On Thursday, the NCAA put out a media release outlining 5 major rules changes for NCAA competition that will take hold for the 2015-2016 season. But, according to a source who was involved in the process, that’s just a fragment of some 40 rules changes that were approved by the organization.
Among the other changes is one that was rarely considered, until it really mattered in February: the “Jack Conger” rule, that barred swimmers from setting NCAA Records in time trial swims.
At the national and international, FINA-umbrella level, records are allowed in time trials, however until now, the NCAA has disallowed records, insisting that they be set in regular competition.
That became relevant in February at the Big 12 Championships, where Texas sophomore Jack Conger swam the fastest 200 yard butterfly ever: 1:39.31. Despite that being a part of a college meet, and breaking the American and U.S. Open Records, Conger’s swim will never go into the NCAA Record books (though he’ll still have two more years to lower it further).
Neither Conger nor his teammate Joseph Schooling (who eventually won the national title) were able to improve that time against competition, so the NCAA record still belongs to Michigan’s Dylan Bosch in 1:39.33. The rules change can’t be applied post facto, but the change will prevent this dichotomy at future meets.
A local club team was asked to help time. During time trials, the pads were unplugged according to a parent who was timing. This parent questioned it and was told by her kids club coach that its better for the swimmers that way. How is it better for the swimmers if the pads are unplugged? The only thing I can come up with is it’s a way to get a NEEDED time.
actually should call this the ‘Ed Moses’ rule….
It could be called that, but Ed didn’t get the rule changed. ;-).
Bosch deserves the record. Time trials should not count for records because of the advantage of often having clean water in adjacent lanes.
And the advantage of having dirty officials who will unplug the pads like what happened at the 2009 Pac-10 Championships at Belmont.
What happened then/there?
Sorry – reply appears below!
I love that it’s known as the “Conger Rule.” He’ll be remembered for that long after the record has been broken.
Calling it the abolishment of the “Conger rule” is backwards. The new rule will be known as the “Conger rule”.