What are the rules for swimming the Butterfly?
Because of its roots in Breaststroke, the Butterfly has almost as many rules pertaining to it as the Breaststroke. The primary rules that define the Butterfly are: • Arm movements: • All movements of the arms are to be done simultaneously (but not in the same horizontal plane). • All forward movement of the hands must be done above the surface of the water for the entire race (as determined by the elbows breaking the surface of the water during the forward movement of the arms). • Leg movements: • All movements of the legs are to be done simultaneously. • The legs must remain in the same position relative to each other during all up and down movements; i.e., a “flutter” kick where the feet change their position relative to each other is prohibited. • Propulsion from the legs must come from the top of the foot; pushing water with the sole or instep of the foot is prohibited. • Body position: • The swimmer must leave the wall on their breast (shoulders at or past 90° toward their breast)
