MixMaster

The site of short course USA Swimming Junior Nationals has been changed from Minneapolis to Austin. Read more here. Thanks for the heads up, WD!

If you'd like to examine women's NCAA's with relay reaction times, look here.

A large news outlet is digging into the high school state meet relay controversy. When that story runs, I'll provide a link.

This might be a good time to remind readers that the opinions expressed on this site are mine, and do not necessarily reflect the views of my employer, my athletes, my buddies, my family members, or anyone else in the known universe. That should cover it, right?

Now, back to the automatic relay take-off judging systems. A thread at College Swimming indicates that we're not the only group concerned about their use. Read it here.

One reading at D-II nationals showed a -0.69, and yet there were no reports of a swimmer landing on top of a teammate.

Re: Faulty touchpads or what?
by gearhart on Thu Mar 10, 2011 1:40 am

0.69 reading meant the pad was not functioning properly, hence the other readings thrown out. Looking at the relay - nowhere near a false start. Since its Drury though, no changing the conspiracy theorists minds.

This same thing happened at Division III nationals in Houston and Miami. There's one company that makes pads that work and another that I would not place confidence in (but do look really cool).

Re: Faulty touchpads or what?
by Swimcoach4life on Thu Mar 10, 2011 6:17 pm

I'm not there so I am not saying this is what has happened, etc.; however, this could be a possible reason for such a high reading. At our conference meet a few weeks ago there was a -.44 reading that was not called (BTW - not our team's relay). Our team video tape of the race confirmed that the start was legal (not used, but just referenced as I was curious with the reported data). When I saw the officials the next week they said the swimmer was excited and banging on the block previous to her exchange. Two officials felt that this could cause a large number that obviously would result in a collision.

Questions are being asked about other states and the use of the automatic judging systems for high school championship meets. It look like the relatively small number of states that use the systems tend to shy away from the "suggested protocol" we've used in Texas these past couple of years. Indiana is one example of a state that goes "by the book" and doesn't count on the machine to make the call without human verification. Read more here.

If you're a swimmer, parent, or coach with an opinion on the relay take-off judging systems and rules, please let your TISCA region rep know how you feel on the subject. Their contact info is here. Their spring board meeting is scheduled for April 15.

I'd like to thank all the concerned swim folks who've sent me info these past few weeks. You're making a difference! Your voices are being heard. I do believe that this problem will be addressed and our athletes, coaches, and officials will all benefit.

Also, if you've been treated as if you just fell off the turnip truck, you've got plenty of company. There are plenty of us idiots out there, right? Just hang in there and see things through.

A head coach is needed at San Antonio Wave. Job is posted on South Texas site here.

It's getting late and I need to wrap this up. More to say, but it's just gotta wait.

Sent to me today:

Up and Down

With the countdown at "zero", the site promised by "A Splash of Truth" is here.

Site is only semi-active. Only "button" that's working right now is for contact.

As mine is a site on which I rarely sometimes often nearly always include my personal opinions, here goes:

While I don't doubt for a minute that a few coaches have been involved in wrongdoing, this has underwater ambulance chaser written all over it! If you were an attorney, wouldn't this be the best way to go "fishing"?

First, send a very negative email out to thousands of swim folks.

Next, wait for stories of misdeads to fill up your inbox.

Then, send out another email with new "revelations".

Again, wait for more accounts on problem coaches.

Finally, post a site with sensational - but dead - links like "Hall of Shame" and "Police Reports". Don't forget to include a single working contact link so victims can more easily reach the lawfirm.

Again, I'm not saying there haven't been problem coaches. I'm not saying victims shouldn't be compensated. I'm just saying that this looks like a slick way for a lawyer to build a client list with a fraction of the effort it might normally take.

Your thoughts?

Quote of the Day

Lying is done with words and also with silence.



Adrienne Cecile Rich

Quote of the Day

I am always doing that which I can not do,
in order that I may learn how to do it.



Pablo Diego José Francisco de Paula Juan
Nepomuceno María de los Remedios
Cipriano de la Santísima Trinidad
Ruiz y Picasso, a.k.a. Pablo Picasso

Quote of the Day

So much of what we call management consists
in making it difficult for people to work.



Peter Ferdinand Drucker

Quote of the Day

We are so vain that we even care for the
opinion of those we don't care for.



Marie von Ebner-Eschenbach

Quote of the Day

If only one could tell true love from false love
as one can tell mushrooms from toadstools.



Katherine Mansfield Beauchamp Murry

Open Letter

Texas High School Swimming Community,

I wish we'd have made a stronger push for rule changes a year ago. Coach Murphy made a great case for revision after last year's state meet and we didn't take up the cause, did we?

The original post on 2010 UIL state meet results is here. Kevin's comment was professional, sincere, and - unfortunately - prophetic:

At 5:24 PM, murphyk said…

#1 Congratulations to the Kingwood Girls and Coach Duin for their Texas 5A State Championship in Girl's Swimming & Diving.
Congratualtions to the Woodlands Boys, especially Knox Hitt, (100 back from lane 8 in consols put the nail in the coffin for southlake Carroll) and Coach Kirchner for their Texas 5A State Championship in Boy's Swimming & Diving.

