Swimsuits Part of High School Swimming and Diving Rule Changes

INDIANAPOLIS, INDIANA (April 15, 2026) — Swimsuits are part of the five rule changes in high school swimming for the 2026-27 school year by the National Federation of State High School Association (NFHS).

Under Rule 3-3-4b(2), wording was added to clarify that bonded or taped seams on suits are not subject to permeability requirements. This change mirrors standards established by World Aquatics.

Rules 3-5-1 and 3-5-2 were also updated to state that no competitor shall wear any audio (microphone) or video (camera) device during a race or dive.

State high school associations will have the option to change the number of dives performed by participants during a championship meet. Rule 9-4-2h (Choice of Dives) now states that “by state association adoption, the number of qualifiers advancing to the semifinal round may be increased.” An additional note states, “by state association adoption, states may alter the number of dives for their state championship series of meets.”

In its rationale, the committee pointed out that participation in high school diving continues to decline in many states, and reducing the number of dives could expand opportunities for student-athletes to participate in the event.

“The committee noted that the exception within the note is tightly crafted and limited to state association championship competition,” said Sandy Searcy, NFHS director of sports and liaison to the Swimming and Diving Rules Committee. “Allowing championship meet modification is consistent with other provisions in Rule 5-1-1 that allow states to address issues such as scheduling and affect only their own competitions, similar to deciding whether to contest events in other sports.”

Mirroring language was added to rules governing the butterfly (Rule 8-2-3g) and freestyle (Rule 8-2-4e), stating: “Once some part of the swimmer’s head has passed the 5-yard/5-meter mark immediately prior to reaching for the finish, the swimmer may be completely submerged.” The changes align with national trends in the sport.