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USA DIVING NEWS |  |
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June 27, 2007 Clarification on International Travel Policy USA Diving has received some questions from coaches and parents asking about the recently posted International Travel Policy, and we would like to provide some clarification on the policy. Perhaps the best way to look at this policy is to consider FINA as the National Football League and USA Diving and other federations as the NFL teams. USA Diving is its own organization, but it order to participate, it must play by FINA’s rules. As such, please understand that the International Travel Policy is not directly a USA Diving policy but rather a policy set forth by FINA as it relates to USA Diving. According to FINA rules, USA Diving is the only diving governing body they recognize in the United States. USA Diving through United States Aquatic Sports is the only diving member of FINA in the USA. FINA rules are very strict when dealing with international events, exchanges, clinics, coach exchanges, etc. We are providing this information to educate you, our members, on the rules and interpretations in order to protect everyone involved in the sport of diving and prevent any misinterpretations, whether inadvertent or unnecessary, down the road. In addition, we have heard from FINA Bureau members that other countries are also beginning to enforce this rule, some to the extent that they are limiting international travel to their national team to avoid any potential problems. A summary of FINA rules as they relate to international travel follows (for the complete international travel policy, click here): FINA's rules state that any group or individual competing with, having exchanges with or having clinics with another FINA member country, must be a member of FINA. Therefore anyone hosting or traveling to an international event or exchange must be a member of USA Diving and receive a sanction or there may be a penalty. Listed below are sections of the FINA rule book, not USA Diving rules: GR 1.1 states that “All competitors must be registered with their National Federation to be eligible to compete.” GR 2.1 states that “A competition organized by a National Federation, Regional Body or Club in which other FINA recognized Federations, Clubs or Individuals participate, shall be regarded as an International Competition.” “No team shall be designated by the title of a country or Sport Country unless the competitors have been selected by the Member of the country or Sport Country.” GR 3.1 states that “A competitor competing at a meet in a foreign country shall be a member of an affiliated Member or of a club affiliated there to. This section shall apply equally to judges, officials, trainers, and coaches.” GR 3.2 “All competitors must have received sanction (approval) by the Member where the competition takes place, and all competitors or clubs must have permission from their respective Member.” ****FINA states in GR 4.1 that “No affiliated Member shall have any kind of relationship with a non affiliated or suspended body.” GR 4.5 states that “Any individual or group violating this rule shall be suspended by the affiliated Member for a minimum period of one year, up to a maximum period of two years. FINA retains the right to review the suspension made by the affiliated Member and to increase it up to the maximum of two years in accordance with the circumstances involved. The affiliated Member shall abide by any such increase made on review. In the event that such individual or group has resigned its membership with the affiliated Member or is not a member, it shall not be allowed to affiliate with that Member for a minimum period of three months up to a maximum period of two years. FINA retains the right to review any such sanction imposed by the affiliated Member and to increase it up to the maximum of two years in accordance with the circumstances involved.”
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