FRONT CRAWL STROKE (FREESTYLE) Properly clear the water for inhalation, the head

must rotate independently with the shoulders.

The crawl stroke is the fastest and one of the
most efficient of all swimming strokes. The ability to During inhalation, the cheek opposite the breathing side
perform an effective, smooth crawl stroke is a mark of a is nearly flat to the water. With the head properly
skilled swimmer. This stroke employs the flutter kick, positioned, and depending on the swimmer’s speed,
which is a misnomer, since the legs do not actually inhalation can actually take place with the mouth just
flutter up and down. The need to develop a perfect six- below surface level, in a trough of air that is created by
beat crawl is no longer given the emphasis it received the flow of water about the head. As the arm at the
for many years. The use of two or four beat kicks and breathing side begins to lift from the water, the head
two or four-beat kicks have proved to be very effective rotates facedown position and exhalation begins as the
in modern day competitive swimming. mouth is in the water. Exhalation is through the mouth
and the nose and is smooth and continuous until the
next inhalation is taken. An inhalation and an exhalation
BODY POSITION occur during every stroke.

The swimmer is in prone position, nearly Most good swimmers learn to breath well to one side of
horizontal to surface of the water. The body is straight the body. It is desirable to learn alternate side for
and the hips and the legs are maintained in a position breathing for convenience, added safety to develop a
just below the surface at all times. The head is aligned balanced stroke and to permit the competitive swimmer
with the body, with the waterline approximately at the to more readily observe other contestants during a
hairline, but this position will vary somewhat with freestyle race.
individual differences in swimmers. The body and the
head will roll from side to allow for maximum
Propelling efficiency of the arms and for effective ARM ACTION AND COORDINATION
inhalation and also to permit free and easy recovery of
The hand enters the water almost directly
the arms because of reduced frontal resistance.
forward to its shoulder, finger tips first, thumb side of
the hand rotated downward slightly, with the elbow
bent and higher than the hand. The opposite arm is
LEG ACTION
about halfway through its pressing action, with a
The leg action is commonly called the flutter kick, which definite Bend in the elbow and with the hand under the
is an alternating up and down movements of the legs. midline of the body. This arm accelerates to the
The kick originates from the hips with resultant completion pressing action from this position.
undulating actions of the lower legs, the ankles, and the
The entry slides forward and downward to the
feet. The length of the legs and the degree of flexibility
catch position. When this position is reached, the arm is
in the hips, the knees and the ankles can affect the
fully extended, the opposite arm has almost completed
range of motion of the legs and the effectiveness of the
its backward pressing action, and the inhalation is
kick. In the kicking action, a relaxed ankle and foot will
almost completed.
produce a toeing-in effect naturally. Over – kicking will
simply lead to fatigue and will retard overall stroke From the catch position, the forward arm and hand
effectiveness. start to pull backward toward the long axis center of the
body. The elbow is kept higher than the hand and lower
BREATHING
than the shoulder during propulsive movements. The
The swimmer’s head remains in line with the spine opposite arm begins to recover when the forward arm
through the stroke. Inhalation through the mouth starts to pull.
occurs when the arm on the breathing side is one-half
When the lower arm and the hand are pressed back to a
to three-quarters of the way through its backward
point just below and in front of the shoulder, the elbow
pressing action. In order for the mouth to
achieves maximum bend. The palm is kept positioned so
as to keep maximum pressure against the water during
its entire backward push. The opposite arm is about To be a successful competitor, it is not only necessary to
halfway through its recovery. The forearm and wrist are swim effectively, but also to gain the maximum
relaxed and the elbow is higher than the hand, with the advantage from push away from the wall in the case of
hand slightly outside the elbow and near the water. backstroke.

