On August 25, 2022, Greg Lockard, NCAA Swimming and Diving Secretary-Rules Editor, issued two rule interpretations and several pre-season reminders to all Men’s and Women’s Swimming and Diving Conference Commissioners and Head Coaches.
The first rule interpretation applies to swimsuits for swimmers and divers (Rule 3-1, Articles 1 and 2). In summary, the rule interpretation states that swimmers and divers must wear the swimsuit that is gender specific for the respective competition. That is, a women’s suit must be worn in women’s competition and a men’s suit must be worn in men’s competition, inclusive of all warmups, trials, finals, and any time trial sessions. Waivers may be granted for medical issues that require coverage due to a medical condition.
The second rule interpretation applies to use of Backstroke Ledges (Rule 2-2-1-a). In summary, the rule interpretation states that backstroke ledges must be positioned and utilized as intended by the manufacturer. Specifically, the backstroke ledges may not be turned or adjusted to change the intended use or exceed the maximum slope (10 degrees).
Pre-season reminders are provided for deadlines associated with required notifications for conduct of diving competition (Rule 6-1, Articles 2 and 3) and requests for waivers for swimsuit customization (Rule 3-1-1-d-6). Dates for the 2023 NCAA Championship meets are also provided.
The complete communication from Greg Lockard is provided here