Backstroke 

Swimmers must start from in the water with both hands on the edge of the pool or on the starting block rail, toes must be under the water.  Swimmers must remain on their backs until they touch the wall for a turn or a finish. Following these criteria, any means of stroke or kick is allowed. The pennants hanging across the pool (backstroke flags) are situated to prepare the swimmer for the approaching wall.  During practice and warm-ups, swimmers are encouraged to count how many strokes it takes them from the flag to the wall.

 

This stroke must be done on the breast with some part of the head surfacing during each stroke sequence, except on starts and turns where one underwater pull and kick are allowed, in that order. All vertical and lateral movements of the legs must be simultaneous.  Scissors, flutters, and downward kicks are not permitted.  The kick must be a squeezing action with no downward thrust on the legs, all on the horizontal plane. The arm pull also must be simultaneous and on the same horizontal plane, recovering forward from the breast. Elbows shall be under the water except for the last stroke at the finish.  The swimmer must touch the wall with both hands simultaneously at all turns and the finish.

Butterfly: “the Fly”  

The swimmer’s shoulders must be at or past the vertical toward the breast.   At the start, the swimmer is permitted one or more leg kicks, but only one arm pull underwater, which must bring him/her to the surface.  From the beginning of the first arm pull, the swimmer’s shoulder must be in line with the water surface.  The leg kicks must be downward thrusts in a simultaneous action (the dolphin kick). The arm pull must be simultaneous and the arms must recover forward over the top of the water (only 8 and unders may recover with only part of their arms breaking the waters surface). Both hands must touch the wall simultaneously at all turns and the finish.

Freestyle  

“Free” means swimmers are free to do any stroke imaginable (except in medley or free relay, in which swimmers must swim the crawl), however most swimmers choose the crawl, which is the fastest stroke. Any part of the body can touch the wall at turns and the finish. This is the first stroke emphasized and virtually all new swimmers will compete in it. Swimmers are allowed to hold on to the lane lines in this stroke or stand on the bottom providing they do not push off from this position or move forward while doing so.

The Stingrays also swim the following events at our meets . . .

Individual Relay (the "IM") 

An event in which a swimmer competes by swimming all four strokes in the following order: butterfly, backstroke, breaststroke, freestyle (a stroke other than the previous three). This event is often referred to as “IM”.

Medley Relay

Four swimmers swim consecutively, each waiting until the previous swimmer touches the wall before leaving on the next leg. The first swimmer swims backstroke, the second swimmer swims breaststroke, the third swimmer swims butterfly, and the fourth swimmer swims freestyle. Any disqualification of a swimmer disqualifies the entire relay team.

Free Relay  

Four swimmers swim consecutively, each waiting until the previous swimmer touches the wall before leaving on the next leg. Any disqualification of a swimmer disqualifies the entire relay team.