Breast stroke = no flip turns?

The short axis strokes - breaststroke and butterfly - require BOTH hands touch the wall at the same time during the turn. While it is not illeagal to flip turn on these strokes the requirement to touch with both hands makes it easier and quicker to do open turns.

Yep, they don't flip in the butterfly either. My questionis what is the rule for the back?  They flip turn but when are they allowed to roll over?

I'm not 100% on the distance for when they can flip, but they cannot take any strokes at all, just do the flip...so I imagine that in itself limits how soon a swimmer would decide to flip so they don't lose momentum.  While I only did the local swim team as a kid, I'll never forget the worst feeling was to flip over on the back cause you thought you counted your strokes right to the wall, only to see you had to glide and glide and glide to get to the flip....grrr...so frustrating, and burns up air in the lungs!

Edited by TexasMPGal 2008-08-17 3:34 PM

While I don't compete in swim meets this is my understanding from my Masters Swim coach. He still can't get me to complete a legal backstroke flip turn.

When executing a turn in Backstroke, the swimmer is allowed to leave their back during the final arm stroke. Once off their back:
-The swimmer is allowed to complete that arm stroke by moving both hands to his/her hips (either through a single or double arm pull).
-The swimmer must execute the turn in a "continuous turning action."
-The phrase "continuous turning action" precludes the swimmer kicking, pulling, sculling or gliding into the wall as these are not turning actions.
-If the swimmer performs the turn too far away from the wall for the feet to touch, he/she is not allowed to scull back as this violates the 'continuous turning action" as above.
-As an alternative, the swimmer may touch the wall on their back and turn in any manner desired (the "continuous turning action" is only a requirement if a swimmer rolls past vertical prior to touching the wall).
-The swimmer must leave the wall on their back.