A job well done!

The TRUTH of Southlake Carroll's DQ in the Girl's 400 free relay in prelims:

Prelims, HT 2, Ln 6, Girls 5A 400 free relay:
Kingwood and Southlake Carroll are stroke for stroke to the finish of the 300, almost identical touches.
*one foot distance seperated the touches, .2 of a second, maximum.

HUKI's 300 time(touchpad) 2:38.02
SOCA's 300 time(touchpad) 2:38.79
(.77 of a second, or one full body length, according to the "infallible" touch pad!)

Southlake Carroll was disqualified, by the "machine" -.03, with no human (dual)confirmation.

Note: Of 17 other Prelim relay exchanges, by Southlake Carroll, having been instructed by the Coach, to use "safe starts", every single one of those 17 exchanges was between .3 and .5
The last swimmer on this 400 free relay, to whom the false start was assigned, was swimming in her 4th Texas State Meet, had never false started before, and was following her Coach's directions to a "T". A four-time HS All-American, swimming in Prelims on a relay dominating the heat, side by side with Kingwood.
No danger of not making the Top 8 in Finals. In fact, the relay time, if it was allowed, would have put the Southlake Team as the #2 seed in Finals, just behind Kingwood.

Team video, soon to be on U-Tube, will show the entire relay, along with the relay exchange in question. Take a look and see if you, as a coach, or a parent, or a swimmer, would like to see your relay, next year, DQ'd in a similar manner.

NCAA protocol was used, that says the "machine" rules from -.09 to +.09, but the NCAA recognizes the possibility of pad malfunction at the end of each of the the first three legs, and, therefore allows for pre-set video, in Championship Meets, at the finish end, for all relay exchanges, in case of a dispute, within the -.09 to +.09 band.

With no video back-up at the Texas State Meet, every HS swim program at the Texas State Meet risks a relay exchange result similar to that of Southlake Carroll. Maybe other teams, this year, were disqualified in the same manner, relying 100% on the "machine", within the designated range of -.09 to +.09

Let's see if we, as a swimming community, can effect a change at future Texas HS State Meets to protect the efforts of our swimmers as they strive to perform to the very best of their ability on a level playing field.

Injustice thrives when men say nothing. The outcome of the meet cannot be changed, but the future credibility of the Texas State HS Meet depends on a correction of our protocol, to accept the possibility of equipment malfunction.

Kevin Murphy
Head Swim Coach
Southlake Carroll HS

In hindsight, I wish I'd have presented it as an extra post so more would have seen it.

For the young ladies of Southlake Carroll HS, it shouldn't have been, as Yogi Berra would put it, "deja vu all over again".

Sincerely,

Button

Quote of the Day

The joy that isn't shared dies young.



Anne Gray Harvey, a.k.a. Anne Sexton

Quote of the Day

Accept the challenges so that you
may feel the exhilaration of victory.



General George Smith Patton, Jr.

Quote of the Day

He who believes is strong; he who doubts is weak.
Strong convictions precede great actions.



Louisa May Alcott

Quote of the Day

The little rift between the sexes is
astonishingly widened by simply
teaching one set of catchwords to
the girls and another to the boys.



Robert Louis Balfour Stevenson

Quote of the Day

Iron sharpens iron; scholar, the scholar.



William Drummond

Quote of the Day

As soon as we abandon our own reason,
and are content to rely upon authority,
there is no end to our troubles.



Bertrand Arthur William Russell

Quote of the Day

We are inclined to believe those whom we do
not know because they have never deceived us.



Samuel Johnson

Quote of the Day

I cannot trust a man to control others
who cannot control himself.



Robert Edward Lee

Medley Relays Skew Data?

Got a tip on the jump in relay DQ's since the automatic system took over for humans. Dug through results on TISCA site.

Here are relay DQ's by year and gender.

1998 Girls - 3.6% (3/84)
1998 Boys - 3.6% (3/84)
1998 Total - 3.6% (6/168)

2000 Girls - 1.8% (3/168)
2000 Boys - 0.6% (1/168)
2000 Total - 1.2% (4/336)

2002 Girls - 4.2% (8/190)
2002 Boys - 2.6% (5/189)
2002 Total - 3.4% (13/379)

2003 Girls - 1.6% (3/191)
2003 Boys - 2.1% (4/190)
2003 Total - 1.8% (7/381)

2004 Girls - 1.6% (3/190)
2004 Boys - 2.1% (4/192)
2004 Total - 1.8% (7/382)

2005 Girls - 1.1% (2/190)
2005 Boys - 3.7% (7/191)
2005 Total - 2.4% (9/381)

2006 Girls - 3.1% (6/191)
2006 Boys - 2.6% (5/191)
2006 Total - 2.9% (11/382)

2007 Girls - 2.6% (5/189)
2007 Boys - 4.2% (8/189)
2007 Total - 3.4% (13/378)

2008 Girls - 2.1% (4/190)
2008 Boys - 4.3% (8/188)
2008 Total - 3.2% (12/378)

2009 Girls - 2.1% (4/191)
2009 Boys - 3.7% (7/189)
2009 Total - 2.9% (11/380)

2010 Girls - 4.9% (9/185)
2010 Boys - 5.4% (10/186)
2010 Total - 5.1% (19/371)

2011 Girls - 7.0% (13/187)
2011 Boys - 2.6% (5/190)
2011 Total - 4.8% (18/377)

This showed a definite "spike" in relay DQ's since machines became more important than humans.

