MVS Related Rules, Regulations and Information

Section 9

Section 9 -- Assuring Safety

A.  USA Swimming Provisions -- USA Swimming, Inc., the National Governing Body for competitive swimming, considers the safety of its members to be of utmost importance. As a result, USA Swimming is committed to safety and risk management and has developed a comprehensive safety program to address safety, from the national to the local level.

1.  At the national level, USA Swimming has established a standing committee on safety, the USA Swimming Safety Education Committee. It considers and recommends policies on safety to the USA Swimming Board of Directors and House of Delegates.

2.  Safety is also a part of all swim meets. As a condition of any Sanction for any USA Swimming Meet (except approved meets) and as a requirement for USA Swimming insurance coverage, all participants must meet the following conditions:

a)  all swimmers, meet directors, referees, starters, marshals, and stroke and turn judges, serving in an official capacity in a sanctioned meet, must be members of USA Swimming and their LSC;

b)  all persons acting in a coaching capacity in a sanctioned meet must be coach members of USA Swimming and their LSC;

c)  every club which participates in USA Swimming competition, and all its athletes and coaches, sanctioned by the Corporation must be members of USA Swimming and their LSC.

B.  Coaches Safety Curriculum -- USA Swimming has also taken an active role in the safety education of its coach members. The Coaches Safety Curriculum includes training in Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation (CPR), basic First Aid, and Safety Training for Swim Coaches. Completion of all parts of the curriculum is required for all USA Swimming coaches.

C.  Missouri Valley Enforcement Policies

1.  Enforcement in Membership -- The USA Swimming Coach Membership Card reads: "As of the registration date this individual has completed CPR, First Aid and Safety Training for Swim Coaches or its equivalent to satisfy the requirements for ... coach membership in United States Swimming. Coach members are responsible for maintaining a current status of all course certificates."

a)  The Missouri Valley Registration Chair will issue cards denoting full coach membership in USA Swimming to those individuals who have successfully completed the current Coaches Safety Curriculum Requirements. These individuals must:

i)  Provide the Registration Chair with a photocopy of the front and back of the certificates or cards issued upon completion of CPR, First Aid, and Safety Training for Swim Coaches;

ii)  Have a Current status in those certificates at the time of the application;

iii)  Complete a USA Swimming Non-Athlete Membership Application and pay the appropriate fee.

b)  Those applicants who fail to provide adequate proof of completion of the Coaches Safety Curriculum requirements at the time of application will be issued a USA Swimming Non-Athlete Membership until adequate proof is supplied.

2.  Enforcement at Meets

a)  No person without a USA Swimming Coach membership will be allowed to participate in any coaching capacity at any USA Swimming sanctioned competition. This restriction includes being barred from the deck area at all LSC, zone, Junior Olympic, national, and international qualifying competitions.

i)  The Missouri Valley Office will furnish each coach member with a plastic holder for displaying the coach membership card in a Highly Visible manner on deck during competition. 

ii)  Each coach member MUST display the Coach Membership card in a manner that is likely to be visible to a reasonable meet Referee to be entitled to exercise coaching privileges during competition;

b)  All officials and other meet officials shall display the badge indicating membership in and certification by USA Swimming at all times the official is on the deck;

c)  If an offending person refuses to comply with these provisions after an initial warning, the meet referee shall exercise discretion to have the offender removed from the deck area. If the offending person is a coach, all athletes from the club of that person may be designated as "unattached" for the entire competition, unless the club has another USA Swimming coach member present.

d)  It shall be the responsibility of the Meet Referee, or designee, to enforce these provisions.

3.  Enforcement at Practice

a)  In the event a team holds a practice which is not under the direct supervision of a coach who satisfies the Coaches Safety Curriculum, there is no USA Swimming liability insurance for the Club and, because this practice is not approved by USA Swimming and Missouri Valley Swimming, there is not likely to be any secondary accident insurance for any athlete.

b)  Continuous failure of a coach to satisfy the Coaches Safety Curriculum requirement will be considered grounds for termination of membership;

c)  Continuing to conduct a club program with coaches who have failed to satisfy the Coaches Safety Curriculum requirement shall be grounds for termination of club membership.

4.  Implementation Requirements -- Each USA Swimming Club must have at least one properly registered coach to register as a USA Swimming Club. Those clubs who do not have at least one properly registered coach as of January 1 for full-year clubs or April 15 for seasonal clubs must immediately cease all activities requiring the presence of a USA Swimming coach until a properly registered USA Swimming coach is obtained. "Properly registered," as used here means registered with the Missouri Valley office as a Coach Member as required in the section "Enforcement in Membership."

D.  Missouri Valley Safety Guidelines and Warm-Up Procedure

1.  Responsibilities of Coaches

a)  Coaches shall instruct swimmers as to the safety guidelines and procedures to be followed at all meets and practice sessions.

b)  Coaches shall continually supervise their swimmers during meets and practice sessions.

