Description

MEMORANDUM

September 15, 2015

TO: Head Men’s and Women’s Swimming and Diving Coaches and Conference Commissioners.

FROM: Brian Gordon, secretary-rules editor
NCAA Men’s and Women’s Swimming and Diving Rules Committee.

SUBJECT: Rules Change Clarification for Diving Degree of Difficulty.

Following the publishing of the new NCAA Swimming & Diving Rules Book this fall, two significant clerical errors were discovered within Rule 6. Through the rules change process these items were not noticed. The following corrections are being issued to the downloadable version of the Men’s and Women’s Swimming and Diving 2015-16 and 2016-17 Rules Book.

The Swimming and Diving Rules Committee reviewed a proposed change to Rule 6, Section 2, Article 2.b.1.b. to permit, during championship three-meter diving, a competition format that allows divers to complete the five voluntary dives, followed by six optional dives. The committee approved this change with no discussion or consideration of changing the listed degree of difficulty. The wording in the rule change proposal included a degree of difficulty of 9.0. Following approval of the Playing Rules Oversight Panel, the approved change was made on page 61 to Rule 6, Section 2, Article 2.b.1.b, including the incorrect language. The intent of the committee was to provide an additional program format option and not to impact the championship competition.

For the 2015-16 and 2016-17 seasons, in championship meets without platform as an event, permissible format two (2) should read, “five voluntary dives, including one from each of the five groups, in any order, with a total degree of difficulty not to exceed 9.5, followed by six optional dives including one from each of five groups, plus an additional dive that may be selected from any group.”

The second error is the omission of the word not to Rule 6, Section 5, Article 3.b.1.l. The committee added letter l to Article 3.b.1 to clarify what allows the referee to consider for a dive to be failed. For the 2015-16 and 2016-17 seasons, Rule 6, Section 5, Article 3.b.1.l should read, “If the diver’s takeoff is not from both feet simultaneously.”

The intent of the committee and the rules staff is to ensure the integrity of the sport and playing rules for swimming and diving. We apologize for this error. These corrections have been made to the downloadable version of the NCAA Swimming and Diving Rules Book on the publications website, at http://www.ncaapublications.com/p-4403-ncaa-mens- and-womens-swimming-and-diving-rules-2015-2016-and-2016-2017.aspx. This clarification will be provided with the printed copy of the rules book distributed. Please feel free to contact me directly at bgordon637@aol.com or 518-944-3941 if there are addition questions regarding this clerical error.

BG:bb
cc: NCAA Men’s and Women’s Swimming and Diving Rules Committee
Selected NCAA Staff