STROKE PERFORMANCE CHART Level 1 Stroke Performance Criteria Swim on Front Swim on Back Component (Combined Stroke Using Any Type of Arm or Leg Action) (Combined Stroke Using Any Type of Arm or Leg Action) Legs Alternating or simultaneous kicking action Alternating or simultaneous kicking action Arms Alternating or simultaneous propulsive and recovery actions Alternating or simultaneous propulsive and recovery actions ©2014 | Level 1 Stroke Performance Chart | 1 STROKE PERFORMANCE CHART Level 2 Stroke Performance Criteria Swim on Front Swim on Back Component (Combined Arm or Leg Action) (Combined Arm or Leg Action) Body Position Trunk and legs may be horizontal to 45 degrees from Trunk and legs may be horizontal to 45 degrees from surface; face in water surface Legs—Alternating Alternate kicking action; rudimentary flutter or bicycle Alternate kicking action; rudimentary flutter or bicycling action action Legs—Simultaneous Simultaneous kicking action; rudimentary dolphin or Simultaneous kicking action; rudimentary dolphin or breaststroke action elementary backstroke action Arms—Alternating Alternate propulsive and recovery action; downward Alternate propulsive and recovery action; underwater arm or slightly outward motion acceptable; underwater arm recovery acceptable; hand moving downward with minimal recovery acceptable backward action acceptable Arms—Simultaneous Simultaneous propulsive and recovery actions; downward Simultaneous propulsive and recovery actions; underwater and outward motion acceptable; underwater arm recovery arm recovery acceptable acceptable ©2014 | Level 2 Stroke Performance Chart | 1 STROKE PERFORMANCE CHART Level 3 Stroke Performance Criteria Component Front Crawl Breaststroke Elementary Backstroke Sidestroke Body Position Trunk horizontal to 30 degrees Trunk horizontal to Trunk horizontal to 30 degrees Body in a side-lying position from surface; rudimentary body 30 degrees from surface from surface; hips may be bent; about 30 degrees from roll; some side-to-side motion of during glide chin tucked; ears may be out of surface; hips may roll away trunk and legs acceptable water from midline; bottom ear may be out of water with head raised Legs Continuous kicking; occasional Legs bend at the knees Knees may break the surface Elements of breaststroke or bicycling action acceptable; legs bringing heels toward of the water during recovery; flutter kick acceptable; legs bent at the hips or knees during buttocks; knees may be knees may be wider than may separate slightly as knees downbeat acceptable; feet may wider than hips and ankles; hips and ankles; ankles may bend in recovery; any type break surface of water heels may break surface be bent throughout power of foot and ankle position of water; ankles may bend phase; occasional scissors acceptable; legs may bend at throughout power phase; kick acceptable; legs may be the knees and be held loosely occasional scissors kick partially bent at knee at the end together during glide or flutter kick acceptable; of the power phase; legs apart legs may be partially bent at with occasional flutter kick the knees at the end of the during glide acceptable power phase; occasional flutter kick during glide position acceptable; legs may not completely finish together in a closed position in the glide ©2014 | Level 3 Stroke Performance Chart | 1 Component Front Crawl Breaststroke Elementary Backstroke Sidestroke Arms Above-water arm recovery; Both arms extended Hands may break water Bottom arm extended underwater recovery or arm overhead surface during recovery; arms overhead; top arm against the straight at elbow acceptable; extending above or below side hand enters at or above the shoulder level acceptable; level of the head; arm straight power phase finishing at waist at the elbow during power level acceptable phase acceptable; power phase finishing at hip level acceptable Breathing and Face in water and breathes Any type of breathing pattern Occasional breath-holding Any type of breathing pattern Timing consistently to the side; acceptable acceptable; arms and legs with occasional breath-holding occasional head lift acceptable; move simultaneously; minimal acceptable arms and legs show general glide with some forward alternating pattern motion acceptable; little or no hesitation before beginning recovery ©2014 | Level 3 Stroke Performance Chart | 2 STROKE PERFORMANCE CHART Level 4 Stroke Performance Criteria Elementary Component Front Crawl Breaststroke Butterfly Backstroke Back Crawl Sidestroke Body Body horizontal Trunk horizontal to Trunk may be Body horizontal to 15 Trunk horizontal to Trunk horizontal to Position to 15 degrees 30 degrees from horizontal to degrees from surface; 30 degrees from 30 degrees from from surface; surface during glide 30 