By Sydney Jones on SwimSwam
On September 28, the USA Swimming House of Delegates will convene to vote on the proposed amendments to the 2026 Rules & Regulations. The meeting will take place during the USA Swimming Annual Summit in Denver, Colo.
Among the proposed amendments is a proposal to remove the requirement that wetsuits be on the World Aquatics-approved list at grassroots-level open-water swimming events. This stems from the high prices of wetsuits on the AQUA-approved list, with nearly all of them costing $500 or more. Many wetsuits comply with World Aquatics regulations but have yet to go through the approval process. These more affordable wetsuits would be allowed to be used at events that are below the Zone level and not national qualifiers.
According to the document, the goal of the amendment is to make these wetsuits more affordable and thus, allow non-Southern states to start their open water season far sooner. This amendment may run into a speed bump, though, as the committee’s recommendation is to reject. They argue that the amendment will result in inequality in competition, as well causing additional administrative burden and complications.
Another important proposal addresses competition eligibility after transferring USA Swimming clubs. The current rule is that 60 days must have elapsed from a swimmer’s last competition with their old club before they can represent their new club. The amendment proposes that this can be waived under specific circumstances, including when a swimmer’s former club is no longer operating, the swimmer is transferring from an international federation, or the Rules & Regulations Committee determines that a waiver is appropriate.
Additionally, the proposed amendments included an age group specific technical suggestion. The proposal suggests providing an exception to the non-continuous turn rule for 12 & under swimmers. The exception would allow the swimmer to stay qualified if they fail to make a continuous backstroke turn. However, the committee recommends rejecting this proposal, as exceptions to technical rules do not follow USA Swimming rules.
The House of Delegates, who are responsible for deciding to approve or reject the suggested amendments, consists of members from the Board of Directors, athlete and non-athlete representatives, Rules & Regulations Committee members, National Team Steering Committee representatives, Age Group Development Committee and Senior Development Committee members, Coach Advisory Council representatives, members of the Athletes’ Executive Committee, and Local Swimming Council (LSC) members. Within this voting group, one-third of the House of Delegates must be 10-Year and 10-Year+ athletes.
Along with these major proposals, many minor and administrative suggestions were also made. Other notable proposed amendments include:
To align more closely with World Aquatics Competition Regulations, open water swimmers will have 10 minutes per five kilometers of the course distance, or up to 60 minutes, to complete the course behind the first-placed swimmer. Open water swimmers will not be allowed to carry any gel or packaged nutrition with them or in their swimwear during competition. Open water swimmers must attend a safety briefing before their race. Failure to attend with a valid reason could result in a yellow card or disqualification.You can find the Rules & Regulations Committee Proposed Amendments here.
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