Still, after I'd crunched all the numbers for the "project", the second-guessing began.

Older results didn't tell why a relay was DQ'ed. Could it have been due to stroke, turn, or finish violations? Was the call a false start on a lead-off swimmer and not a relay take-off violation?

Did I just miss my exit?

Rather than go crazy with all the variables, I decided to use only free relays for this "study" and not worry about lead-off DQ's. How convenient, right?!?!

Using just free relays, here are DQ percentages by year and gender.

1998 Girls - 3.6% (2/56)
1998 Boys - 3.6% (2/56)
1998 Total - 3.6% (4/112)

2000 Girls - 0.0% (0/112)
2000 Boys - 0.0% (0/112)
2000 Total - 0.0% (0/224)

2002 Girls - 3.9% (5/127)
2002 Boys - 2.4% (3/126)
2002 Total - 3.2% (8/253)

2003 Girls - 0.8% (1/128)
2003 Boys - 1.6% (2/126)
2003 Total - 1.2% (3/254)

2004 Girls - 1.6% (2/127)
2004 Boys - 1.6% (2/128)
2004 Total - 1.6% (4/255)

2005 Girls - 0.0% (0/128)
2005 Boys - 3.1% (4/128)
2005 Total - 1.6% (4/256)

2006 Girls - 1.6% (2/127)
2006 Boys - 3.1% (4/127)
2006 Total - 2.4% (6/254)

2007 Girls - 1.6% (2/127)
2007 Boys - 4.0% (5/126)
2007 Total - 2.8% (7/253)

2008 Girls - 2.4% (3/127)
2008 Boys - 2.4% (3/127)
2008 Total - 2.4% (6/254)

2009 Girls - 1.6% (2/128)
2009 Boys - 3.2% (4/126)
2009 Total - 2.4% (6/254)

2010 Girls - 2.4% (3/126)
2010 Boys - 4.0% (5/125)
2010 Total - 3.2% (8/251)

2011 Girls - 5.6% (7/126)
2011 Boys - 3.1% (4/127)
2011 Total - 4.3% (11/253)

That made things "level out" a bit, but we still saw a jump in "jumps" in 2010 and 2011. From 1998 through 2009, free relay DQ's happened at a rate of 2.0%. In 2010 & 2011, that rate shot up to 3.8% - nearly double!

Finally, just for fun, here's the breakdown for medley relay DQ's.

1998 Girls - 3.6% (1/28)
1998 Boys - 3.6% (1/28)
1998 Total - 3.6% (2/56)

2000 Girls - 5.4% (3/56)
2000 Boys - 1.8% (1/56)
2000 Total - 3.6% (4/112)

2002 Girls - 4.8% (3/63)
2002 Boys - 3.2% (2/63)
2002 Total - 4.0% (5/126)

2003 Girls - 3.2% (2/63)
2003 Boys - 3.1% (2/64)
2003 Total - 3.1% (4/127)

2004 Girls - 1.6% (1/63)
2004 Boys - 3.1% (2/64)
2004 Total - 2.4% (3/127)

2005 Girls - 3.2% (2/62)
2005 Boys - 4.8% (3/63)
2005 Total - 4.0% (5/125)

2006 Girls - 6.3% (4/64)
2006 Boys - 1.6% (1/64)
2006 Total - 3.9% (5/125)

2007 Girls - 4.8% (3/62)
2007 Boys - 4.8% (3/63)
2007 Total - 4.8% (6/125)

2008 Girls - 1.6% (1/63)
2008 Boys - 8.2% (5/61)
2008 Total - 4.8% (6/124)

2009 Girls - 3.2% (2/63)
2009 Boys - 4.8% (3/63)
2009 Total - 4.0% (5/126)

2010 Girls - 10.2% (6/59)
2010 Boys - 8.2% (5/61)
2010 Total - 9.2% (11/120)

2011 Girls - 9.8% (6/61)
2011 Boys - 1.6% (1/63)
2011 Total - 5.6% (7/124)

Okay, folks. Why did the percentage of medley relay DQ's increase so markedly in 2010 and 2011? Hint: The DQ rate from 1998 through 2009 was 3.8%. In 2010 & 2011, that rate jumped to 7.4% - nearly double! Seeing a pattern?

I say that no, medley relays didn't skew the data. Seems DQ's of both types of relays follow a similar pattern. DQ rates almost doubled for both medleys and free relays when machines were allowed to overrule humans.

