This video presents the actual performance of the first year students doing the proper diving with

freestyle execution. As a young swimmers they must learn how to enter the water in a proper and graceful manner. It is as easy to enter the water gracefully as clumsily, and only requires a little care at first. Most beginners are dreadfully alarmed when they are told to jump into the water first. They cannot rid themselves of the instinctive idea that their heads will be dashed to pieces. But then the first year students were good and strong enough to fight their fears. To have a sensible moves on freestyle diving they should ensue the different stepd.1
Learn how to dive without a starting block. If you can't dive from flat ground into a pool, you definitely should not be diving off a starting block yet.

2
Step onto the starting block, only once you have learned the basics of diving. Start by placing one of your feet on front so the toes of that foot are over the edge. Place your other foot about shoulder-width behind you. It doesn't matter which foot is in front, you can experiment with both to see which you can dive better with. You should be facing toward the pool, remembering to breathe until the starter or your coach says, "take your mark."

3
Crouch down with your feet where they were and grab the front of the starting block with one hand at a time, once you hear, "take your mark." Bend down far enough so your chest is touching the top of your thighs. When you become better, you should be leaning enough forward so you feel like you could fall in at any time. Remember to remain still though until you hear the signal to go. Jump off the block by pushing forward off it with your arms and legs simultaneously once you are given the signal to go. In the air, your arms should quickly move into the streamline position above your head. As you hit the water, make sure your head is tucked in and that you straighten your body out after you enter the water to avoid going too deep.

It must the properly defined body position of the diver, including pointed toes and feet touching at all times a diver should enter the water straight, without any angle. Many judges award divers for the amount of splash created by the diver on entry, with less splash resulting in a higher score. Diving is the
Diving is the sport of jumping or falling into water from a platform or springboard, sometimes while performing acrobatics. Diving is an internationally-recognized sport that is part of the Olympic Games. In addition, unstructured and non-competitive diving is a recreational pastime. Diving is one of the most popular Olympic sports with spectators. Competitors possess many of the same characteristics as gymnasts and dancers, including strength, flexibility,kinaesthetic judgment and air awareness. The success of Greg Louganis has led to American strength in diving internationally. China came to prominence several decades ago when the sport was revolutionized by national coach Liang Boxi. Other noted countries in the sport include Russia, Great Britain, Italy, Australia and Canada.

Competitive diving

A man dives into the Great South Bay ofLong Island

Most diving competitions consist of three disciplines: 1 m and 3 m springboards, and the platform. Competitive athletes are divided by gender, and often by age group. In platform events, competitors are allowed to perform their dives on either the five, seven and a half (generally just called seven) or ten meter towers. In major diving meets, including theOlympic Games and the World Championships, platform diving is from the 10 meter height. Divers have to perform a set number of dives according to established requirements, including somersaults and twists. Divers are judged on whether and how well they

completed all aspects of the dive, the conformance of their body to the requirements of the dive, and the amount of splash created by their entry to the water. A possible score out of ten is broken down into three points for the takeoff, three for the flight, and three for the entry, with one more available to give the judges flexibility. The raw score is multiplied by a difficulty factor, derived from the number and combination of movements attempted. The diver with the highest total score after a sequence of dives is declared the winner. [edit]Synchronized

diving

Synchronized diving was adopted as an Olympic sport in 2000. Two divers form a team and perform dives simultaneously. The dives are usually identical; however, sometimes the dives may be opposites, in what is called a pinwheel. For example, one diver may perform a forward dive and the other an inward dive in the same position; or one may do a reverse and the other a back movement. In these events, the diving is judged both on the quality of execution and the synchronicity in timing of take-off and entry, height and forward travel. [edit]Scoring

the dive

There are rules governing the scoring of a dive. Usually a score considers three elements of the dive: the approach, the flight, and the entry. The primary factors affecting the scoring are:

if a hand-stand is required, the length of time and quality of the hold the height of the diver at the apex of the dive, with extra height resulting in a higher score the distance of the diver from the diving apparatus throughout the dive (a diver must not be dangerously close, should not be too far away, but should ideally be within 2 feet (0.61 m) of the platform)

the properly defined body position of the diver according to the dive being performed, including pointed toes and feet touching at all times

the proper amounts of rotation and revolution upon completion of the dive and entry into the water angle of entry a diver should enter the water straight, without any angle. Many judges award divers for the amount of splash created by the diver on entry, with less splash resulting in a higher score.

