Nothing Modest About the Modesty Rule
By Ariella Just Milender
By Ariella Just Milender
The sport of swimming is intense. The endurance and strength required to race is often challenging, but many still find comfort in the harsh waters. However, in the world of high school swimming, there is one rule that causes many swimmers discomfort, the “Modesty Rule,” or NFHS Rule 3-3, Article 2.
In the NFHS rulebook for Swimming and Diving, Rule 3-3 Article 2, the “Modesty Rule,” states, “Males shall wear suits which cover the buttocks and shall not extend above the waist or below the top of the kneecap. Females shall wear suits which cover the buttocks and breasts and shall not extend beyond the shoulders or below the top of the kneecap, nor cover the neck.” This rule has been in place for a while but is now expected to be strictly followed within the Central Coast Section (CCS), meaning all BVAL swim and dive meets and even practices will be enforcing this rule.
On the contrary, USA Swimming, the national governing body for club swimming, has a similar rule about swimwear: “For men, the swimsuit shall not extend above the navel nor below the knees, and for women, shall not cover the neck, extend past the shoulder, nor extend below the knee.”
The USA Swimming rule does not say anything about the coverage of the breasts and buttocks, nor does it need to. No one is showing up to competition in extremely-revealing swimwear, but every suit does not fit every single body the same, and there are far more body types than there are available suit styles.
You can often walk the pool deck and see many girls in suits, without a care in the world. As someone with a larger build, finding suits is challenging. The thousands of styles, brands, and cuts make it challenging for women to find suits that not only fit their body type but also cover and make them feel comfortable. As a swimmer for more than eight years, I have tried those many brands and styles, in hopes to find the right one.
Styles dubbed “cutoutfit” tend to be the styles I go for now, however many still opt for the suits with more coverage, as aquatic brand TYR calls “diamond fit.” Although there are many styles, the coverage on the butt ranges, and every suit fits differently with each body. Unless you were to get a custom-made suit, there is no possible way that these suits will fit absolutely perfectly to each and every body type.
To race to our full potential, our suits need to be tight. In high school swimming, we are required to purchase team suits where we do not choose the brand, however, we are given two styles to choose from. Within these styles, we choose the one we prefer and order it. These brands may not fit everyone perfectly, but we have to make it work. If I buy a smaller size, I run the risk of having less coverage, however, if I buy a larger size, there will be gaps for water to fill up, making it equally uncomfortable. I speak for many girls when I say this rule has angered us as it is unfair for female swimmers to be expected to control the fit of swimsuits. This rule is unfairly targeted towards young women who already feel exposed on deck. In an era where we are celebrating all bodies, this rule is doing the exact opposite.
NFHS needs to do better. Instead of worrying about the coverage we have on our bodies, we should be able to focus on how we perform in the water. There is never and has never been anything modest about this so-called “Modesty Rule.”
In the NFHS rulebook for Swimming and Diving, Rule 3-3 Article 2, the “Modesty Rule,” states, “Males shall wear suits which cover the buttocks and shall not extend above the waist or below the top of the kneecap. Females shall wear suits which cover the buttocks and breasts and shall not extend beyond the shoulders or below the top of the kneecap, nor cover the neck.” This rule has been in place for a while but is now expected to be strictly followed within the Central Coast Section (CCS), meaning all BVAL swim and dive meets and even practices will be enforcing this rule.
On the contrary, USA Swimming, the national governing body for club swimming, has a similar rule about swimwear: “For men, the swimsuit shall not extend above the navel nor below the knees, and for women, shall not cover the neck, extend past the shoulder, nor extend below the knee.”
The USA Swimming rule does not say anything about the coverage of the breasts and buttocks, nor does it need to. No one is showing up to competition in extremely-revealing swimwear, but every suit does not fit every single body the same, and there are far more body types than there are available suit styles.
You can often walk the pool deck and see many girls in suits, without a care in the world. As someone with a larger build, finding suits is challenging. The thousands of styles, brands, and cuts make it challenging for women to find suits that not only fit their body type but also cover and make them feel comfortable. As a swimmer for more than eight years, I have tried those many brands and styles, in hopes to find the right one.
Styles dubbed “cutoutfit” tend to be the styles I go for now, however many still opt for the suits with more coverage, as aquatic brand TYR calls “diamond fit.” Although there are many styles, the coverage on the butt ranges, and every suit fits differently with each body. Unless you were to get a custom-made suit, there is no possible way that these suits will fit absolutely perfectly to each and every body type.
To race to our full potential, our suits need to be tight. In high school swimming, we are required to purchase team suits where we do not choose the brand, however, we are given two styles to choose from. Within these styles, we choose the one we prefer and order it. These brands may not fit everyone perfectly, but we have to make it work. If I buy a smaller size, I run the risk of having less coverage, however, if I buy a larger size, there will be gaps for water to fill up, making it equally uncomfortable. I speak for many girls when I say this rule has angered us as it is unfair for female swimmers to be expected to control the fit of swimsuits. This rule is unfairly targeted towards young women who already feel exposed on deck. In an era where we are celebrating all bodies, this rule is doing the exact opposite.
NFHS needs to do better. Instead of worrying about the coverage we have on our bodies, we should be able to focus on how we perform in the water. There is never and has never been anything modest about this so-called “Modesty Rule.”