Finally, what did I learn from all this?

I learned that we need a whole lot more data (this is really just a tiny portion of what we'd need to "prove" anything, right?) and someone else to fool around with it...

Quote of the Day

Anyone who has never made a mistake
has never tried anything new.



Albert Einstein

Quote of the Day

It's the first time I got dumped in my life. I think
the one thing I would point to as a primary
reason, basically, is that I was a gigantic ass.



Carlos Irwin Estevez, a.k.a. Charlie Sheen

Adding It All Up

Thanks to everyone who's helped me gather info.

To those who don't like the idea of shining a little light on this subject - shame on you! If we're in this for the athletes, we should want them all to have a fair shake.

If you're not in this for the athletes, then why are you still involved? Think about it...

Equipment

I contacted three (3) companies that make automatic timing equipment.

I held for quite some time before I finally spoke with Aaron, a tech at Daktronics. He began by stating that, if their equipment (relay take-off platforms) is installed properly, the system's reliability is "good". He said he was unaware of any controversy surrounding our high school state meet relay DQ's.

I got hold of Bob at Colorado. He said his company had tried using technology similar to that in the Daktronics system, but found it to be less reliable than they'd like. Colorado's relay take-off judging systems now work to sense pressure/force and he's happy to report that they've found it to be very accurate, even with smaller age group swimmers.

Jane at IST says they do not make a relay take-off platform. They do not have enough confidence in the technology to put a product out there. In fact, when asked to modify their timing systems to interface with another manufacturer's relay take-off platforms, they declined. IST is a sponsor (Platinum Partner) of NISCA.

To be reliable, the automatic systems must record both a finish and a take-off to the hundredth of a second. If a touch pad fails to register a finish correctly (happens once in a while, right?) and/or a lid fails to record a take-off properly, how can we continue on with "business as usual"?
High school swimming must modify current rules or stop using this equipment.

Rules

Organizations like TISCA, NISCA, UIL, and NFHS should all be working together to make rules that keep our competitions fair for all athletes.

Very reliable sources* have provided emails that indicate this has not been happening.

Stonewalling? Plausible denial? Patronizing B.S.? Stalling? Heads in the sand? Yeah, there's been plenty of it.

A couple of years ago the out-of-control arms race (tech suits) was hurting high school swimming. Cooperation between the above groups led to a quick revision of the rules that helped level the playing field for our athletes.

It's been over a year since Kevin Murphy began sounding the alarm on this issue. Now we've had a second round of relay DQ's that officials could not undo. Are we going to let it happen again in '12?

Here are some of the people that can weigh in on the side of our athletes - please give them the opportunity to do so. Edited 7:45 p.m. - The question has been asked about whether these folks have been contacted about this issue. While I can't speak for them all, I know some of them have. Still, you can't assume they've all heard about it, so let them know what you think needs to be done.

UIL Athletic Director - Dr. Mark Cousins

UIL Assistant Athletic Director (Swimming) - Traci Neely

UIL Swim & Dive Rules Interpreter - Frank Swigon

TISCA President - Penny DiPomazio

NISCA President - Dana Abbott

NISCA President-Elect - Arvel McElroy

NISCA Rules Chair - Paul Torno

National Federation of State High School Associations

Video Evidence

Without going into details, I'm convinced that the Southlake Carroll Girls' 400 Freestyle Relay in the 2011 UIL State Swimming & Diving Championships "A" Final was a perfectly legal swim.

For now, you're just going to have to trust me on that.

Lee & Joe Jamail Texas Swimming Center

These folks provide our sport with the best possible venue for our state championship meets.

When scheduling conflicts come up, a few call for moving our state meet to a different site. Are they kidding? Be objective and tell me why another facility is better suited to hold big-time swim meets. You can't, can you?!?!

They do everything they can possibly do for us.

Our problems are in our rules. Unfortunately, they can't make/change our rules...


* Let's call them Deep Dipper, Deep Flipper, and Deep Dripper

Quote of the Day

I'm all in favor of keeping dangerous weapons out
of the hands of fools. Let's start with typewriters.



Frank Lloyd Wright

Quote of the Day

I was told over and over again that I would
never be successful, that I was not going
to be competitive and the technique was
simply not going to work. All I could do
was shrug and say "We'll just have to see."



Richard Douglas "Dick" Fosbury

Quote of the Day

Coaches have to watch for what they don't want to
see and listen to what they don't want to hear.



John Earl Madden

Guest Post

Writer said I could use their name, but I'm opting to withhold:

There has been much discussion via this blog, via email, at various swim meets and even in the paper about the number of “computer called” DQs that occurred during the 4A and 5A State meets at UT. I appreciate Button allowing me to add to this dialogue and hopefully clarify some things without confusing everyone!

