Preseason Swimming & Diving Memo
Happy First Day of Practice! Best wishes to you and your team this year. This note covers a lot of basic things, but they are items that I want to make sure you are all aware of.2023 Rules Meeting: The 2023 Swimming and Diving Rules meeting has been posted since August 1st. The meeting can be accessed by going to your Bound Account. All head coaches are required to view the meeting and it is recommended that all assistant coaches also view the meeting. Coaches must have the rules meeting completed by Friday, September 8.
2023 Rule Changes: NFHS rule changes for the 2023 Swimming and Diving season can be accessed by clicking here.
2023 Points of Emphasis: Although these are covered in the online rules meeting, you can review this year’s NFHS Points of Emphasis by clicking here.
2023 Season Information: I have included several materials produced by the NFHS to help you with your season. This information can be accessed through the IGHSAU website. Please go to the header “Coaches and Information” When you click on coaches and information, look for the swimming and diving link (which is found under fall sports). When you click on the swimming and diving information (you can click here), you will see important dates and guidelines, and 2023 state qualifying times. Please bookmark the page and check it regularly during the season. I will also continue to send email information to coaches during the regular season. If you are a new coach or have an email address that has changed from last season, please send me an update at [email protected].
Iowa Interscholastic Para-Swimming Program: This is the second year that the IGHSAU has had a Para-swimming program. The program is designed to allow individuals who require the use of a wheelchair for participation in athletic activities the opportunity to become involved in interscholastic sports. The IGHSAU will offer competition in the 50 freestyle, 100-yard freestyle, 200-yard freestyle, 100-yard breaststroke and now the 100 Backstroke. Click here to learn more about the program. Please contact me if you have any questions regarding the program.
Bound: Bound is now open for schools to update their rosters and schedules. To begin this process, go to the QuikStats website. Click on "Login" located at the top right of the webpage. Coaches will be able to import meet results by going through Bound. If you need assistance entering results, there is a tutorial on Bound that talks about entering marks. When you are in your Bound page, you will see a green-colored Bound logo on the lower right hand side of your page. Click on the green button and you will see a link for instructions on entering meet times (note: the examples given in the tutorial are for track marks, but the process for entering swim marks is the same). In that same space, you may also reach the Bound support staff if you are having issues with your page.
Schools must update Bound every week. We will check the Bound database every Tuesday. With State Time Standards, all schools that host meets MUST import meet results into Bound. The meet results will serve as the verification for swimmers that achieve the time standards during the regular season. State qualifying times will not be recognized unless it is verified on Bound.
Qualifying Time Standards: 2023 time standards can by viewed by clicking here and are listed below. Time standards are the average of the 16th place time (the last scoring position) from the last five State Swimming and Diving Meets in each event. Swimmers can qualify for the state meet if this standard is achieved at an official IGHSAU-sanctioned meet in a fully-automatic timed (FAT) yard pool in the regular season. All times must be verified in Bound. Times from lead-off legs in relays are eligible if the time is a FAT time.
200 Freestyle: 1:57.70
200 IM 2:12.44
50 Freestyle :24.85
100 Butterfly :59.62
100 Freestyle :54.47
500 Freestyle 5:18.45
100 Backstroke :59.77
100 Breaststroke 1:08.19
Reporting A State Qualifying Time: I will have a listing of individuals that have reached state standards posted on the IGHSAU website. In addition to posting times to QuikStats, please email me at [email protected] if you have a swimmer that has reached a time standard. I will try to post Twitter updates of athletes reaching state standards at least once a week, if not more.
Important Dates:
Monday, August 21
First Competition Date
Thursday, November 2
Regional Diving
Saturday, November 4:
Regional Swimming Meets
November 10|
State Prelim Meet
State Diving Meet
November 11
State Swimming Finals
DIVING COACHES: The IGHSAU permits diving coaches to work with all of the divers from the schools they have been hired to coach simultaneously. Diving coaches will not need to have separate diving practices for each school. Please note that is for diving only.