2.  Host Team Responsibilities

a)  The Host team shall provide for a minimum of four Marshals for seven lane or more pools, or two Marshals for six lane or less pools to adequately secure compliance with warm-up procedures.

b)  Marshals shall be current members of USA Swimming, or shall be facility-hired and either American Red Cross or Ellis currently-Certified Life Guards.

c)  The Meet Information shall state warm-up procedures and also state that Missouri Valley Swimming Safety Guidelines and warm-up procedures will be in effect at the meet.

d)  Copies of these Guidelines and Procedures shall be posted at several locations around the pool.

e)  The announcer shall be available during the warm-up sessions to assist with announcing procedures and conduct of the warm-up period.

3.  General Rules Throughout Warm-Up

a)  Control/Supervision are the key words for safe swimming during this period.

b)  Marshals will remain on duty for the entire warm-up period.

c)  Marshals will be responsible for the control and supervision of swimmers both in and out of the pool.

d)  Swimmers or coaches who do not or will not follow the prescribed Warm-Up Procedures or directions of Marshals or USA Swimming Officials may be barred from the use of the warm-up area.

e)  Changes to Warm-Up procedures and other factors necessary to ensure swimmers safety may be made by the host team with the consent of the referee.

f)  All safety guidelines are to be followed. They should be implemented and used considering the number of lanes, physical layout of the pool, and number of swimmers in the meet.

4.  Options for General and Specific Warm-Up Periods

a)  The meet director, in consultation with the meet referee, will select one of the following warm-up options. The meet director, the meet marshals, and the meet referee enforce the option selected;

b)  Option 1:

i)  General Warm-Up Period

(a)  The first half of warm-up period shall be allocated to general warm-up in all lanes.

(b)  Swimmers must enter pool feet first, in a safe and cautious manner, from the starting end of the pool only.

(c)  No sprinting, pace work, or paddles are allowed.

(d)  Circle swimming only is permitted during this period.

ii)  Specific Warm-Up Period

(a)  The second half of the warm-up period should be allocated to specific lane usage as shown in the following chart:

i.  In Push/Pace Lanes--No racing starts. Push off one or two lengths from the starting end. Circle swimming only.

ii.  In Racing Starts/Sprint Lanes--Racing starts, including backstroke starts, permitted from the blocks. Swimmers must exit pool upon completion of one length of the pool. Relay take-off practice is not permitted. Swimmers must walk back around the sides of the pool to the starting end. Backstrokers shall ensure they are not starting at the same time as a swimmer on the blocks. Swimmers shall not step up on the blocks if there is a backstroker waiting to start.

iii. In General Warm-Up Lanes--No racing starts. Circle swimming only.

c)  Option 2:

i)  Host team will determine the need for split warm-up times. The rule of thumb provides a maximum of 25 swimmers per lane. To reach this goal, the warm-up period may be split into two or more sessions.

ii)  The host team will assign teams by lane and time period to provide equal usage of pool and warm-up time.

iii)  Coaches and marshals will determine appropriate flow patterns in each lane following Missouri Valley Guidelines. During the first half of the warm-up, only General warm-up as stated in "General Warm-Up" in Option 1, is allowed. During the second half of a warm-up period, a lane may be used for one of the following warm-up types:

(a)  Push/pace lane -- as defined in "Lane Use" above;

(b)  Racing Starts or Sprints -- as defined in "Lane Use" above;

(c)  General Warm-Up lane -- as defined in "Lane Use" above.

iv)  When a Coach desires to turn a team's lane into a Racing Start or Sprint lane, all swimmers must be removed from the lane, a marshal and all coaches in adjoining lanes must be notified, and all starts and sprints shall comply with "Racing Starts or sprints," in "Lane Use" above.

d)  Option 3:

A Host team may design an appropriate warm-up procedure provided this procedure:

i)  meets the safety needs of participants in the meet;

ii)  adheres to all Missouri Valley Safety Guidelines set forth herein;

iii)  is approved by the referee prior to the beginning of the warm-up period.

4.  General Safety Guidelines During a Meet

a)  No running on deck.

b)  In case of a recall start, swimmers shall not jump or dive into the pool to stop swimmers.

c)  When side lanes are used for warm-up and warm-down during the meet, no racing starts or sprints are allowed. Only circle swimming is permitted.

d)  Any warm-up area is to be used by USA Swimming registered Swimmers only; and may not be used by parents, siblings of swimmers or spectators.

e)  Any separate warm-up pool or area shall be under the supervision of a Marshall at all times.

f)  Other safety guidelines are contained in the "Facilities Check-list" of the Missouri Valley Meet Director's Guide.