The lower arm begins to accelerate its pressing action All types of swim strokes have five general components:
backward toward the feet as the opposite arm the arm stroke, the kick, the timing and coordination of
completes its recovery. As the hand enters the water, the body movements, the body position relative to the
the head and the body start their rolling actions unto surface of the water, and the breathing rhythm.
the side of the entry arm. Except for the inhalation, the
The backstroke is a swimming stroke performed with
arm actions as described above are then performed on
the swimmer’s head and stomach facing upward in the
the opposite side of the body.
water. The stroke is alternately windmill type of motion
with each arm, as the swimmer drives his/her body
forward with a flutter kick. (Lerner, 2007)

HISTORY OF BACKSTROKE

Backstroke is an ancient style of swimming, who owes

most of what it has to Harry Hebner. It was the second
stroke to be swum in competitions after the front crawl.
BACKSTROKE The first Olympic backstroke competition was the 1900
Paris Olympics men's 200 metre.
In a competitive swimming, there are four recognized
styles of swimming, of which the fastest is the front Backstroke is the only regulated swimming style that
crawl. The others are backstroke, breaststroke, and is swum on the back, making it the easiest stroke in
butterfly. There are also events in which all four styles which to breathe. The Olympics of 1900 held the first
are combined in one race, known as individual medley. backstroke competition race, which was the first
So, it is very important to know all these swimming Olympics right after swimming was introduced. The kick
styles. What is emphasized in this presentation is the of the backstroke is the same as the
backstroke. freestyle. Backstroke and freestyle are the only two
strokes that rotate the body from side to side, causing
Backstroke is like swimming the front crawl, but on the somewhat of a skating motion.
back. In early days, like all stroke developments,
backstroke grew from the breaststroke with the LEG MOVEMENT
swimmer carrying his arms upward and backward
The leg movement in backstroke is similar to the flutter
simultaneously and kicking his legs in an inverted frog-
kick in front crawl. They make a large contribution to
like action. This style is often called the “Old English”
the forward speed, yet are very significant for stabilizing
backstroke.
the body.
There have been various techniques for the under-
The leg stroke is also alternating, with one leg
water pull and much depends upon the flexibility of the
sinking down straight to about 30 degrees out of the
shoulder of the individual. Almost all backstroke styles
horizontal. From this position, the leg makes a fast kick
include an arm bend at some stage in the pull, generally
upward, slightly bending the knee at the beginning and
near the beginning.
then stretching it again in the horizontal. However,
Backstroke is the only one of the four modern styles in there are also frequent variants with four or only two
which the competitor starts in the water. He must stay kicks per cycle. Usually, sprinters tend to use 6 kicks per
on his back throughout the race, except at the turns. cycle, whereas long distance swimmer may use fewer.
There, having touched the end of the bath while on his
It is also possible to use a butterfly kick, although this is
back, he may move from this position to make a
rare except the butterfly kick after the start and the
somersault turn, provided he has turned on his back
turns. This dolphin kick is essential for many top
before his feet leave the wall.
athletes because it is the fastest part of the race. It may bend back, submerged up to the ears, and the black is
also constitute the majority of the race (i.e., in the 100 slightly arched.
yard backstroke the swimmer may kick underwater
1. Arm Action
dolphin for 15 yards per length which equates to as
much as 60 yards kicking in a 100 yd race) A great Body arms work opposite each other. That is,
example of this is Olympic gold medallist Natalie one is at the top of the stroke, while the other is at the
Coughlin. bottom.
Breaststroke kicks are most comfortable if the arms are
used synchronized, as the breaststroke kick has
difficulty to compensate for a rolling movement due to Backstroke Techniques (Gutman, 1990)
alternating arm cycles. The butterfly kick can be done 1. The stroke begins with the hips near the
slightly to one side depending on the rolling of the surface of the water and the head back. When
body. one arm is at the top of the stroke, the other is
BREATHING at the bottom. The arm is straight when it
enters the water above the head.
Breathing in backstroke is easier than in other strokes,
as the mouth and nose are usually over water. 2. As the swimmer strokes, a flutter kick is
Competitive swimmers breathe in through the mouth used, similar to the crawl.
during the recovery of one arm, and breathe out 3. As the first arm is halfway through the
through the mouth and nose during the pull and push stroke and ready to begin pushing the water,
phase of the same arm. This is done to clear the nose of the second arm is out of the water in the
water. However, some backstrokers face the problem of recovery phase. The feet continues to flutter
splash on their faces due to surface tension that clings kick for the entire stroke.
to their arms as they exit the water.
4. The first arm has just completed the
LEARNING THE BACKSTROKE pushing part of the stroke as the other arm
1. Breathing enters the water over the swimmer’s head.