Backstroke Wedges: The NFHS did not approve the use of backstroke wedges for high school competition. They are NOT to be used in high school meets for the 2023 season.
Season Limitations: A swimmer/diver is allowed to participate in 12 meets against varsity competition during a season but shall never be charged with more than one meet on a calendar day. If the athlete swims junior varsity and varsity on the same day, they are charged with one meet. Schools can host diving-only meets for divers to participate in 12 meets.
Concussion Reminder: ALL coaches must view the online concussion video, “Concussion in Sports: What You Need to Know” before the first day of practice. Please see your AD if you or your coaching staff have not yet viewed the video.
NFHS Rule Book: This is the off -year for rule books. Please refer to last season's 2022-23 Swimming and Diving Rule Books.
11-Dive Meets: 11-dive meets are allowed at dual meets. The host school must contact and have mutual consent from the opposing school prior to the date of the meet. The host school is also responsible for contacting officials prior to the dual meet.
Hosting Regional Swimming and Diving Meets: Schools interested in hosting regional swimming and diving need to fill out the site availability form that is part of the IGHSAU online forms in Bound.
NOTE TO SCHOOLS INTERESTED IN HOSTING: The IGHSAU will give preference to facilities that have eight lane pools, but we cannot guarantee that all regions will compete in eight-lane pools every year.
Rule 9-4-6 Rotating Dive Schedule: In an effort to reflect the needs of developing divers, the rotating dive schedule has expanded to allow two weeks for the first group of forward dives. This is the dive schedule for the 2023 season:
Weeks 1-2: August 22-Sept.3) - Forward Group
Week 3: (Sept. 4-10) – Back Group
Week 4: (Sept. 11-17) – Inward Group
Week 5: (Sept. 18-24) – Twisting Group
Week 6: (Sept. 25-Oct.1) – Reverse Group
At the end of the sixth week, roll back to the forward group in week 7, the back group in week 8, etc.
Diving Reminders: The Iowa Department of Health made a ruling that diving boards may be replaced on pools with water depth of 10-12 feet. However, the replacement of a complete diving stand will not be permitted unless the water depth is 12 feet. This would be a violation of Iowa Code (641 IAC Chapter 15). Iowa Administrative Code does not allow the following sites to replace the diving stand due to having less than 12 feet of water. Therefore, diving will not take place and no points awarded at the following sites:
Centerville
Des Moines East
Des Moines Hoover
Des Moines North
Lewis Central
Newton
Oskaloosa
Ottumwa
Perry
Spencer
Tipton
Vinton-Shellsburg
Williamsbu
At all other schools, diving will take place and points will be scored accordingly. If the diving situation has changed at your school, please contact the IGHSAU immediately.
REMINDER: The schools listed above may still have diving competitions if the competition is held at a site that has the required water depth.
State Diving Change: I mentioned this in a memo last spring, but a reminder that diving will be judged differently at the 2023 State Meet. The swimming and diving advisory committee recommended using a two-panel judging system at this year's state diving meet. The IGHSAU Board of Directors approved this change at its February meeting.
In this format, there would be two panels of judges - two officials and five coaches on each seven-person panel, for a total of four officials and 10 coaches. The coaches selected to judge at the state diving meet will be based on recommendations submitted to the IGHSAU from each regional meet. Each regional site would submit the top four names of diving coaches for a total of 12 names. The IGHSAU, with the consultation of the four officials selected to judge diving, will select the ten coaches to judge the state meet—the format for judging regional diving will not change.
The panel system would designate two groups, each consisting of two officials and five coaches. One of the two officials in each panel would oversee each group. Each panel would judge two rounds of diving, then be off for two rounds. This change aims to improve the consistency of judging at the state meet. There will be more information regarding this change later in the season.
I am only a phone call or e-mail away. Please feel free to contact me if you have any questions during the season. Best wishes to everyone on a successful 2023 swimming and diving season.
Jason Eslinger