Be the Referee: Swim Turn Judges

By Sam Davis
MHSAA Director of Officials

November 8, 2022

Be The Referee is a series of short messages designed to help educate people on the rules of different sports, to help them better understand the art of officiating, and to recruit officials.

Below is this week's segment – Swim Turn Judges - Listen

Did you know the officials in swimming do more than make sure everyone dives in at the same time?

Each race has a turn judge who is positioned in line with the end wall. Their job is to make sure each swimmer is executing the proper stroke during his or her turn.

For example, if you are swimming the individual medley and are in the backstroke lap, you must turn while using the backstroke. You can’t go into the breaststroke while turning. If you do, the turn judge will signal to the referee by placing one hand overhead with an open palm, and then report it to the referee after the conclusion of the race.

The referee will then decide if the turn was legal or if the swimmer should be disqualified.

Previous Editions:

Oct. 25: Soccer Referee Jersey Colors - Listen
Oct. 18: Cross Country Tie-Breaker - Listen
Oct. 11: Soccer Shootouts - Listen
Oct. 11: Safety in End ZoneListen
Oct. 4: Football Overtime Penalty - Listen
Sept. 27: Kickoff Goal - Listen
Sept. 20: Soccer Timing - Listen
Sept. 13: Volleyball Replays - Listen
Sept. 6: Switching Sides - Listen
Aug. 30: Play Clock - Listen
Aug. 23: Intentional Grounding Change
- Listen

Performance of the Week: Sturgis' Kaylee Draper

September 15, 2023

Kaylee DraperKaylee Draper ♦ Sturgis
Junior ♦ Swimming

Draper joined teammates Kenzy Triezenberg, Ainsley Gump and Emma Garbine to swim the 200-yard medley relay in 1:55.53 on Sept. 7 against Hastings, breaking a school record from 1997. Draper also won the 50 freestyle with a Finals cut time of 25.47 seconds as Sturgis won the dual 92-69. Two days later, she swam on the winning 200 medley again and the 200 freestyle relay and was second in the 50 butterfly as the Trojans won the Mason Sprint Invitational.

She helped Sturgis finish 28th at last season’s Lower Peninsula Division 3 Finals, placing eighth in the 100 backstroke and 14th in the 50 freestyle and swimming on the 15th-place 200 freestyle relay. She also runs cross country during the fall and is a pole vaulter and thrower on the track & field team.

@mhsaasports 🏊‍♀️POW: Kaylee Draper #swimming #relay #sturgis #letsgo #highschoolsports #tiktalk #part1 #interview⁣ ⁣#performanceoftheweek #fyp #mistidentaid ♬ original sound - MHSAA

@mhsaasports 🏊‍♀️POW: Kaylee Draper #tiktalk #questiontime #part2 #subway #michaelphelps #energetic #swim #candy #laughing #emoji#performanceoftheweek #mistudentaid #fyp #MHSAA ♬ original sound - MHSAA

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Past 2023-24 Honorees

Sept. 8: Owen Jackson, Traverse City St. Francis tennis - Report
Sept. 1:
Rachel Forsyth, Ann Arbor Pioneer cross country - Report

(PHOTOS courtesy of the Sturgis Journal.)