Because the swimmer is on his back, breathing

during backstroke is not really a problem. Anyone PERFORMING THE STROKE
wanting to try the backstroke should know how to float
on his back. That way, he’ll be able to relax more and Of course, the best way to judge if you are stroking
have the confidence to go ahead and learn the new correctly is to be watched by a good coach. You can also
stroke. practice your strokes on dry land just to get an idea of
the motion. This can easily be done for both the crawl
1. Leg Kick and backstroke by lying on a narrow bench.
As with the crawl, the kick for the backstroke is Swimming is a technique to move unaided
started by the hips. The backstroke is mainly done through water. It is a popular recreational activity and
under the water. Only the toes of the feet may break competitive sport. There are many health benefits of
the surface of the water. swimming (Kumar, 2006).
1. Knee Action As you learn this new swimming stroke, you
The downward action of the feet in the will come to enjoy aquatic mobile activities in a new
backstroke kick requires a bit more bending of the knee. avenue. Once again, the early swimming lessons will
come back as an advantage.
1. Body Position

This is similar to the flashing position. The hips

should be held near the surface of the water with the
Swimming Benefits: Body, Mind, and Spirit aerobics class or a master’s swim practice, and socialize
while you workout.
—Low impact —Swimming is regarded as one of the
safest exercises, with very little risk of injury. And many Prominent Swimmers During the Olympic
people who have been injured turn to swimming as a Games
way to exercise, and even rehabilitate their injuries.
—Mark Spitz - 5 gold medal winner in swimming at
—Anyone can do it — No matter your age, weight, skill the 1972 Olympics.
level, or fitness level, swimming is an excellent choice
for anyone including overweight people, people with —Alison Streeter has her name already appeared four
disabilities , pregnant women and seniors. times in The Guinness Book of Records.

—Longevity — A recent study shows that —Ian Thorpe - An Australian, Ian Thorpe has won 5
swimming helps you live longer. In a study of more than Olympic gold as well as 11 gold medals in the World
40,000 men ages 20 to 90, swimmers were 50 percent Championships.
less likely to die during the 32 year study period than —Jennifer Beth Thompson - She has won 12 Olympic
were walkers or runners. medals, which includes 8 gold, while she represented
—Weight loss — You burn around three calories a mile the United States in the Summer Olympics.
per pound of bodyweight. So if you weigh 150 pounds —Matt Biondi - has won 11 Olympic medals,
and you swim one mile in 30 minutes, then you will participating in the 1984, 1988, and 1992 Olympics.
burn 900 calories per hour. Of course, how many He equalled Mark Spitz’s feat of winning 7 medals in a
calories you burn depends on how much you weigh and single Olympic Games, in 1988. Biondi won 5 gold in
the intensity of your workout. If you weigh 150 pounds Seoul, while he set records in four of the events.
and swim at moderate intensity, you will burn around
600 calories per hour. —Michael Phelps - He is a holder of world records in a
number of events. Amongst his achievements are the 8
—Cross- training — Swimming is also a great way to do medals he won at the Summer Olympics of 2004 held in
cross-training, when added to your regular workouts. Athens, of which 6 were gold. He was named the World
Before a land workout, swimming helps you warm up. Swimmer of the Year in 2003, 2004, 2006, and 2007.
After a land workout, swimming helps you cool down,
recover your muscles and relax.

—Physical health benefits — Swimming Swimming Officials

builds flexibility, endurance, muscle
Starter’s Marshall
strength and cardiovascular health. Water adds 12
times more resistance than air, so it takes more work to The Team Teacher or Coach shall be responsible for
move through water than air. Swimming not only helps placing swimmers in their correct lanes as allocated in
strengthen muscles, it also helps builds lean, flexible the programme. All swimmers from each school swim in
muscles. the same lane for all events.

—Mental benefits — For many swimmers, swimming is When called by the Announcer, swimmers report to
like a form of mediation. This is because swimming is a their respective Teacher/Coach who will line them up in
focused activity that cannot be combined with correct lane positions ready for the Starter. For relays,
distractions like reading or watching television. they are also responsible for ensuring that ALL
Swimming forces you to regulate your breathing, and swimmers are in the correct lane and ready at the
allows you to focus on nothing but the rhythm of your correct end of the pool. Team coaches may call “Go” to
stroke. It reduces stress and leaves you feel relaxed and each successive swimmer at the correct time but must
refreshed. NOT touch the swimmer and thus risk disqualification.