To reduce the subjectivity of scoring in major meets, panels of five or seven judges are assembled. If five judges then the highest and lowest scores are discarded and the middle three are summed and multiplied by the degree of difficulty (DD), which is determined from a combination of the moves undertaken, in which position and from what height). In major international events, there are seven judges in which case the

highest and lowest scores are again discarded and the middle five are summed, then ratioed by 35, and multiplied by the DD, so as to provide consistent comparison with 5judge events. Accordingly, it is extremely difficult for one judge to manipulate scores. This seven-judge procedure has been modified as of the 2012 London Olympics: rather than eliminating one high and one low award and then reducing the total by 35 as in previous international events, the two highest awards and the two lowest are disregarded, leaving three to be summed and multiplied by the difficulty rating. There is a general misconception about scoring and judging. In serious meets, the absolute score is somewhat meaningless. It is the relative score, not the absolute score that wins meets. Accordingly, good judging implies consistent scoring across the dives. Specifically, if a judge consistently gives low scores for all divers, or consistently gives high scores for the same divers, the judging will yield fair relative results and will cause divers to place in the correct order. However, absolute scores have significance to the individual divers. Besides the obvious instances of setting records, absolute scores are also used for rankings and qualifications for higher level meets. In synchronised diving events, there is a panel of seven, nine, or eleven judges; two or three to mark the execution of one diver, two or three to mark the execution of the other, and the remaining three or five to judge the synchronisation. The execution judges are positioned two on each side of the pool, and they score the diver which is nearer to them. The 2012 London Olympics saw the first use of eleven judges. The score is computed similarly to the scores from other diving events, but has been modified starting with the 2012 London Olympics for the use of the larger judging panels. Each group of judges will have the highest and lowest scores dropped, leaving the middle score for each diver's execution and the three middle scores for synchronization. The total is then weighted by 35 and multiplied by the DD. The result is that the emphasis is on the synchronization of the divers. The synchronisation scores are based on:

time of take-off height attained synchronisation of rotations and twists time of entry to the water forward travel from the board

The judges may also disqualify the diver for certain violations during the dive, including:

receiving a score of 0 on all dives performed in the event improper equipment usage (e.g., female divers not using hair ties)

[edit]Competitive

strategy

1984 and 1988 Olympic gold medal diverGreg Louganis

To win dive meets, divers create a dive list in advance of the meet. To win the meet the diver must accumulate more points than other divers. Often, simple dives with low DDs will look good to spectators but will not win meets. The competitive diver will attempt the highest DD dives possible with which they can achieve consistent, high scores. If divers are scoring 8 or 9 on most dives, it may be a sign of their extreme skill, or it may be a sign that their dive list is not competitive, and they may lose the meet to a diver with higher DDs and lower scores. In competition, divers must submit their lists beforehand, and once past a deadline (usually when the event is announced or shortly before it begins) they cannot change their dives. If they fail to perform the dive announced, even if they physically cannot execute the dive announced or if they perform a more difficult dive, they will receive a score of zero. Under exceptional circumstances, a redive may be granted, but these are exceedingly rare (usually for very young divers just learning how to compete, or if some event outside the diver's control has caused them to be unable to perform). In the Olympics or other highly competitive meets, many divers will have nearly the same list of dives as their competitors. The importance for divers competing at this level is not so much the DD, but how they arrange their list. Once the more difficult rounds of dives begin it is important to lead off with a confident dive to build momentum. They also tend to put a very confident dive in front of a very difficult dive to ensure that they will

