New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1912-11-17
WAR OVER DIVING CODE
Western Swimmers Not Salts.
fled with System Used.
NO UNIFORMITY A FAULT
Eastern Faction Contends No
Advantage Is To Be Gained
by Technical Changes.

The group Of Western watermen headed
by Frank Bornamann. of the Chicago
Athletic Association, which is so anxious
to have the Amateur Athletic Union revise
the present fancy diving code, have placed
their advocated changes in concrete form
ready to present TO the authorities
One Of the men who was instrumental
in drafting the proposed changes said. In
talking to representative Of The Trib-
une:
I'VE would like to see the schedule SIM
pllfed, and to have II stated whether
each dive is TO be performed standing or
running We hold that a different APP
proach does not alter the dive itself, and
the difference In execution should not
affect the scale of points CHASING It. II,
therefore. contestant performs q run
ming dive from a standing position, or vice
versa, he is simply executing imperfectly,
and we believe he should be penalized two
points, Irrespective Of form.
1.-The system OF officiating is not In our
opinion satisfactory We think IL would
be improved by appointing competent
umpire, with power to decide whether the
competitor performs the particular dive
he has nominated or not, his decision TO be
accepted as final by the judges.
I'VE also wish to raise the question as
to whether any dives should be made
compulsory. II so, we claim their char
acter should be clearly specified. For in
stance, a plain forward dive Is now called
for. but no inror nation is given regard
ing It's execution, whether standing or
running, the arms raised on the take-off
or later, having the character Of lay
out or swan dive. etc. Under such elastic
rules uniformity Is unattainable.
Another reform that we advocate Is
the grading Of dives into three divisions,
termed Junior, intermediate and senior or
championship schedules. We have found
about sixty-hve different dives that are
being performed here or abroad, and they
can be easily classed by degree Of diff
Guilty. II compulsory dives are voted for,
they should be included In all three
classes, and a total Of points established
for them without consideration OF degree
OF difficulty; this would avoid superhuous
work
Finally, we are in favor of cutting
down the number of optional dives to
twenty or so. In order TO simplify the
work of the judges. and instead Of grant,
ing a total of points according to the
nature OF q dive-at present ranging from
unsuccessful to excellent-we would have
the awards allotted at the rate OF three
points for work on the board and In take
off, four for the flight in the air and three
for the entry in the water thus reaching
the total OF ten"
Eastern experts are not In sympathy
with these amendments and can point out
many flaws in them. A former cham
pion said on the subject:
81 will show you, item by item, why
we consider the Westerners' attitude un-
warranted. While a running or standing
take-off may not change a dive, 1t makes
more or less difficult It's execution, and IL
matters little whether you deduct two
points or just estimate the difference on
the list OF awards. The result is the
same. We can see no advantage in
mere technical change. AS to decreelng
whether plain dive should be performed
one way or the other, II would be unfair
to the contestant. The judges are, or
should be, competent TO estimate the
worth OF the performance.
The introducing OF an umpire is mad
visable, because II is always dangerous
to invest one man with supreme power
A biassed umpire could cause the defeat
Of any contestant by declaring he had
not performed one or two Of the dives
he had called.
The grading OF dives seems rather use
less as We have no junior and intermedi-
ate classes. Clubs have often held con-
tests in which no feat rated higher than
a certain number OF points was permitted,
and this answers the purpose without dis
turbing the present state of affairs
THE different system advocated for
points in the compulsory dives is another
mere technicality, which would probably
complicate matters, instead OF helping
LAS to restricting the optional dives TO
twenty or so, II would be most unjust to
the men whose best specialties were elm
mated, a thing unavoidable In selecting,
and such a step would awaken protests
and determinations, fully justified, from
every side.
1--WE cannot SEQ how the Western re-
forms would improve conditions In any