SWIMMING.

Dominion, Volume 3, Issue 639, 16 October 1909, Page 9

SWIMMING.

. " ■ ■ ~ (By Splash.) ''' The'further elucidation of Mr. H. S...B..Ribbands's scheme of judging .diving is given in the following:— .-"-.'•', '• ''.'. ■•■ . . Scoring.—The'judges-shall; each-be supplied with an s exactly similar; scoring card .which shall. contain the competitors' names, \alsoJists i'of dives to be,executed; names and dives must be all in proper sequence. (Blocks -of ,_SO spe-cially-Tulea scoring, sheets may .be obtained on 'application to Mr. H.S. B. Ribbands, Hastings, Hawke's- Bay, delivered post free by enclosing 2s..stamps!), JJoted.against;each diye shall.be it? order number ,and. value,- in. the grade. ■ Judges sliall award grade points (invariable) arid detail points (variable), ;tho iformer multiplied by: the latter giving'the, competitor's score for,any particular'; dive!. ..;■ ,•/;: ' Grade'Ppints.—Full grade, points'.-.nro; scored , when : theiCompetitor- faithfully 'carries out and 'oxhibits'the .characteristics 1 of'a'dive according to the rules for the distinctive features of grade dives. A "dive shall. be considered started directly the competitor crosses the position .line',' and terminated with the complete disappearance of his body and limbs beneath the water snrface. No grade points, or any score, whatever .shall, bo given (a) when none of thccharactcristics of the set divo aro apparent; (b), when the miscarriage of a dive ,is occasioned by the, competitor slipping from tho' board' after the' limit of' the 30 seconds pause at attention has been exceeded. Should, however, the-slip occur during this time limit, one, and only one,' more attempt/may bo allowed.' No grade'points shall be scored, but detail, points, as -many as gained,, shall. bo counted:—(a) When the competitor shows faulty exception of a diyt, "faulty " being used in the sense :of failure/following evident attempt to show the divo's characteristics; (b) When the competitor shows the divo's characteristics, but fails' to maintain " urms loading " or," arms ti' sides "''as.'required! ' ...:,;- . : Detail, Paints.—Detail points "to: the maximum .of'lo shall be awarded for: tho correct .holding of limbs during cxecution;of,all dives; and this 'scoring.' is'quite :apart frbni/'the grade points'" which 'only recorn the 'characteristic 'movement or positions of'the body distinctively, peculiar to each individual dive. . There aro eight essential features'of detail in every. dive;;.; Six essential features are valued'at on point' each,. namely (a) Attention 1 at starting, (b) The take-off,-and run. ',(c) Straight knees and pointed toes, (d) United legs, (c) Straightened arms. . (f)- .Correct•• holding of hands. Two .essential features of/detail aro valued, at, twp'jipints each, these are (g) good entry—minimum .splash,; (h) good, style. These last two it6in^rni i n l v.:'s'co.ro;';.dno l point if either is biit partry/'successful'.' - -

Note.—For - .the' convenience • of scoring in competitions: where "divers follow"'on in quick succession;':the''judges sh'pul'd^note,-,in. small-pencil'-figures,', on-'their, scoring cards only 1 the performer's..'detail, points,, the . latter's... subsequent niultiplicat'ion by the grade' values being postponed .'until 'the', competition is' finished. This practice, while only slightly delaying tho making 'known-of- tho , result, . will bo , tho 'means of avoiding many slips- and 'errors 'of calculation. '.''.- • ■.•:■■■, :'■ ■ ;' ■-:

. Scoring Kesults.—The'detail-points awarded ,byeaoh judge shall bo multiplied, by the points according to degree of difficulty as. given ni'the grade; ,Tho judges shall then liandfover their, scoring,'.card-;to the starter who shall check and-total'.each .'competitor's /''points, dividing the ;results"by three.- -The-, resulting'-average—J added.to.Miandicap 'poiiits .if,any—shall-, determine.the',' jvinhing, order'■'.. of'/.the'i'competitors highest.' , score. taking'preference.'' In the 'event of a'dead heat the tied competitors-may each execute tho same additional'.balloted dives until : precedence in one or other competitor is manifest.' .

