Everything You Need to Know About Diving: Terminology, Rules, and Peculiarities

Diving is an Olympic kind of sport that manifests itself in jumping into the water from a springboard or platform while performing acrobatics. This kind of sport pays attention to the quality of performed acrobatics as well as smoothness of diving itself.

General Rules

As it has already been mentioned, diving is performed either from a platform or springboard.

A platform is actually a construction (also known as a tower) with a few platforms at various heights: 1, 3, 5, 7.5 and 10 meters. A platform is 2 meters wide and 6 meters long. A platform end should be at least 1.5 meters directly above the pool.

A springboard is special equipment of at least 4.8 meters long and 0.5 meters wide, one end of which is fixed to the pool flank. A springboard is 1-3 meters above the water level. It should be completely covered with a non-slip material. These characteristics make it possible for an athlete to swing himself and push away powerfully with the help of the additional acceleration.

At the Olympics, athletes compete in diving from a 3-meter springboard and a 10-meter platform. Some international competitions also organize diving from a 1-meter springboard.

Acrobatics and Dives Classification

There are a few ways of how a dive can be performed. To be more exact, they are as follows:

1. Forward dive – an athlete starts with his face toward the water.
2. Backward dive – an athlete starts with his back toward the water.
3. Armstand dive – this dive is performed by an athlete from a motionless armstand position; only solid platforms are suitable for this, which is opposed to wavy springboards.
4. Standing dive – an athlete stays motionless before executing a dive.
5. Running dive – an athlete should take a run to perform a dive.

While executing a dive (actually, in the process of the flight), an athlete can show one of the following four positions (toes should be pointed in each of them):

• straight – an athlete’s body should be straight without any bends at the hips or knees;
• pike – an athlete bends his body in the waist while his knees are straight;
• tuck – an athlete bends his knees bringing them closer to the chest and holding the shins with his arms;
• free – it is a complex dive when an athlete can combine two or all three positions mentioned above during a single dive.

These positions are marked with the letters A, B, C, and D respectively.

In addition, there are six groups, according to which the dives are classified. Thus, these groups are as follows:

• Forward Group (1) – a forward dive with an athlete rotating forward;
• Back Group (2) – a backward dive with an athlete rotating backward;

• Reverse Group (3) – a forward dive with an athlete rotating backward;
• Inward Group (4) – a backward dive with an athlete rotating forward;
• Twist Group (5) – any dive with an axial twisting movement;
• Armstand Group (6) – any dive executed from an armstand position.

According to specialists’ estimates, there are about 60 main ways of springboard diving, and 90 variations of platform diving. Besides, athletes are free in “creating” their own variations combining different elements and positions as they wish.

Dive Numbers

You have seen that both positions and groups are marked with letters and numbers, respectively. It is done because every dive performed by an athlete at official competitions should be schematically represented with three- of four-digit numbers. Their actual number depends on the group of diving.

The first digit represents one of the six groups (Forward, Back, Reverse, Inward, Twist, and Armstand).

So, for groups 1 to 4, only three digits and one of the four letters are applied. The second digit is either 0 or 1, with 0 denoting a normal somersault and 1 – its flying variation. The third digit shows the number of half-somersaults. The letter denotes one of the four body positions (straight, pike, tuck, and free).

Thus, the dive of 113B actually means a Flying forward with one-and-a-half somersaults pike.

Dives of Groups 5 and 6 can have either three or four digits, with each denoting a particular characteristic feature of the dive being performed.

Scoring System

Diving competitions are served by 5-7 judges who stay on each side of the platform/springboard according to the main judge’s requirements. It is these officials who estimate the quality of a dive, which leads to determining a winner.

Every dive is estimated according to the 10-point system, with 0 being the lowest point and 10 – the highest. As soon as all the points are known, the highest and the lowest ones are dismissed, while the others are summed up. The results should be multiplied by a corresponding difficulty factor or tariff (1.2 to 3.6). The obtained result is then multiplied by 0.6 to find out the final number of points gained by an athlete.

A judge panel allots points according to the following features of a dive:

• starting position – it should be natural and free;
• run – it should be executed free, easy, straight, and consist of at least four steps;
• jumping-off – it should be steady and aimed directly upward (for springboard dives, an athlete should jump off with two feet simultaneously);
• flying – all the elements and positions should be executed clear and excellent;
• entry – it is a way of how an athlete dives into the water; it should be vertical and with a little amount of splashes.

A dive is said to be over when an athlete’s body completely entries the water.

Athletes Training

Although diving is said to be a water kind of sport, it pays great attention to a lot of technical elements that are to be performed by a diver while flying before the entry. That is why a diver should have first of all perfect gymnastic and acrobatic skills.

Diving requirements make athletes have perfect physical skills, movement co-ordination, and courage: the fact is that an athlete can reach a speed of about 50 km/hour while approaching the water. A false entry (especially when it comes to 10-meter platform diving) can lead not only to poor points, but also to serious damages and health issues. Mistakes in performing technical elements and positions can have the same negative consequences.

To tell the truth, even the most professional and experiences divers are not insured against this danger. For example, the 1988 Olympics saw its further winner have a serious head injury. Finally, the dives of Reverse and Inward groups are said to be the most dangerous.

Diving Tournaments

The list of the most prestigious and popular diving tournaments consists of the following events:

1. Summer Olympics;
2. Diving World Championships – a competition between national teams of the world countries that are members of the International Swimming Federation (FINA);
3. Diving Europe Championships – a competition between national teams of the European countries that are members of the International Swimming Federation (FINA).

History of the Sport

There is historical evidence proving that diving (with feet or head down) from rocks, ships, and reefs was a popular activity even in ancient times. In general, it was up to divers, fishermen, and warriors. Moreover, ancient Romans often dived in full combat gear.

This activity was equally popular a bit later. It is known, for example, that the Germans liked diving in the Middle Ages. According to some documents, the first diving competitions were held in the 17th century. It is clear that it happened at natural bodies of water.

Diving became a really popular activity in numerous country in the late 19th century. There were a few reasons for it. First of all, gymnastics happened to be extremely popular in those times. Secondly, numerous appropriate constructions were built near suitable bodies of water.

1904 witness as diving was included for the first time in the Olympics. Men competed in platform diving and distance diving. Springboard diving was added in 1908. Distance diving competitions were not organized anymore, by the 1912, 1920, and 1924 Olympics witnessed so-called “simple diving” alongside the diving competitions that are traditional for modern people. Women diving started at the 1912 Olympics.