degrees from the trunk and legs are surface; ears may surface; hips may performs body roll; surface; face in water aligned; slight chin be out of water, chin roll away from occasional side- tuck; ears near or on chest; hips may midline; bottom ear to-side motion below the surface be bent; rudimentary may be out of water of trunk and legs body roll; slight with head raised acceptable side-to-side motion between shoulders and hips acceptable Legs Continuous kicking Legs bend at the Legs may be partially Knees remain below Continuous kicking; Scissors kick; that starts from the knees bringing extended at the the surface of the occasional bicycling legs may separate hips; ankles and heels toward knee during the water; knees and hips action acceptable; slightly as knees knees extended buttocks; knees downbeat; minimal aligned; knees may legs bent at knee bend in recovery; but not rigid; feet may occasionally movement of the hip be wider than ankles; acceptable; feet any type of foot remain below the be wider than during the downbeat heels drop by bending may break surface and ankle position surface—moderate hips and ankles; acceptable; legs may knees; ankles rotate of water acceptable; legs splash acceptable heels may break bend at the knees outward with toes may bend at the surface of water; during upbeat— wider than the heel of knees and be held ankles may bend feet may break the the foot; lower legs loosely together throughout power surface; some flutter move symmetrically in during glide phase; legs may be action acceptable a circular pattern as partially bent at the knees return to a fully knees at the end of extended position; the power phase; legs together, toes legs together during pointed with minimal glide position movement ©2014 | Level 4 Stroke Performance Chart | 1 Elementary Component Front Crawl Breaststroke Butterfly Backstroke Back Crawl Sidestroke Arms Above-water Hands may begin Above-water arm Hands remain under Above-water arm Leading arm: hand recovery with arm catch wider than recovery—arms the surface and recovery—elbows may break surface bent at elbow— shoulder width; may contact the recover near or at the below surface of the water; elbow arm straight at arm bend at elbow water; hands may side of the body; arms acceptable; hands may be straight elbow acceptable; increases as hand enter wider than the may extend at or be may enter at or during catch; hand hands enter above moves toward shoulders; arms may above shoulder level; above shoulder may continue past the level of the waist—hands be straight at elbow arms nearly straight at level; arm straight at upper chest head, fingertips may be level or during recovery and elbow at beginning of elbow during power Trailing arm: hand first in front of slightly deeper than catch actions; palms catch; arms partially phase acceptable may break surface the shoulder; arm elbows; hands may face backwards bent at elbow during of the water; elbow extends fully after sweep beyond the throughout pull; extension—wrists may may remain close entry; arm bent shoulder, but not power phase finishing be bent; power phase to body; hand at elbow during beyond waist at waist acceptable; ends at the level of may pass by thigh power phase; arms may be bent at the hips and recover past power phase elbow during finish shoulder of leading finishes beyond hip arm; arm may be partially bent at elbow Breathing and Face in water; Rudimentary Arms pull and recover Relaxed rhythmic Occasional Rhythmic breathing Timing breathing to the form of pull- with minimal leg kick; breathing pattern; breath-holding pattern; arms and side; exhales breathe-kick-glide arms may hesitate at arms and legs begin acceptable; arms legs may move underwater on sequence; minimal side before recovery recovery at same in opposition— simultaneously; each breath; glide with some time; some glide hesitation at finish arm action may be arms alternate— forward motion occurs at end of acceptable continuous; some slight hesitation acceptable power phase glide occurs at end during breathing of power phase acceptable ©2014 | Level 4 Stroke Performance Chart | 2 STROKE PERFORMANCE CHART Level 5 Stroke Performance Criteria Elementary Component Front Crawl Breaststroke Butterfly Backstroke Back Crawl Sidestroke Body Position Body is nearly Trunk horizontal to Trunk horizontal to Body is nearly Body horizontal Trunk horizontal horizontal to 15 degrees from 15 degrees from horizontal to surface to 15 degrees to 30 degrees from the surface in surface during glide; the surface; head, with arms at side from surface; surface; hips may roll a streamlined body incline should trunk and legs are during glide; chin head back with away from midline; position; body become more level aligned with minimal up, ears in the water ears