Para swimming rules, for watching
Start with how a match works. Then the rules you see every few minutes, then the ones that change results.
Checked 14 October 2026
Settling an argument? Search all 13 rules
- What is para swimming?
- What do S, SB and SM mean in para swimming?
- How are blind swimmers classified?
- Which events are in para swimming?
- How are heats seeded in para swimming?
- Can para swimmers start in the water?
- What are exception codes in para swimming?
- What are the backstroke rules in para swimming?
- What are the touch rules in para swimming?
- How do blind swimmers know when to turn?
- How do para swimming relays work?
- What can para swimmers wear?
- How are para swimmers disqualified?
Where these rules come from
| Tag | Document |
|---|---|
| Section number, for example 11.4.6 | World Para Swimming, Rules and Regulations, February 2026 |
| CR, with A2 or A3 for its appendices | World Para Swimming, Classification Rules and Regulations, August 2022 |
| R | "Why the rule exists", or a point reasoned from the rule, not stated in it |
| C | Common usage or general knowledge, not a rule |
Checked on 14 October 2026.