rules to play synchronized swimming

Rules to play Synchronized Swimming

11. Vertical
Achieved by holding the body completely straight upside down and perpendicular to the surface usually with both legs entirely out of water.
12. Crane
While holding a vertical body position, one leg remains vertical while the other is dropped parallel to the surface, making a 90 degree angle or L shape.
13. Bent Knee
While holding a vertical body position, one leg remains vertical while the other leg bends so that its toe is touching the knee of the vertical leg.
14. Split position
With the body vertical, one leg is stretched forward along the surface and the other extended back along the surface.
15. Knight
The body is in a surface arch position, where the legs are flat on the surface, and the body is arched so that the head is vertically in line with the hips. One leg is lifted, creating a vertical line perpendicular to the surface.
16. Side Fishtail
Side fishtail is a position similar to a crane. One leg remains vertical, while the other is extended out to the side parallel to the water, creating a side Y position.
17. Routine
Routines are composed of figures (leg movements) and arm or stroke sections. They often incorporate lifts or throws, an impressive move in which a group of swimmers lift or throw another swimmer out of the water. Swimmers are synchronized both to each other and to the music. During a routine swimmers can never use the bottom of the pool for support, but rather depend on sculling motions with the arms, and eggbeater kick to keep afloat. After the performance, the swimmers are judged and scored on their performance based on technical merit and artistic impression. Technical skill, patterns, expression, and synchronization are all critical to achieving a high score.
18. Technical vs free routines
Depending on the competition level, swimmers will perform a technical routine with predetermined elements that must be performed in a specific order. The technical routine acts as a replacement for the figure event, and is usually used only in senior and collegiate level meets. In addition to the technical routine, the swimmers will perform a longer free routine, which has no requirements and is a chance for the swimmers to get creative and innovative with their choreography.
19. Length of routines
The type of routine and competition level determines the length of routines. Routines typically last two and a half to five minutes long, the shortest being solos, with length added as the number of swimmers are increased (duets, trios, teams, and combos). Age and skill level are other important factors in determining the required routine length.
20. Scoring
Routines are scored on a scale of 100, with points for both artistic impression and technical merit. The artistic mark is worth 50% of the total and the technical mark is worth 50%.