—Recreation — Swimming is a lot of fun and can be a Starter

great way to socialize. Whether at the beach or a pool,
it is fun to swim with other people. You can join a water
The Starter is responsible for the starting of all events. Timekeepers must not reset the watch until the Chief
When the Finish Marshall indicates to the Starter, the Timekeeper has checked and recorded the time.
Starter shall sound a whistle to bring swimmers to the
Because of the ‘No Diving from the shallow end’ rule,
blocks for the next race.
timekeepers will be required to move to the end of the
Starting instructions are then – “Take your mark” pool dependant on the distance of the race in order to
(swimmers move into position on the blocks, stand still stop the watch at the Finish end.
and ready). Starter then fires the gun. In the case of a
Chief Timekeeper
false start, a second firing of the gun, after the
swimmers have resurfaced, will indicate to the false The Chief Timekeeper is responsible for:
start rope attendants to drop the rope.
1. acting as a Roving Timekeeper, if one is not
After a false start, all swimmers must return to the available, stopping the watch on the 1st
marshalled position and await the whistle to bring them swimmer to finish or timing the lane of a
back to the blocks to restart the race. timekeeper who may have missed a start
False Rope Attendant (2) 2. ensuring the watches are reset for the start of
each race (e.g. calls ‘reset watches)
These 2 people are responsible for manning the false
start rope. In the event of a false start, the starter will 3. recording all times in order of lanes on the
fire the gun a second time after swimmers resurface. sheet supplied
When this occurs the rope should be dropped
immediately to stop any swimmers. 4. checking with Chief Judge if a disputed result
occurs
Referee
Place Judges and Chief Judge
This person is responsible for ensuring that all
swimmers adhere generally to the basic rules of Judges are responsible for placing of swimmers in each
swimming. event. Each judge places 1st, 2nd, 3rd, 4th, 5th, etc. by
lane number as they finish. These placings are then
Due to the nature of our carnivals, in the lowest age checked by the Chief Judge – if a dispute occurs, the
group only glaring examples of rule breaches may be Chief Judge will confer with the Chief Timekeeper for
penalised (e.g. interference, etc.) but in higher age clarification of placings. When placings are finalised,
groups where technique has been taught (especially in place discs will be issued to swimmers in the 1st four
Div. A races) more technical breaches will be penalised. places.
(e.g. in backstroke, swimmers must be on their backs as
they touch. In breaststroke and butterfly, touches must Finish Marshall
be made with both hands simultaneously, etc.) After the Judges give the place discs to the 4 place
However, all breaches in relay changeovers will be getters, the Finish Marshall blows a whistle to get the
penalised. children from the pool and signals to the Starter to start
the next race.
Timekeepers
and lead the first four place getters, in Place winners
Timekeepers are responsible for the timing of order, to the Recorders table.
competitors in each lane – one timekeeper per lane plus
one Roving Timekeeper. Take Time sheets and Judge sheets to the Recorders.

They start the watch at the sign of smoke from the Recorders (2)
starter’s gun and stop the watch when the swimmer One recorder is required to list on the “Result slip” the
touches the wall. Should a Timekeeper miss the start for names and schools of the first four placegetters , the
whatever reason she/he should indicate to the Roving winning time, circling the NEW RECORD BOX if
Timekeeper who will time that person’s lane. necessary. The Time sheet, Judges sheet and Results
sheet are stapled and passed to the Computer
programmer. The second recorder allocates the
respective winners with their ribbons and assists the
first recorder if necessary. All other recording will be
completed by the computer programmer.

Announcer

It is the task of the announcer to keep the crowd and

competitors informed, call competitors for each event
(4 events in advance), call for quiet at the start of races,
explain and if possible demonstrate areas that may be
of concern to competitors. At the conclusion of the
Carnival, thank all concerned, i.e. Parent volunteer
officials, St John, IDM, Teachers, Coaches, supporters
Pool officials, announce the winners and present
trophies.