VHSL allows tape (non-Kinesio) for medical reasons, with proper documentation from a doctor provided to the referee in advance. DCs friend was legally allowed to swim both regular season and post season meets with tape (although the times aren’t supposed to be recognized by USA Swimming, since there is no medical exception there). |
But tape is allowed under NFHS rules. That's why the DQ's are only for USA Swimming and not high school. At a recent meet I was on deck (high school) swimmers were notified that it would be a DQ under USA Swimming so that those that kept the tape on knew this. |
At higher levels more of the DQs are false starts and early takeoffs because the athletes know the strokes.
Metros tends to run a well staffed deck and the assigned positions are filled with good officials. The false starts are almost all legit, it is a dual confirmed call, but they are often not called in dual meets unless blatant |