Competitive Start Awards

Preliminary Competitive Start Award

Designed to assess:

• The swimmer's ability to perform a safe racing dive into deep water from the side of the pool.

• The swimmer's ability to perform a safe racing dive from a starting block

• The swimmer's ability to perform a safe racing start into shallow water from the side of the pool.

From the poolside at the Deep End of the Pool

(minimum water depth 1.5m, maximum freeboard 0.38m)

1. Under normal starting conditions:-

2. Perform a shallow dive followed by a glide of at least 5m

3. Perform a shallow dive followed by a Frontcrawl leg kick to the surface

4. Perform a shallow dive followed by a Dolphin leg kick to the surface

5. Perform a shallow dive followed by a Breaststroke arm pull and leg kick to the surface

6. Perform a Backcrawl start using the side rail followed by a Backcrawl kick to the surface.

7. Perform a Backcrawl start using the side/rail followed by a Backcrawl kick to the surface

From a Starting Block at the Deep End of the Pool

(minimum water depth 1.5m, recommended height of starting block from the water 0.5m, maximum height of starting block from the water 0.75m)

8. Perform a shallow dive followed by a glide of 5m

9. Perform a grab start followed by a Frontcrawl leg kick to the surface

10. Perform a grab start followed by a Dolphin leg kick to the surface

11. Perform a grab start followed by a Breastroke arm pull and leg kick to the surface

12. Perform a wind up start for a stroke decided by the examiner

13. Perform a Backcrawl start using the starting block followed by a Backcrawl kick to the surface

WARNING:  The swimmer must not be permitted to undertake the remaining sections of this award until the preceding skills have been successfully accomplished.

From the Poolside at the Shallow End of the Pool

(minimum water depth 0.9m, maximum water depth 1.0m, maximum freeboard 0.38m)

14. Under normal starting conditions:-

15. Perform a shallow dive followed by a glide of at least 5m decided by the examiner

16. Perform a grab start followed by a Frontcrawl leg kick to the surface

17. Perform a grab start followed by a Dolphin leg kick to the surface

18. Perform a grab start followed by a Breastroke arm pull and leg kick to the surface

19. Perform a wind up start for a stroke decided by the examiner

20. Perform a Backcrawl start using the side rail followed by a Backcrawl kick to the surface

Competitive Start Award

Designed to assess:

• The swimmer's ability to perform a safe racing start into shallow water from a starting block and to demonstrate a variety of starting techniques.

From the Poolside at the Shallow End of the Pool

(minimum depth 0.9m, maximum depth 1.0m, maximum freeboard 0.38m)

1. Under normal starting conditions:-

2. Perform a track start followed by a glide of at least 5m

3. Perform a Backcrawl start followed by a Dolphin leg kick to the surface

From a Starting Block at the Shallow End of the Pool

(minimum depth 0.9m, maximum depth 1.0m, recommended height of the starting block from the water 0.5m, maximum height of the starting block from the water 0.75m)

4. Perform a shallow dive followed by a glide of at least 5m

5. Perform a wind up start with a glide of at least 5m

6. Perform a grab start with a glide of at least 5m

7. Perform a track start with a glide of at least 5m

8. Perform a Backcrawl start using a starting block followed by a Dolphin leg kick to the surface

9. Perform a minimum of three additional starts, under normal starting conditions, as decided by the examiner, showing the appropriate transition into the swimming stroke.  One of the starts included must be for the Breaststroke.

Important Notes:

• Teachers and coaches must stress the inherent dangers of diving to all swimmers.

• The plunge dive into deep water and those skills contained in the ASA Diving Award Level 1, Poolside Diver Grades 1 and 2 Awards must have been mastered before the Preliminary Competitive Start Award is introduced.

• Teachers/coaches and examiners must stress that entry on a false start must not be altered from the normal entry as illustrated in the diagrams.

• The ASA Laws relating to starting procedures must be fully explained to all pupils.

• These awards may be taken over a number of sessions, but must follow the order as outlined.

• The standard of the Preliminary Competitive Start Award must be reached before attempting the Competitive Start Award.

• The minimum qualification for the teaching and examining of these awards is the ASA Teacher Certificate and it is essential that all teachers/coaches and examiners are fully conversant with the teaching notes provided.

• In the award conditions, the word freeboard means the height of the poolside above the water.

• Safe competitive starts should be practised frequently as part of normal training programme.

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