How must a breaststroker touch the wall?

• The rule: "At each turn and at the finish of the race, the touch must be made with both hands separated and simultaneously". It may be at, above or below the water surface.
• Separated: "the hands cannot be stacked one on top of the other".
• How separate: "it is not necessary to see space between the hands, and incidental contact at the fingers is permitted".
• Level: the rule does not ask for the hands to be at the same height.
• After the touch: at a turn it is permissible to turn in any manner, as long as the body is on the breast from the first arm stroke after leaving the wall.
• The last stroke: "At the last stroke before each turn and at the finish, an arm stroke not followed by a leg kick is permitted."
• The head at the wall: the head may be under water after the last arm pull before the touch, provided it broke the surface at some point during the last cycle, complete or incomplete.
• The elbows: may be out of the water for the final stroke before the turn, during the turn and for the final stroke at the finish.

This is the touch of an open turn.

Both arms move together throughout these strokes, so they should arrive together. A two-hand touch shows the turn inspector that the last stroke was a legal one. The definition of "separated" was added so that swimmers are not disqualified because their fingers brushed, while a deliberate one-on-top-of-the-other reach is still out.