Who disqualifies a swimmer, and can it be challenged?
I · Intermediate · Penalties, kit, records and the pool · 6 of 7Only the referee disqualifies. Officials round the pool report what they see, and at the top competitions video review judges do the same. A disqualified swimmer has no time and no place in the results. A team leader may protest in writing within 30 minutes, with a deposit, but not against a decision of fact.
How it works
- The referee: has full control over all the technical officials and enforces the rules.
- Seen by the referee: "If the Referee personally observes any other breach of the Competition Regulations by an Athlete, the Referee will disqualify the Athlete."
- Reported by an official: the referee "may disqualify the Athlete". Once it is confirmed, the reporting official signs a disqualification card with the event, the lane and the infraction.
- Inspectors of turns: one at each end of each lane, watching the start, each turn and the finish.
- Judges of stroke: on each side of the pool, watching that the stroke rules are kept.
- Video review: at the Olympic Games and the main world championships, video review judges watch the strokes, turns and finishes and report to a supervisor, who confirms an infraction before it goes to the referee.
- Each official alone: each makes decisions within their own role, independently of the others.
- In the results: "the disqualification will be recorded in the official results and no time or placing will be recorded or announced".
- The protest: to the referee, in writing on the official form, by the team leader, with a deposit of 500 Swiss francs, within 30 minutes of the end of the event.
- Not on facts: "no protest(s) shall be allowed against decisions of fact".
- The appeal: if the referee rejects the protest, the team leader may appeal to the Jury of Appeal within one hour. Its decision is final.
- The deposit: kept if the protest fails and returned if it succeeds.
The glossary lists the officials under referee and starter and judges of stroke and inspectors of turns, and the result under DQ.
Tricky cases
A turn inspector sees a one-hand touch. Is the swimmer disqualified on the spot?
No. The inspector reports it to the referee, who decides.
A swimmer is disqualified and their coach is sure the turn was legal. Can the team protest?
It depends on what the protest says. A decision of fact cannot be protested. A protest that the rules were wrongly applied can be made.
Does a disqualified swimmer keep their time for the record books?
No. No time or placing is recorded for a disqualified swimmer.
Can a swimmer be disqualified from video alone?
Yes, at competitions with video review. A video review judge reports the infraction, the supervisor confirms it and it goes to the referee.
Why the rule exists
Stroke faults happen in a fraction of a second, often under water. No single person can watch eight lanes. Many pairs of eyes report, and one person decides, so that the standard is the same in every lane. The bar on protesting facts keeps an appeal from becoming a second guess at what an inspector saw.
Where it differs
| Where | What changes | Source |
|---|---|---|
| World Aquatics rules | As above | SW 2.2; SW 2.3; SW 2.8; SW 2.9; SW 2.15; SW 2.16; SW 11.3 |
| Protests | In Part One of the regulations, which was read in the January 2025 edition | Part One, Article 13 (2025) |
| Relays | The team is disqualified. Earlier legal splits are kept | SW 10.5; SW 11.4 |
| Smaller competitions | Fewer officials may be approved, and there may be no video review | SW 2.1.2 |
From the rule book
World Aquatics, Competition Regulations, Part Two: Swimming Rules (in force as from February 2026), Articles 2.1 to 2.3, 2.8, 2.9, 2.15, 2.16, 11.3 and 11.4. Protests: World Aquatics, Competition Regulations, Part One, Article 13, in force as from 1 January 2025. The 2026 swimming rules point to "Article 12 of Part One", so the numbering has changed and the 2026 text was not read. Checked 14 October 2026. Official document: World Aquatics Competition Regulations (PDF).