Swimming / Topic 11
Lanes, turns and interference
World Aquatics · 2026In short
Complete the course legally · Do not obstruct others
Complete the course legally
Start, swim and finish in the assigned lane and cover the full distance. At every turn, make physical contact with the wall. Do not pull on the lane rope or walk on the pool bottom. Standing on the bottom is allowed only in freestyle and the freestyle portion of a medley; walking remains prohibited.
Do not obstruct others
Interfering with another swimmer and pacemaking are prohibited. After finishing, leave the pool promptly without obstruction. A breach can bring disqualification. If interference harms another competitor's chances, the referee may allow that swimmer or team to swim again under the applicable procedure.
Independent explanations and translations, not official federation publications. Independent explanations of the supplied World Aquatics Competition Regulations, February 2026. This guide covers pool swimming only, not other aquatic disciplines. References use PDF viewer page numbers; topic numbers are editorial.
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