High School Swimming Officials class

2000 - 2000 free no equipment.  This went by so fast!  Got this in under 27 minutes.
Masters workout begins:
300 free
300 - 6 x 75's (25 kick, stroke, drill)
200 - 2 x 100's build
600 - 4 x 150's @ 75% on 2:05
50 back easy
450 - 3 x 150's pull @ 80% on 2:00
50 back easy
300 - 2 x 150's free @ 90% on 1:50
50 back easy
150 strong set goal (1:45) - got 1:38!  Nice!
100 easy
300 - 6 x 50's kick descend 1-3 (first two dolphin, third flutter...repeat) on 1:00

Moved to the North end and did:
300 easy (100 free, 200 back)
1200 pull


6350 yards total in 2:00

Last night I attended a High School Swimming Official class and I'm now certified to officiate as a stroke and turn judge.  Kind of worried that there was no test, just instruction that was 150 minutes.  As an official I enforce the rules, regardless of whether I agree with them or not and nearly all of them I do... except for two small rules where the discussion seemed to take up a good chunk of the class:

1) No jewelry rule.  I recognize that big dangly loop earings, or a loose fitting necklace probably isn't the safest thing.  But a ring?  Or a watch?  I've worn both to meets and in workouts and they've never posed a safety problem.  Why ban jewelry all together?  Seems extreme.  Then some doofus brought up, "What about tongue rings or tongue studs?"  Oh my gosh.  I just don't get the anality of it all.

2) Logos on caps and suits.  Non water permeable logos cannot take up more than 9 inches and must only be contained in one logo, not two.  The size of the logos on the caps can't be greater than a certain size.  And the names on caps must be a form of the person's actual name.  No nicknames (unless its a form of the person's first name)  Wow!  Seems ridiculous. Sure you don't want profanity on a cap, but if a guy's nickname is "Doofus" why not let him have it on the cap?  I just don't get it.

One thing that was not discussed and I was hoping wasn't a rule...  Do you notice that a good majority of swimming officials who watch turns hold their hands behind their back?  Why?  I don't see people holding their hands like that when they standing and watching their kids play soccer, or standing at line at the movies.  It looks really dumb.  I almost piped up.  "Do I have to hold my hands behind my back when I'm watching turns at the end of the pool watching as an official.  You know the typical "I'm important, notice me" stance?  I didn't see anything in the rulebook that said I have to stand like that."  But I didn't think that would fly very well with the group.

Glad I went though.  I got a rulebook that I'm going to have to read in detail and highlight.  It shed light on a few things that I simply didn't know, or weren't enforced rules when I was a kid.  I remember being DQ'd my senior year at state in the 500.  That is probably one of the saddest moments of my life.

Attending a class like that made me SO GLAD I didn't pursue my career path of law enforcement.