SESK: Stuff Everyone Should Know · sesk.info/swim-two-hand-touch
Which two strokes require a simultaneous two-hand wall touch?
Breaststroke and butterfly require two-hand touches.
- Breaststroke and butterfly ✔
- Freestyle and backstroke
- Backstroke and butterfly
Why: The rules require a simultaneous two-hand touch at turns and finishes in breaststroke and butterfly. Missing this is a common disqualification.
Huh, didn't know that: The two hands must be separated, not stacked on top of each other, though their fingers may touch.
Why did the butterfly swimmer touch the wall with both hands? To give it a high-five.
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References
Answer: Breaststroke and butterfly. The rules require a simultaneous two-hand touch at turns and finishes in breaststroke and butterfly. Missing this is a common disqualification.
- U.S. Masters Swimming: Turns Guide www.usms.org/fitness-and-training/guides/turns
In breaststroke and butterfly, you must first touch the wall with both hands simultaneously at the end of each length.
Checked 2026-10-12. - World Aquatics Competition Regulations, in force February 2026 resources.fina.org/fina/document/2026/02/18/e6815ecc-06d9-4f0b-98e9-4c441cf5e6a3/2026-02-18_World-Aquatics_CR-Final.pdf
“separated” means that the hands cannot be stacked one on top of the other
Checked 2026-10-12. - World Aquatics Competition Regulations, in force February 2026 resources.fina.org/fina/document/2026/02/18/e6815ecc-06d9-4f0b-98e9-4c441cf5e6a3/2026-02-18_World-Aquatics_CR-Final.pdf
it is not necessary to see space between the hands, and incidental contact at the fingers is permitted
Checked 2026-10-12.
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