fina synchronised swimming manual for judges, coaches & referees

2009 – 2013 FINA SYNCHRONISED SWIMMING MANUALFOR JUDGES, COACHES & REFEREESSECTION III! Effective use of spaceWhile the space should be effectively used for movement to cover allareas of the pool, consideration should be given to the placement ofhighlights and special actions. These special actions should be placedwhere they can be effectively seen and appreciated..4. PATTERNS (formations)Team routines consist of a series of formations and the movements betweenthose formations. Patterns will be constantly changing and should change soeffectively that the changes are hardly apparent. Pattern changes can be madeunderwater and at the surface. Surface changes are especially effective thoughharder to plan and perform. The length of time a pattern should be held dependson the skill and experience of the swimmers, the type of action shown, and themusic.. All patterns must be well defined and held long enough to be recognised.Judges Consider:! ClarityThe shape of the pattern should be immediately recognisable, such as- square, rectangle, triangle, circle, diamond, railroad tracks- straight, diagonal, or curved lines- a letter of the alphabet such as ‘X’, ‘O’, ‘H’, ‘T’, ‘L’, ‘V’, ‘Y’, ‘I’, ‘Z’.- symmetric or asymmetric- spacing may be spread, close together, or joined.! Moving or static patternsPatterns may be stationary and held in one place or they may move orthey may rotate! Frequency of change:Patterns are changed often, 3-7 times per length - with 20-30 in a teamroutine5. TRANSITIONSA transition is passage from one state or place to another. In SynchronisedSwimming, these are the connecting movements the swimmers use to changeposition - from one position to another, in a pattern, from stroke to figure, figureto stroke, and within a figure or stroke. Properly designed transitions will maintainthe flow of the routine and always enhance the quality. Poor transitions will beobvious by their interruption of the flow. Examples of different kinds of transitionsfollow.2009 – 2013 FINA Synchronised Swimming Manual for Judges, Coaches & Referees 170