I spoke today with a senior representative from the UIL office. They said they were unaware that there were any issues during the meet regarding relay disqualifications. In fact, as I understand the UIL official, the electronic judging exchange rule at a national level (NFHS), has been in place for a long time and has only ever had the one complaint – the 2010 SOCA DQ protest by Coach Murphy. In addition, this person indicated that they have not heard from anyone – coaches, parents, officials on the 2011 meet and have NO EVIDENCE that anything was amiss.

I do want to point out that this person was highly professional and reiterated multiple times that she would be willing to review this issue, discuss this issue etc – if only someone brought evidence to her.

So I discussed with her what I thought the issues are – and I list them below:

The relay exchange rule:

The rule as written for high school relay exchanges (with the electronic relay judging equipment) does not take into account any chance that a pad may fail to register a touch. It actually makes no difference when the swimmer touches the pad – it only matters when the pad REGISTERS a touch. Anyone who has operated a timing console, as I have, knows that not all touches register. A swimmer would have to KNOW that the pad registered – not that a person touched the wall in order to be certain to avoid a DQ.

Because the rule for electronic relay exchange judging has no back-up to protect athletes from a failed touchpad, swimmers on relays could be encouraged to skip the block altogether. The only sure way to avoid a computer DQ is to start from the side. This would be an embarrassment and a huge disadvantage for Texas swimmers compared to other states.

The NCAA decided 2 years ago that this rule needed to be changed. They added video evidence requirements where there was no human acknowledgement of any DQ between (-0.09) and 0.0. I noticed Button posted a forum discussing this below.

Pads do fail and there are rules to protect athletes:

The rule as written for high school individual events does take into account that a pad may fail. There are backup plungers and timers. And, in fact, in the same 5A state meet there were also pad failures on individual swims where rules allowed for adjustments. As an example, during the 5A girls state backstroke consolation heat, one swimmer appeared to win the race – the board indicated that she had won. But the final results indicated that a different swimmer had won – apparently her pad had malfunctioned and the timing judge/chief administrative official followed procedure, by adjusting the time, and, subsequently awarded the win to that person.

The official results of the meet indicate that something was amiss:

3% of relay exchanges with computer issues (NRTs) is more than the manufacturers warranty. Why so many? Girls were DQd much more than boys. Why? And in the specific case of SOCA, there are missing splits (pad failure) and a missing reaction time (lid failure) so with an obvious equipment malfunction why was the DQ not vacated??? With this obvious data, a video or photo is not even required to see that this particular disqualification should have been (and should still be) overturned.

I mentioned how quickly the meet referee/director had to turn his attention to the 4A meet after the 5A meet. He did not have a lot of time to review this data and specifically the equipment issues. The UIL official that I spoke with commented that these are professionals that do this weekly but only have 30 minutes to certify the results by rule.

Texas is at a disadvantage with this electronic equipment rule:

The reason that the NFHS has heard little of this issue is that most states do not use electronic take off judging. Someone checked data for Indiana, Illinois, California, Pennsylvania, Florida and Colorado. No reaction times listed. Additionally, swimmers that have moved to Texas from some of these states confirm that this technology is not used at High School State championships in many if not all of these states.

More DQs mean less All American times – that hurts states that use this equipment with no back up to ensure the computer called DQs are correct.

Questionable results hurt our sport:

The Southlake Carroll men’s team WON state. This is the first time a North Texas team has done that. And the headlines did not even mention this great feat! The papers/blogs/discussions have all focused on the disqualification and the questions it raises. Wouldn’t it have been better for our sport to say “Local Team WINS State Championship”, than “Local team loses State Championship due to questionable disqualification”.

CALL TO ACTION – the rule must be changed:

I believe that the rule should be changed to include a dual confirmation – either video or an official. And if we cannot do that, then at the very least Texas needs to STOP using this equipment during the state meet. There is no rule that says we have to use it. I also personally believe that the SOCA DQ with evidence of equipment malfunction should be reversed.

In order to make a rule change, we all need to tell the UIL what we believe should happen. If the UIL has no evidence of an issue and no evidence that people want a change, then we, the swimming community, should make sure they get it. I plan to send a letter and I know many other parents will send letters and videos. It needs to be more than SOCA and HP parents and coaches. Who else? Woodlands, Plano, McKinney – many others had DQs and quite frankly – even if you didn’t this year – next year, it could be you! The UIL official specifically mentioned that she needs to hear this from coaches. We must protect our dedicated and hard working athletes – let the UIL know you think there is a problem. Send a letter, propose a change, band together – and together we can improve our sport!

Quote of the Day

You hit home runs not by chance,

but by preparation.



Roger Eugene Maris

Quote of the Day

Fix your eyes on perfection and you make
almost everything speed towards it.



Dr. William Ellery Channing

Quote of the Day

Things that were hard to bear
are sweet to remember.



Seneca

Quote of the Day

To be nobody but yourself in a world that's
doing its best to make you somebody else,
is to fight the hardest battle you are ever
going to fight. Never stop fighting.



