SWIMMING.

Dominion, Volume 2, Issue 621, 25 September 1909, Page 12

SWIMMING.

•;:-y,,,:'. ■: ; tV ■"•^'■■v : - •'■':'. '■■*:'- .'.'. .:., (By Splabh.V" :..:• '.The following is the.second contribution on diving from Mr.. H. S. B. Bibbands; Tho rules,: which • are to follow, /were expressly compiled by -Mr. Ribbands at the request: bf the New South Wales A.S.A., and, on this basis, a State diving : championship' is .arranged annually.— ' •;.Diving 'Competition- Rules.—(l) Competitions are governed ;by tho constitutional .and general rules of the local -Amateur Swimming.Association, and by the' regulations,.for swimming.competitions as far as they, extend. and' are applicable. (2) The. diving officials, shall form part of tho .'sports committee as pro-, videdldr .by:.the general rules of the. asspciar Hon; ■'. The. officials. shall .comprise ■ one starter and threo -judges. Tho judges should possess a piaoticnl_ knowledge df tho- features of the dives .submitted ,to their, judgment. (3) : ,Tho starter'• shall stand close to. tho, low- divingheard,' and, in case Of high boards, conveniently beneath. The-, judges'shall be separated one from'tho other,: and arranged arouiid.and, on both sides :0f the. board. Both..starter /and judges must 'occupy such positions, as- shall give them a clear view of each diver frprii .tho moment tlio.-.latter crosses, a : start line until his complete disappearance beneath. the surface of tho water. -The officials during .the progress of a competition shall not communicate among; themselves', except in the case of ,on appeal, neither may they consult on the subject, of a dive with any other person prosent?: : ■•...-■ '.-".- .-' ■.' : ..--.• ■ -.

The Starter-:-(l) The starter. shall seo that | the diving-boards, also depth of water, beneath them, conform to tho conditions . required by these nils. (2) If, during.a corape--tition, tho conditions'! ■ through fault ■•■ of -'• a spring-board; tidal change, weather, or othor reason,' affecting 'competitors, are so altered tis, in the starter and judge's opinions, to-war-rant; it,- thoy shall have power to stop the com-, petition.-The' competition:shall b« then aban-' dOned or postponed until such a-time 03 the '.starter' and' judges, in. conjunction, with'. the sports.committee, think fit: In. the.event.of temporary interruption of a competition, the balloted dives shall b». drawn again, should there have - been opportunity for' competitors to have practised- tliem- between the adjourn-' raent 1 ancf continuation .of-the contest.; (3). The starter;' on the course being dear, shall call out the; name of the .competitor who, on advancing "to tho board, shall be told of tho nature'of the dive. (4) Both tho name and order number of the I 'competitor, also tho naturo. of tho dive, must be audible to the judges. (5) Competitors shall take ithoir dives in the order of their names on the programme, tho order having been previously decided by ballot. (C) The starter shallcall f'floadv" to tho competitor directly the latter has been told the nature'of the divoand, from the-instant this,signal'is given, tho competitor must cross the start lino. . ■ .

The Diving-Boards HI) Standard high, and low spring diving-boards shall bo used. They shall both bo oomposed of tho samo stout wood of reasonable, resiliency. Both'shall bo 13 feet long. 18 inches wide, and two inches thick. They shall be covered for their entire, length with cocoanun-fibre matting. Both boards shall bo-(lnt above tho water-line, with a gradient or .6 inches in their total length", inclining upwards from the starting end of each board, iho height of'the low board shall be H feet G inches, and that of the high board 10 foot, above tho water, ':• ; NoksHii la tidal Tratow U« position ot

ithe board should be so arranged that tho standard height above water is reached about one hour before and a'ftoi- high water, (b) Tho end of the board which overhangs, the water is named tho "diving-end" and its opposite the starting-end." (c) Tho diving-ends of both boards shall overhang tho water for not loss than three feet., (il) .Tho boards shall be held in position on , two . oupport.3 1 ;. tho first having the'means of .'clipping over the board at 0 feel 6 inches'from its diving ondj the second support must firmly grip the board at tho extremity of its starting end. (c) It is advisable that tho high.board should not bo fixed, immediately abnvo tho low board, but nt least G feet to ono side. (d)' For high diving from a firm "take-off" there shall ho a'low ami a high platform 13 feet long and i feet wide. Both are to bo fixed freo from spring at heights respectively of 15 fe*t una 30 feet horizontal to' the water line, (e) At 0110 foot from its diving end, each board shall have a white, one-inch baiid "marked" across its' width; and carried over its sides. This white band is tho'stand line. (f).At 12 ■ feet, from , its diving end each board shall bear an exactly similar white band to 'bo known as the run line, (g) Tho depth of 'water from immediately below, up to 3 yards in front of tho diving end of the low spring-board, must. not be less, than 9 feet j likewise'tho water, from directly, below., up to 5 yards in front of the high springboard arfd high diving platforms, must not be less than'l2 lectin depth, (h) The actual' approximate depths of water at time of competition, also' naturo of bottom, whether soft or hard, sand, 'rook, etc., must.be stated when' tho competition conditions are' advertised, (i) 'The construction of many baths does not permit of the regulation depths of water, but the sports committee may, with due regard to tho safety of divers, sauotion "arms-leading" dives from the low spring-board into not less than seven feet'of water, and, from tho high springboard, into not less than 8 feet of water, but no "arms-to-sides" dives aro to bo allowed in less than regulation depths..' '