2017 MCSL Ratified Rule Changes

By Reach for the Wall staff.

Last Thursday (Mar 9), team representatives of the Montgomery County Swim League (MCSL) met to vote on a slew of proposed rule changes.  Here is a list of the new rules (highlighted in red), and below are some highlights from these new rule changes:

• No Financial Incentives.  The league added a rule barring MCSL teams from providing year-round club swimmers (i.e., USA Swimming registered swimmers) with financial inducements to join their summer team.  For example, an MCSL team cannot reduce its membership fees to induce a year-round club swimmer to join the MCSL team.  Similarly, an MCSL team cannot cause the membership fees of a year-round club to be reduced in order to induce a year-round swimmer to swim for the MCSL team.

• Approval Required to Transfer Teams.   The Reps voted to require MCSL Board approval of a transfer of a swimmer from one MCSL team to another, except in the following cases:
  • Change of Family Residence.  A swimmer may move to a new team if the family moves residences.
  • Waiting List.  A swimmer may transfer teams if the swimmer obtains membership to an MCSL pool to which s/he was on a waiting list to join.
  • Swimmer Did Not Swim “A” Meets in Prior Season.  A swimmer can join a new team if s/he did not participate in any MCSL “A” meets in the immediately prior season.
  • Withdrawal of Team from MCSL.  A swimmer can move to a new team if the prior team withdraws from MCSL.

A swimmer who does not meet the exemptions above may nevertheless move to a new MCSL team if the MCSL Board approves the transfer.  Applications for such Board approval must be submitted between March 15 and May 1 of the year for which the transfer is requested.  The online Team Transfer request form is now available at mcsl.org (form link).

• Uniform Rule Now Applies to Dual Meets.  The league now prevents swimmers from wearing a suit or cap with the name, insignia or logo of any team or pool other than the MCSL team represented by the swimmer at any MCSL meet.  The prior rule only disallowed such suits and caps at MCSL’s Coaches’ Long Course Meet, All Star Relay Meet, and Individual All Star Meet.

• Dual Signatures Required to DQ Early Take-Offs.  MCSL now requires both the lane and side take-off judges to sign the DQ slip disqualifying a relay team for an early take-off violation. Previously, the rule did not clearly require dual signatures from both of these judges.

• CCSDA / MCSL Stroke & Turn Judges.  MCSL now allows a certified Stroke and Turn Judge from the Country Club Swimming & Diving Association (CCSDA) to serve as a certified Stroke & Turn Judge in MCSL.

• More Relay Carnival Ribbons.  At Division Relay Meets, the league decided to award ribbons to second through sixth place finishers (not just second and third place finishers as was the prior rule).

The league, however, did not adopt all of the proposed rule changes.  For example, the Reps rejected proposals to both increase and shorten the distance that older age groups swim.