General Championship Rules

General Championship Rules

Conditions of Entry

Information and Briefing Meeting

Postponement

The Event

Boating Requirements for B.L.D.S.A Championships

Conditions of Entry

All association championships shall only be open to eligible swimmers who are members of the Association except in Masters Championships where current A.S.A. laws shall apply.

All Association Championships shall be conducted under A.S.A and B.L.D.S.A Laws and Rules as applicable.

Each entrant shall complete the official entry form in full detail for each championship in which they compete and shall remit the full entry fee with the entry form.

Under no circumstances shall any entry be accepted after the official closing date indicated on the entry form.

The Association shall reserve the right to refuse any entry, in which case the entry fee shall be refunded.

Any entrant whose entry has been accepted but who is unable to attend shall have their entry fee, less an administration fee , refunded provided the Hon Championship Secretary receives notice of withdrawal not less than three clear days before the date of the championship.

If notice of withdrawal as specified is not received , the entrant shall forfeit all or part of the entry fee at the Championship Committees discretion.

A Junior competitor shall have attained the age of 12 years but be under the age of 16 years on the day of the championship. A senior competitor shall be 16 years of age or over on the day of the championship. No Junior competitors shall be allowed to compete in a Senior Championship.

All veterans, male or female, are to be 45 years of age or over on the day of the championship.

Information and Briefing Meeting

An information sheet in connection with each championship shall be issued to every entrant and official at least seven days prior to the event and must be read by them before the briefing meeting.

A briefing meeting shall be held before each championship at a time and venue indicated on the information sheet.

Entrants shall attend the briefing meeting and failure to do so, without adequate explanation being given to the championship secretary or referee, will result in disqualification. Pilot Life Savers and officials are requested to attend. Boat owners, oarsmen, life savers and trainers are encouraged to attend.

Postponement

Postponement of a championship shall only be considered under conditions considered to be dangerous and whenever possible a postponed championship shall be held on the following day or at a later date.

The Event

1. Competitors, Championship officials, pilot life savers, oarsmen and lifesavers shall assemble for the start of the race at the time and place indicated in the information sheet or in the event of alteration, as announced at the briefing meeting, and shall follow the directions given by the officials in charge.

2. Boat crews shall comply with all instructions for the championship and in particular the the directions of the Safety Officer and Referee and they shall ensure their boat is properly cleaned and in good order before it is handed over after the event.

3. On courses where each swimmer has their own boat or canoe, these are mainly the straight line courses on the larger lakes, each competitor shall provide a whistle and a flag alpha, the flag must be on a pole at least 1 metre long. This Flag must be flown at all times by the escort boat or canoe whilst the swimmer is in the water and should only be taken down if the swimmer retires. In the event of assistance being required, long continuous blasts on the whistle must be given and flag waved vigorously.

4. Unless specified all all Association Championships shall be freestyle championships.

5. Where a breaststroke event is held as part of an Association Championship all competitors must declare their nominated stroke on the entry form and no subsequent change will be allowed. Breaststroke swimmer shall wear a white cap, freestyle swimmers shall be allowed to wear any other colour cap except white.

6. To start the race audible and visible signals shall be given.

7. Competitors shall not receive any support from floating or fixed objects and shall not use any aids to swimming. Only one cap and goggles may be worn. Only one costume which must be sleeveless and leg less or one pair of trunks which also must be leg less. No neoprene or other insulating buoyancy enhancing material may be used for any purpose, including caps.

8. Competitors must not have consumed or be under the influence of alcohol or stimulants. The use of banned drugs as defined by the International Olympic Committee's Medical Commission is prohibited. The Association reserves the right to arrange random screening of random urine samples for the detection of banned drugs. Failure or refusal to provide a sample will result in disqualification. Copies of the medical commission's list of banned drugs will be held by the Association from whom advice may be obtained.

9. Competitors shall be allowed to stand for the purpose of resting or to consume food or drink provided rules 7 and 8 are complied with. No steps may be taken.

10. Competitors shall not be accompanied by any other swimmer in the water for the purpose of pace making.

11. A swimmer shall at all times swim so that he/she keeps clear of (does not impede) any swimmer. Making contact, except purely accidentally, or swimming within 1 metre proximity so that a swimmer's stroke, direction or course of action is likely to be adversely affected shall be deemed to be unsporting impedance.

12. The Championship Referee shall order from the water any swimmer who has contravened any rule or whose condition is in his opinion unsatisfactory.

13. All championships shall have a time limit. That time limit shall be specified in the information sheet and at the briefing meeting for the event.

14. At the end of the time limit, the championship facilities shall be withdrawn. Any swimmer refusing to leave the water at that time will be deemed to be making an individual attempt on the course. The Association accepts no responsibility for swimmers or boat crews continuing in this way and if the boat owner presents any additional account for any boat so delayed this must be met by the swimmer.

15. In the event of deteriorating conditions, the championship referee shall have the authority (which he/she may delegate) to vary the course or to order any swimmer or swimmers from the water and/or declare the race terminated. In such circumstances the allocation of awards shall be determined by the championship committee.

Boating Requirements for B.L.D.S.A Championships

Courses requiring swimmers to be accompanied by a boat are: Windermere, 2 way Windermere and Loch Lomond.

Courses requiring swimmers to be accompanied by a canoe or boat are: Derwentwater, Coniston, Bala, Torbay, Coniston Veterans, Junior Coniston.

Courses not requiring boat or canoe escorts are: Waterloo Lake, Lynn Regis, Millennium Championships, Champion of Champions.