Edward Eslin "E.E." Cummings

Comment Hall of Fame

We need to recognize a comment left on the What was the call? post. In case you missed it, Anonymous (a.k.a. The Straight Man) set it up for Deer Slayer (a.k.a. The Comedian):

Anonymous said...
In the 4a meet- there were 6 eary takeoffs in the girls and 1 in the boys. 5a had 8 early takeoffs in the girls and 3 in the boys. So 14 girls left early and only 4 boys in both meets. Maybe gender is the issue?? Who knows? It just seems odd that we don't use a protocol to help protect the athlete from electronic issues.

Deer Slayer said...
That sounds like a Title IX issue!!! Clearly the DQ's were not proportional to the number of swimmers in the meet.... Where is Nancy Hogshead when you need her?


Congratulations, Deer Slayer, your comment has been selected for induction into the TexasSwimming Comment Hall of Fame!

Quote of the Day

The pendulum of the mind oscillates
between sense and nonsense,
not betweeen right and wrong.



Karle Gustav Jung

One thing we know for certain is...

...that this isn't going away anytime soon, is it?

One of the best ways to explain the Apendix B, #3 is by using this comment from the What was the call? post on the Highland Park relay DQ:

Anonymous said...
According to the official meet results, swimmer #3 left -0.05 early, as recorded by the automatic take off system. That means that the two deck officials weren't even consulted. The way the rules are written in high school, not only is there no backup for the system, but the officials can't be asked to confirm or deny it's validity.

It's not that an officials made a good or bad call. It's that the machine made a "close" call. When it's that close, they must figure we dumb humans should be taken out of the "loop", right?

Well, maybe we dumb humans have played this "game" before - maybe long enough to have a back-up plan. With so many cameras up in the stands and down on the deck, don't you think there's going to be more pics like the ones I've been sent?

Fast-forward to next year's state meet.

You've seen how crazy it gets on "Black Friday" when hundreds of shoppers burst through the doors to get a shot at that special sale item, right?

That's nothing compared to the rush we'll see at the Lee and Joe Jamail Texas Swimming Center for next year's state meet. The battle will be for the seats with the best camera angles for relay starts.

Could we see moms and dads camping out Thursday night? Wristbands?

Then again, maybe it will look more like a line for concert tickets:

What do the high school rules say?

First, I'll mention something a few of us talked about last month - the meet committee.

Rule 4, Section 1 AUTHORIZED OFFICIALS, Article 1: ...A meet committee and a meet director shall assume responsibility for all aspects of meet management. The meet committee shall make decisions on matters not specifically covered by the rules or on the misapplication of a rule during a meet. Judgement calls are not subject to review by this committee. The decision of the meet committee is final.

A few important things are covered here.

First, it says shall. Coaches are to be informed about this before the meet. The meet referee usually talks with several folks during warm-up, asks them if they'd be part of the committee, then announces the members of the meet committee in the coaches' meeting.

Second, the rule mentions the fact that judgement calls cannot be reviewed.

Finally, there's mention that the meet committee is charged with settling situations where a rule has been misapplied.

Could this have been a loophole in the "can't review a judgement call" part of the rule?

If the officials realized the machine was making incorrect calls (or none at all), could they have called the meet committee to review early disqualifications? I doubt that.

Could they discuss the possibility of discontinuing the use of the automatic judging system for the remainder of the meet?

Any officials want to weigh in on that?

Next are the relay takeoff rules:

Rule 8, Section 3 RELAY EVENTS, Article 5: ...The swimmer shall remain in contact with the starting platform/pool deck until the previous swimmer has finished.

Rule 8, Section 3, Relay Events, Article 6: Each swimmer of a relay team must contact the finish end at the conclusion of his or her leg of the relay.

Both sound pretty cut and dried, right?

Earlier in the rule book there is mention of timing for a finish. It says, "...touches the finish end or pad (when automatic timing /judging equipment is used)."

Why doesn't the relay finish rule state it that way? There's no mention of the pad, except for the anchor:

The final swimmer is required to contact the finish pad by any part of the body.

What if the (first, second, or third) swimmer hit the top of a pad and that pad didn't read the finish of that leg? Didn't the swimmer contact the finish end? Doesn't that count as a "finish"?

Now for the automatic relay judging rules:

Appendix B

SUGGESTED PROTOCOLS FOR AUTOMATIC RELAY JUDGING EQUIPMENT

3. If the electronic relay takeoff equipment detects an exchange differential (takeoff pad time minus finish pad time) of -0.09 through +0.09 second inclusive, from the maufacturers starting point, the decisions(s) of the relay takeoff judge(s) shall not be considered. The determination of the electronic relay takeoff equipment shall be official, with exchange differential of -0.09 through -0.01 seconds from the manufacturers starting point indicating a rules violation and values of 0.00 through +0.09 seconds indicating a legitimate relay exchange.
4. If the electronic relay takeoff equipment records an exchange differential outside the range -0.09 through +0.09 second from the maufacturers starting point, a disqualification shall occur if there is dual confirmation of a rules violation: by electronic relay takeoff equipment and either a takeoff judge or a side takeoff judge; by a takeoff judge and a side takeoff judge; or by two side takeoff judges.

