA Swimming Registered Athletes are participating in USA and MVS Sanctioned Meets, it is the duty of any MVS Club hosting a meet to send a copy of its Hy-Tek Meet Manager disk and a hard copy of the list of swimmers entered in the meet to the MVS Office not later than three days prior to the start date of the meet. The MVS Office will then contact the host club's entry chair with the names of swimmers not USA Swimming registered
so that registration can be accomplished prior to the start of the meet. The Meet Referee may not allow any non-registered swimmer to swim in the meet or meet warm-ups.
A. General Rules for Inter-LSC Transfers into MVS
1. Requests for a transfer from a club in another LSC to a swim club in MVS may be made on the MVS Transfer Application (located on this site) or by letter that includes the same information and required signatures;
2. Each request SHOULD be accompanied by the current USA Swimming registration card;
3. Each request MUST be accompanied by a Transfer Fee of $5.00, unless the swimmer claims current registration in another LSC, but has no current registration card. In this event, the Transfer Fee of $6.00 MUST accompany the Request;
4. All requests shall indicate the former LSC (NOT Missouri Valley), the athlete's full registration number, and date and location of last competition with the former club;
5. If the swimmer is not currently registered in another LSC, the request MUST be accompanied by the Transfer Fee of $5.00 plus a completed registration application and the full annual registration fee;
6. From September 1 through December 31, transfers from another LSC MUST be accompanied by a registration form and the appropriate fee for the upcoming year. In such cases, there is no additional transfer fee;
B. General Rules for Inter-LSC Transfer from MVS to Another LSC
1. Requests for a transfer from one club in MVS to a different LSC may be made on the MVS Transfer Application (located on this site) or by letter that includes the same information and required signatures;
2. When transferring from MVS to another LSC, the Transfer Request MUST be accompanied by a copy of the current USA Swimming membership card, and the $5.00 transfer fee;
3. At the same time, the swimmer should contact the new LSC, indicate that a request for transfer had been sent to MVS, and request information about transfer into the new LSC;
4. The new LSC will normally request the original of the current USA Swimming membership card and reissue a card for the balance of the year in the new LSC;
C. General Rules for Intra-MVS Transfer from one Club to Another
1. Requests for a transfer from one club in MVS to another club in MVS may be made on the MVS Transfer Application (located on this site) or by letter that includes the same information and required signatures;
2. When transferring registration from one MVS Club to Another MVS club, the Transfer Application MUST indicate the EXACT DATE on which the athlete last competed in a USA Swimming sanctioned competition for the former club, together with the Transfer fee of $5.00;
3. An athlete transferring from one MVS club to another MUST compete as an "Unattached" athlete for a period of 120 days from the date of the last USA Swimming sanctioned competition for the former club before transfer to the new club can be complete;
a) The 120 day period cannot be waived;
b) During the 120 day period, the athlete cannot represent any USA Swimming club in competition and cannot swim on a relay with any USA Swimming club;
c) Deliberate misrepresentation of the status of an athlete will be referred to the MVS Board of Review;
4. Transfer to the new MVS club is complete upon receipt of the Transfer Application, the $5.00 transfer fee, the expiration of 120 days from the date of the last USA Swimming sanctioned competition with the former club, and receipt of the financial form discussed in the next section;
D. Financial Responsibility and Transfers
It is the general policy of Missouri Valley Swimming to encourage payment of all debts. Accordingly, for all transfers requested, the club from which a swimmer is transferring must complete a statement indicating that neither the swimmer nor the parents/guardians of the swimmer owe the club they are leaving any club fees or dues as required under the by-laws of that club. A copy of this statement is available in the "E-Forms" section of this site.. Until this statement is received by MVS,
the transfer cannot be complete and the swimmer must swim as Unattached.
E. All Transfer Applications to be sent to MVS Registration Chair
All Transfer applications, inter-LSC transfer into MVS, inter-LSC transfer from MVS, and intra-LSC transfer from one MVS club to another, together with the Financial Responsibility statement, MUST be sent to the MVS Registration Chair.
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