Rules, for the correct holding, of, limbs in grade, dives; -,' '~.- ; .'■ •'-,'■'.-/'..■' ■ (a) Attention at,; starting.—When .' the competitor ' upon' by-, the..;-'.'starter,- 'he' (shall advance, according to the nature of.the ,divc, either-, to the running' or standing position line. 'At the word "ready," given by tho .starter, the 'competitor .shall cross the' start line and standing, in running 'dives,'with heels to tho white, line, and in. standing dives anywhere between the white lino and. the.diving end of the board, with. his.body'drawn up at attention. The' attention position' shows the diver's 'body erect, head 'up, chest 1 out, legs straight,, and heels' together.' ■• The -shoulders m'ust ; be 'set back, while the', arms, extended downwards, lie. close to the chest, the forearms inclining to the i'ront.of the .body,-so that the straightened,' touching.' fingers and palms, of the .hands shall' rest, on the front, of ..the, thighs just above tho knees. On 'commehcihg'a run', the attention; should, clinngo instantaneously into.a. sewnd/positionY by.the. right knee .being smartly raised,-'. the -foot resting on the.' .toes, at .the same time the extended arms'are lifted into.a position parallclyto each, other and ...the top .of the raised thigh, the. other limbs remaining .as they were at attention. After .a, momentary pause the body,is slightly inclined-' forward, throwing.. the. weight on the ■toes of the right '■ foot,, from which a push-off start is effected, by. the launching forward of the 'left- leg. .'. ■ ' ■ '~- '■ ;. - .-.

(b).The .take-off'and run.—After, a brief pause', at attention, not. exceeding -thirty seconds,' the dive must be proceeded :witu. When l'uhning down the board, the diver must ■maintain his straightened, arms at an angle of 45 degrees- to the,front of. the perpendicular thighs. -His body'must be erect, with hollowed, back. . In taking-off, the feet-must be close to each .other and leave the board at tho same instant—witTi the.- exception of the dives, jumps .J\ 7 05.'. : 7. and 10,. back turn somersaults' N05.'38,-39, 55, 56, 57,, ahio the running plain and''swallow '..dives from the";high 15ft. and Wit', (platforms. In the ;caso, of- these exceptions the ; take ; off is made ...from, one foot only, (c)' St'raight.knees and pointed; toes. ..'After- .leaving i-tne board,; the o'f,;'the ..whole distanco(between foot'ond■ hip—nfnst form, on unbroken line. .-Thft'toSs must.'alsq be'poinled. (d) United legs.'—The legs', 'after leaving' the board 'until ; their - disappearance. below-. ■" the water, must ,not. be parted, neither, although united, may they ..oyerlnn.., ; (e) Straightened arms.—The' arms-must'be extended full length without 'elbow-bend, tnnd 'when moving from one position to another as in the swallow and buck dives,- shall be. swung roundly and gracefully 'from . the ; shoulders.'. .Both arms must-move' together' : in ' uhisb'n. (f) Correct holding of hands;— The fingers, on either hand must bo touching laterally -and extended in lino, with the forearm. .Tho-fingers of each hand must : touch each-' 'other down theii 1 length, while the thumbs are tucked under. The" palms of both hands -must lie, in thesame plane, neither' fronting each other nor turned away. .(g). Good entry.—minimum splash.'— Spash is occasioned by the'diver's body, and, or;;legs throwing -over'.or falling Hat r on the water;' therefore, the line .of direction' taken .■by/the body-should.not exrecd the •■; r -n■ lnr. The body's water-striking angle-depends on the. former's, velocity and. distance, out from the 'board and ifs'.co.i'rcctpcss coiiiea of- intuition born of long.practice, (h) Good style.— Good 'stylo in diving .must' combine confidence, boldness,-and, dash, with- suppleness and grace'' Tho ,' body, should be sprung from,.- the- board powerfully upwards' and outwards; the only exception being in the standing fall and'drop dives, - where . the. water- : entry ; is- immediately beneath the board.'-.-•.When, aerial change of body position,is required in excoiitirig a characteristic'dive such as the buck-screw and swallow, the first, and every-succeeding position should bo.clearly' defined by.a pause,.' followed by a. smart,'quick movement into the. next posi- -.'•.-. •'•■ '.;,; -;'. -.- ';.'■'. ■.'..'.-".. .■-.;- -