What about the UIL?

~ POST SEASON REGULATIONS ~

~ STATE MEET ~

Meet Referee

The meet referee shall have final authority on all rulings. The National Federation Swimming and Diving Rule Book will prevail.

So, until the National Federation Rule Book is changed...

Where do we go from here?

That seems to be the big question, right?

Plenty has been thrown out there these past few days. I think this debate is good for our sport. This issue isn't going away, folks. So, where do we go from here?

Is it possible to go back and undo disqualifications?

My guess is there's a better chance of Christina Aguilera singing The Star Spangled Banner at another Cowboys Stadium Super Bowl.

Can officials opt to stop using the equipment in mid-meet if they feel it's giving faulty information?

After a few NRT's, that would make sense.

What's the procedure for changing the high school rules?

Diving coaches propose around a hundred rule changes each year, so maybe they can help us out there...

Is RaceTrac going to get any votes?

If it weren't for the Buc-ee's option, they'd have had my vote!

It may be rainin',...

...but there's a rainbow above you.



Seems some troublemakers have been questioning the accuracy of those relay take-off systems used in big meets. Platform manufacturers are fighting back, claiming those three hundred shots of DQ'ed relays - showing legal starts - must have been PhotoShopped.

edited 9:25 a.m. - I thought that throwing in a number like three hundred would indicate this passage was pure fiction. I was wrong. I should have put "million". Sorry!!! I promise that I've wiped that smile off my face...

Still don't know what all the fuss is about? Modern-day Rip Van Winkle's should catch up here and here. Comments are included.

It was suggested that we take a look at the product info to learn more. I don't know how y'all feel about it, but I've heard that learning more takes effort and isn't cool.

Still, if nobody's looking and you want to be all nerdy, visit the Daktronics Relay Take-Off Platform page here. There are several links toward the bottom that will take you to PDF's with important information.

GENERAL INFORMATION:

The Relay Take-Off Platform is a sensor that precisely detects the moment a swimmer loses contact with the platform during a relay. The Relay Take-Off Platform (RTOP) with the Daktronics OmniSport® 2000 timing system and Daktronics T-6000 series touchpads accurately measure the relay exchange to 1/100th of a second as required by the rule book. New technology allows the RTOP to sense human contact rather than force. A swimmer may be laid out perfectly horizontal and their toes are still touching the platform, but there is no force.

What you need to know

• The RTOP senses human contact and not pressure or force.

The RTOP is not affected by:
- loose blocks/block vibrations
- weight of the swimmer
- hop starts

• Three components working together measure a relay exchange:

1. RTOP triggers the timing console when a swimmer has left the block.
2. Touchpad triggers the timing console when a swimmer finishes his/her leg of the race.
3. Timing console (OmniSport® 2000) registers all inputs from the RTOPs and touchpads. The timing console compares the last input received from the RTOP to the touchpad to calculate the exchange.

So there! Sounds like they're infallible! Now, doesn't that set your mind at ease? Next up? The awesome potential of Cold Fusion!



Have some of y'all been wondering where Rice has been all year? Don't look now (translation: stop wasting your time here and look right away), but Seth Huston's Owls are leading the Conference USA Championships with one session remaining. Results are here. Hawai'i has a good-sized lead over the second place SMU Mustangs in the men's team race.

Down in Austin, the UT men have added to their lead over A&M, while the Aggie women are up by just seven (7) points over the Longhorns. Results are here.

From the "it's a great problem to have" department: Eddie & Kris have a pretty big squad this year, meaning several of the guys (Bobby included) will be swimming in the American Short Course Championships as their shave/taper meet this year.

Nine (9) "B" cuts were swum in both the women's 50 free and men's 100 breast at the Mountain West Championships. UNLV's Andrew Morrell went :52.80 for an "A" cut in the breast. TCU's men are currently 4th. Results are here.



UT recruit Clay Youngquist showed his principal who's boss. Watch video and read more here.

The City of Midland needs a pool manager. Job info is here.

The Houstonian is looking for lifeguards and assistant swim coaches for the spring/summer. Not certified? No problem! They'll be offering ARC lifeguard classes in March and April. Contact Alex Bellisle for more info.

ATAC BB

FA B/C

LAC B/C

Texas Gold Best Times

Gulf Short Course Champs I:

CFSC
CFSC Time Trials

MAC
MAC Time Trials

PACK
PACK Time Trials

SPA
SPA Time Trials

Quote of the Day

Remember the two benefits of failure. First,
if you do fail, you learn what doesn't work;
and second, the failure gives you the
opportunity to try a new approach.



Roger Von Oech

Quote of the Day

Technically, Windows is an "operating system,"
which means that it supplies your computer with
the basic commands that it needs to suddenly,
with no warning whatsoever, stop operating.



David "Dave" Barry

Wake up, humans!

Once upon a time, you used to go to the movies, right?

You watched as computers/systems like HAL 9000, WOPR, and Skynet turned on humans, right?