have a good mentality for the difficult dive. Most divers have pre-dive and post-dive rituals that help them either maintain or regain focus. Coaches also play a role in this aspect of the sport. Many divers rely on their coaches to help keep their composure during the meet. In a large meet coaches are rarely allowed on the deck to talk to their athlete so it is common to see coaches using hand gestures to communicate. There are some American meets which will allow changes of the position of the dive even after the dive has been announced immediately before execution, but these are an exception to the rules generally observed internationally. Generally, NCAA rules allow for dives to be changed while the diver is on the board, but the diver must request the change directly after the dive is announced. This applies especially in cases where the wrong dive is announced. If the diver pauses during his or her hurdle to ask for a change of dive, it will be declared a balk and the change of dive will not be permitted. Under FINA law, no dive may be changed after the deadline for the dive-sheet to be submitted (generally a period ranging from one hour to 24 hours, depending on the rulings made by the event organiser). It is the diver's responsibility to ensure that the dive-sheet is filled in correctly, and also to correct the referee or announcer before the dive if they describe it incorrectly. If a dive is performed which is as submitted but not as (incorrectly) announced, it is declared failed and scores zero according to a strict reading of the FINA law. But in practice, a re-dive would usually be granted in these circumstances. [edit]Governance The global governing body of diving is FINA, which also governs swimming, synchronized swimming, water polo and open water swimming. Almost invariably, at national level, diving shares a governing body with the other aquatic sports. This is frequently a source of political friction as the committees are naturally dominated by swimming officials who do not necessarily share or understand the concerns of the diving community. Divers often feel, for example, that they do not get adequate support over issues like the provision of facilities. Other areas of concern are the selection of personnel for the specialised Diving committees and for coaching and officiating at events, and the team selection for international competitions.

There are sometimes attempts to separate the governing body as a means to resolve these frustrations, but they are rarely successful. For example, in the UK the Great Britain Diving Federation was formed in 1992 with the intention of taking over the governance of Diving from the ASA (Amateur Swimming Association). Although it initially received widespread support from the diving community, the FINA requirement that international competitors had to be registered with their National Governing Body was a major factor in the abandonment of this ambition a few years later. Since FINA refused to rescind recognition of the ASA as the British governing body for all aquatic sports including diving, this meant that the elite divers had to belong to ASAaffiliated clubs to be eligible for selection to international competition. In the United States scholastic diving is almost always part of the school's swim team. Diving is a separate sport in Olympic and Club Diving. The NCAA will separate diving from swimming in special diving competitions after the swim season is completed. [edit]Safety

A sign prohibiting diving at a beach inKirkland, Washington

Despite the apparent risk, the statistical incidence of injury in supervised training and competition is extremely low.[1] The majority of accidents that are classified as 'diving-related' are incidents caused by individuals jumping from structures such as bridges or piers into water of inadequate depth. Many accidents also occur when divers do not account for rocks and logs in the water. Because of this many beaches and pools prohibit diving in shallow waters or when a lifeguardis not on duty.

After an incident in Washington state in 1993, most US and other pool builders are reluctant to equip a residential swimming pool with a diving springboard so home diving pools are much less common these days. In the incident, 14-year-old Shawn Meneely made a "suicide dive" (his hands at his sides - so his head hit the bottom first) in a private swimming pool and became a tetraplegic. The lawyers for the family, Jan Eric Peterson and Fred Zeder, successfully sued the diving board manufacturer, the pool builder, and the National Spa and Pool Institute over the inappropriate depth of the pool.[2][3] The NSPI had specified a minimum depth of 7 ft 6 in (2.29 m) which proved to be insufficient in the above case. The pool into which Meneely dived was not constructed to the published standards. The standards had changed after the diving board was installed on the non-compliant pool by the homeowner. But the courts held that the pool "was close enough" to the standards to hold NSPI liable. The multi-million dollar lawsuit was eventually resolved in 2001 for US$6.6 million ($8 million after interest was added) in favor of the plaintiff.[4] The NSPI was held to be liable, and was financially strained by the case. It filed twice for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection and was successfully reorganized into a new swimming pool industry association. [2] In competitive diving, FINA takes regulatory steps to ensure that athletes are protected from the inherent dangers of the sport. For example, they impose restrictions according to age on the heights of platforms which divers may compete on.

