FINA TDC Proposed rules

Below are FINA Proposed rule changes as discussed in August 2004. Final decisions will be made during the 2005 World Aquatics Championships. Once the final decisions are known, the CDCA and Rules Committee will review the Canadian rules and recommend adjustments to the Canadian Technical Committee, and prior to the 2005-2006 diving season.

This is provided for information only so our coaches and clubs have an idea of the direction in which FINA may be moving.

FINA TDC Proposed Rules

Purpose

The Rules Sub-Committee in December 2000 was established:

"To expand the appeal of diving in all areas - participants, media and audience, by creating innovations with programs and a set of diving rules which are easy to read, easy to understand and easy to apply for the sport as a whole".

Goals

The programs and rules should help to

• expand the number of divers all around the world
• attract more spectators
• sell the sport

Introduction

In keeping with the goals of the Sub-Committee, a draft document on rule changes was drawn up and presented to the TDC in Barcelona in July 2003. This document was reviewed in February 2004, with a recommendation that this document be presented at a meeting with the Olympic diving team leaders, coaches and judges on August 21, 2004 in Athens. A response to the proposals below will assist the FINA TDC in its final submission to the Congress in Montreal.

Proposals

The salient features of the proposals are as follows:

• All competitions to have the same number of dives with the same programs for female and male divers
• Altering the age categories in the Age Group Diving
• The implementation of Rules D 8.5.3, D 8.5.6, D 8.5.7 and D 8.5.1

Motivations

• Standardisation of programs with six dives without limit of DD, on both springboard and platform, will greatly facilitate the understanding of competitions by the media and its audience. It will not effect the male programs but will satisfy the demand for the equality of genders as in Swimming and Water Polo.
• By altering the existing age categories in the Age Group competitions, there will be a progressive development from junior to senior level. It is proposed that the ages in Group A become 17 and 18, Group B 15 and 16 and Group C 13 and 14.
• To ensure that the rules are observed and the statutory penalties are imposed for open legs in the A, B and C position and the dives to the side of the direct line