The message was pretty danged simple:

Don't trust those danged computers as far as you can throw 'em!

These past couple of days, I've gotten emails and comments from plenty of folks that seem to have gotten that message.

Time to share some of what I've been sent and discovered/stumbled upon:

"I am an official-- it is going to take a combined effort between coaches and officials to get this changed. Neither of us like the system now."

If you're into using numbers to show a need for change, you know we need to show more than just an incident or two at just a meet or two, right?

How about all you meet directors that use the pads/lids to make relay calls going back through and tallying the NRT's?

How often, as a percentage did the system fail?

Check my numbers and correct me if I'm wrong:

At the 4A and 5A state meets, there were thirty-two (32) NRT's.

When you figure there were 1,137 relay exchanges at the meets (five relay dq's in prelims kept it from being 1,152), around 3% doesn't sound like a whole lot of failures, right?

Okay, so the system admits to missing data and failing - not making a call - three percent of the time. So what?

Well, doesn't it make you wonder how often the system:

• has incorrect info,
• makes a call, and
• that call cannot be overturned?

Another pic of the Southlake Carroll exchange in question:


Why were there so many more girls' relays disqualified than boys'?

Don't give me a hard time on this one ladies:

At this level, don't girls generally weigh less and swim at a slightly slower speed than boys? Wouldn't that mean girls would hit the wall with less momentum than boys? Could that cause the pad to read a finish just a little bit late?

I don't know, that's why I'm asking.

Also, would the lid read a take-off slightly sooner for a lighter-weight girl than a heavier-weight guy? Again, I don't know. Can someone who does know fill us in?

We're not hearing a whole lot of folks calling for the elimination of machine judging of relay starts.

What we are hearing, though, is that we need to give referees a chance to review video evidence that might keep a relay from being incorrectly disqualified.

Is it worth spending the time, money, and effort to set up video cameras (similar to one used in the 2008 Beijing Games men's 100 fly final)?

If you're one of those poor kids that swam their tails off, made sure their starts were safe, and still came home with a big bag of nothing, you bet it is!

Quote of the Day

You're born an original - don't die a copy.



John Mason

Don't Shoot the Messenger

Here's another relay start from the state meet. Person that sent it says it's Southlake Carroll's 400 free relay in lane six. 5A result is here.


According to the published splits in the official meet results, the swimmer in lane 5 touched the pad ahead of the swimmer in lane 6. The swimmer in lane 5 had a split time of 1:43:98, and the swimmer in lane 6 had a split time of 1:44:05.

Would this be sufficient evidence to make a referee consider overturning a disqualification? Debatable, right?

We shot down technical suits, in part, because of the costs. What would it cost to have "official" cameras placed in the proper locatations to make this work? Would we have to sit through NFL-style delays after every close call?

I certainly don't have the answers. Still, if we're going to allow technology (pads/lids) to make calls, shouldn't we be willing to let officials use technology (cameras) to help them correct an error?

Quote of the Day

...Be it thy course to busy giddy
minds with foreign quarrels...



William Shakespeare

What was the call?

If the call was an illegal stroke/turn/finish or another swimmer's false start, then it's a moot point.

On the other hand, if the call was this swimmer leaving early, maybe we need to look into changing our rules to allow definitive photographic/video evidence to be used to overturn some calls.

Pic was taken by swimmer from deck level. 4A results are here.


This post is not meant to knock officials. Unless we give them a rule book that allows them to review/correct a blown call, it's on us as coaches, right?

Your thoughts?

One last point:

The camera angle isn't perfect. It's possible the hands are going up and over the pad, right? If that's the case, maybe we should have the UIL spring for these Omega pads...

Quote of the Day

Always be smarter than the people who hire you.



Lena Mary Calhoun Horne

Quote of the Day

Invictus

Out of the night that covers me,
Black as the Pit from pole to pole,
I thank whatever gods may be
For my unconquerable soul.

In the fell clutch of circumstance
I have not winced nor cried aloud.
Under the bludgeonings of chance
My head is bloody, but unbowed.

Beyond this place of wrath and tears
Looms but the Horror of the shade,
And yet the menace of the years
Finds, and shall find, me unafraid.

It matters not how strait the gate,
How charged with punishments the scroll.
I am the master of my fate:
I am the captain of my soul.



William Ernest Henley

Quote of the Day

Even when we weren't running
good, we were having fun.



Anthony Wayne "Tony" Stewart

Quote of the Day

Little League baseball is a very good thing
because it keeps the parents off the streets.



Lawrence Peter "Yogi" Berra

Quote of the Day

First, you learn to drive fast. Next, you
learn to drive fast in traffic. Then, you
learn how to do it for 500 miles.



Alan Dennis "Special K" Kulwicki

Quote of the Day

Baseball is the only field of endeavor where
a man can succeed three times out of ten
and be considered a good performer.



Teddy Samuel "Ted" Williams

Quote of the Day

You can't let one bad moment
spoil a bunch of good ones.



Ralph Dale Earnhardt, Sr.