Group D (11 & under): 5 m Group C (12/13 year): 5 m & 7.5 m Group B (14/15 year): 5 m, 7.5 m & 10 m Group A (16/18 year): 5 m, 7.5 m & 10 m

Group D divers have only recently been allowed to compete on the tower. In the past, the age group could compete only springboard, to discourage children from taking on the greater risks of tower diving. Group D tower was introduced to counteract the phenomenon of coaches pushing young divers to compete in higher age categories, thus putting them at even greater risk. However, some divers may safely dive in higher age categories to dive on higher platforms. Usually this occurs when advanced Group C divers wish to compete on the 10 m. Points on pool depths in connection with safety:

most competition pools are 5m deep for 10 m platform and 4m deep for 5m platform or 3m springboard. These are currently the FINA recommended minimum depths. Some are deeper, e.g. 6m for the diving pit at Sheffield, England.

diving from 10 m and maintaining a downward streamlined position results in gliding to a stop at about 4.5 5m. high standard competition divers rarely go more than about 2.5m below the surface, as they roll in the direction of the dive's rotation. This is a technique to produce a clean entry.

attempting to scoop the trajectory underwater against the rotation is extremely inadvisable as it can cause serious back injuries.

hitting the water flat from 10 m brings the diver to rest in about 1 ft. The extreme deceleration causes severe bruising both internal and external, strains to connective tissue securing the organs and possible minor hemorrhage to lungs and other tissue. This is very painful and distressing, but not life-threatening.

[edit]Dive

groups

A male diver performs a reverse from a 3 meter springboard in the tuck position

There are six "groups" into which dives are classified: Forward, Back, Inward, Reverse, Twist,and Armstand. The latter applies only to Platform competitions, whereas the other five apply to both Springboard and Platform.

in the Forward Group (Group 1), the diver takes off facing forward and rotates forward in the Back Group (2), the diver takes off with their back to the water and rotates backward in the Reverse Group (3), the diver takes off facing forward and rotates backward in the Inward Group (4), the diver takes off with their back to the water and rotates forward any dive incorporating an axial twisting movement is in the Twist group (5). any dive commencing from a handstand is in the Armstand group (6). (Only on platform)

[edit]Dive

positions

During the flight of the dive, one of four positions is assumed:

straight with no bend at the knees or hips (the hardest of the three) pike with knees straight but a tight bend at the hips (the median in difficulty of the three.) The open pike is a variant where the arms are reached to the side, and the legs are brought straight out with a bend in the hips.

tuck body folded up in a tight ball, hands holding the shins and toes pointed.(the easiest of the three) free indicates a twisting dive, and a combination of other positions. In the transition between two positions the diver may for example bend their legs or curve at the waist, and points will not be deducted for doing so.

These positions are referred to by the letters A, B, C and D respectively. Additionally, some dives can be started in a flying position. The body is kept straight with the arms extended to the side, and the regular dive position is assumed at about half the dive. Difficulty is rated according to the Degree of Difficulty of the dives. Some divers may find pike easier in a flip than tuck, and most find straight the easiest in a front/back dive, although it is still rated the most difficult because of the risk of overrotation. [edit]Dive

numbers

In competition, the dives are referred to by a schematic system of three- or four-digit numbers. The letter to indicate the position is appended to the end of the number. The first digit of the number indicates the dive group as defined above. For groups 1 to 4, the number consists of three digits and a letter of the alphabet. The third digit represents the number of half-somersaults. The second digit is either 0 or 1, with 0 representing a normal somersault, and 1 signifying a "flying" variation of the basic movement (i.e. the first half somersault is performed in the straight position, and then the pike or tuck shape is assumed). No flying dive has been competed at a high level competition for many years. For example:

101A forward Dive Straight 203C back one-and-a-half somersaults, tuck 305C reverse two-and-a-half somersaults, tuck 113B flying forward one-and-a-half somersaults, pike

For Group 5, the dive number has 4 digits. The first digit indicates that it is a twisting dive. The second digit indicates the group (14) of the underlying movement; the third digit indicates the number of half-somersaults, and the fourth indicates the number of half-twists.

For example:

5211A back dive, half twist, straight position. 5337D reverse one and a half somersaults with three and a half twists, in the Free position.

For Group 6 Armstand the dive number has either three or four digits: Three digits for dives without twist and four for dives with twists. In non-twisting armstand dives, the second digit indicates the direction of rotation (0 = no rotation, 1 = forward, 2 = backward, 3 = reverse, 4 = inward) and the third digit indicates the number of half-somersaults. Inward-rotating armstand dives have never been performed, and are generally regarded as physically impossible. For example:

600A armstand dive straight