What rules are there for relay races?
Relay races are certainly the swimmers’ favorite events! There are two types of relay races in the RCSL meets – Freestyle and Medley. In general, the rules for the strokes carry over into the relay events. The additional rules are: • All relay teams must be made up of four (4) different swimmers, each swimming 1/4 of the total distance. • The Medley Relay requires the swimming of all four strokes in the order of Backstroke, Breaststroke, Butterfly and Freestyle. • Like the IM, the Freestyle portion of the Medley Relay is restricted to a stroke other than a legal Butterfly, Backstroke or Breaststroke (but a Butterfly pull with a Breaststroke kick, for example, would be legal). • In the Freestyle Relay, each swimmer could do a different “style” if they desire. • The exchange from one swimmer to another requires that some portion of the body of the swimmer starting their “leg” remain in contact with the starting platform or edge of the pool until the swimmer finishing their leg touches th
