Athlete Well-Being
The NFHS Swimming and Diving Rules Committee is particularly conscious of athlete safety, physical and mental well-being, and overall good health of high school students. With that in mind, the committee discussed at length the issue of photography behind the blocks. Guidelines for photographer access should be clearly defined prior to the swimming and diving event. It is recommended that state associations and event hosts consider the areas, and specifically the angles, for photography of swimmers and divers, and that appropriate and reasonable guidelines are established. Due to swimmer attire and the starting positions in the sport, media access in the starting area may not be appropriate. The committee addressed Rule 3-2-2 by adding language ensuring continued involvement of health-care professionals. Rule 3-3 was also edited to align language with current national trends in reference to individuals with disabilities and continuing encouragement of participation of those individuals in swimming and diving. And finally, the committee codified consistent language for all NFHS rules books prohibiting the use of alcohol, tobacco, and controlled or illicit substances by participants, team personnel, and officials, beginning with arrival at the competition site until departure following the completion of the contest. State associations are encouraged to continue examining additional ways to ensure student well-being within the framework of swimming and diving.

Electronic Devices
Swimming, like many other high school athletic endeavors, is significantly affected by continuing developments in technology. These developments, if not carefully monitored, have the potential to alter the nature of high school swimming and diving competition and drastically affect the competitive environment. Several factors should be kept in mind as the rules committee continues to evaluate the use of electronic devices by swimmers. Devices that collect and transmit data from the swimmer to an external recipient are permissible because they are potentially beneficial in terms of both athlete performance and well-being. Devices that provide information to the athlete during competition are not permitted and, when detected, result in severe penalties for both the competing athlete and team personnel. Detection of such devices is often difficult, and evaluation of performance often requires advanced technical knowledge. Officials should approach the enforcement of prohibitions on illegal devices with restraint and impose sanctions on team personnel only when it is abundantly clear that a device is being used improperly and is creating an unfair competitive advantage. State associations are empowered to address and regulate the use of electronic devices beyond those established by NFHS rules.

Risk Minimization - Backstroke Ledges
The NFHS serves as the national authority on competition rules while promoting fair play and seeking to minimize risk of injury for student participants in education-based high school athletic and activity programs. On an ongoing basis, the rules committee assesses and minimizes risks, to the extent consistent with the sound traditions of the sport. The NFHS Swimming and Diving Rules Committee continues to evaluate information regarding the use of backstroke starting ledges and the development of this equipment. At present, there is a considerable lack of reliable data assessing the safety and risk-minimization issues surrounding the use of ledges. It is anticipated that the results of a study currently underway at DePauw University will be available next year for the rules committee to consider whether to permit such equipment to be used as part of the high school swimming competitive environment. The primary concern will be, of course, athlete safety. Additional factors that must be assessed include fiscal/budgetary constraints, impact upon the flow of competition resulting from the installation and removal of the devices for a specific event, and effects on competitive equity resulting from availability of the equipment.