April 15--The national governing body for high school athletics announced Wednesday several rules changes affecting attire at swimming and diving meets.
The National Federation of State High School Associations will allow competitors to wear jewelry in the pool during competition. Jewelry, such as necklaces and earrings, are banned in many contact sports because of the risk of injury from snagging or grabbing by opponents. Swimming, the NFHS contends, does not involve those risks.
"We've been working for the past 10 years on the role of prohibiting jewelry, and we finally came to the conclusion that prohibition presented little concern for injury," said Becky Oakes, NFHS director of sports and liaison to the Swimming and Diving Rules Committee, in a statement. "We determined the penalty's severity was no longer based in sound rationale."
It was not immediately clear if there will be any restrictions to the jewelry that can be worn during competition.
Another aesthetic change includes the uniforms worn by swimming officials, the NFHS previously set white as the standard uniform color, but the organization now will allow each state's governing body to establish its own uniform color.
The NFHS also will allow the starter to designate certain tasks to another official so he or she can concentrate on other responsibilities.
