Backstroke start devices

A backstroke start device, also called a backstroke ledge or wedge, is an adjustable foot rest fixed at the wall above a swimming lane that gives a backstroke swimmer a non-slip surface to push from at the start of a race. The swimmer, already in the water holding the starting grips, sets an angled ledge against the face of the wall or touchpad at the chosen height, braces both feet against it, and starts from it. Once the swimmer leaves the wall the ledge lifts or retracts clear of the water so it does not obstruct turns and finishes. The device aids the start; it is not part of the electronic start system that signals the race or the timing system that records it.

The backstroke start and the slip problem¶

In a backstroke start the swimmer braces both feet against a wet, near-vertical wall. World Aquatics rules bar standing in or on the gutter and bending the toes over the lip of the gutter, so the feet press flat against the wall and can slip under load, costing time and risking injury.¹² A ledge gives the feet a slightly raised, angled, textured surface to push from, which reduces slipping.

History¶

FINA (now World Aquatics) approved backstroke wedges for competition in 2013 and 2014, and the first commercial ledges reached the market in September 2014. FINA asked meet hosts to defer using them until a full launch during that autumn’s World Cup series, and the ledge was first used at the Olympic Games at Rio in 2016.³²

Governing-body requirements¶

The World Aquatics backstroke rule was updated to cover the ledge start. Under SW 6.1, when a backstroke ledge is used at least one toe of each foot must stay in contact with the end wall or the face of the touchpad, and bending the toes over the top of the touchpad is prohibited.¹

The facilities rules set the ledge’s dimensions. Under FR 2.1.11 of the 2021–2025 FINA Facilities Rules, a ledge may be adjustable to 4 cm above or 4 cm below the water level, must be at least 65 cm long, and is 8 cm in height and 2 cm at the width with 10 degrees of slope.⁴ World Aquatics reduced the minimum length from 65 cm to 60 cm in a regulations update effective with the 2025 events calendar.⁵

Regulatory acceptance varies by body. World Aquatics permits the ledge and sets the foot-placement rule above.¹ For US high school swimming the NFHS made backstroke ledges legal only by state-association adoption, effective in the 2025-26 school year: each state decides whether to allow them, a host that offers ledges must provide identical ledges for every lane, individual swimmers may decline to use them, and the pool must have at least 6 ft (1.84 m) of water depth from the starting wall out to 16 ft 5 in (5 m).⁶ Because a meet runs under one body’s rules, whether a ledge may be used depends on the sanctioning organization for that competition.

Effect on the start¶

Independent study has found a measurable effect on start performance. A biomechanical comparison using the Omega OBL2 Pro Backstroke Ledge reported that ledge starts reached the 10 m mark about 0.13 s sooner, with roughly 2.5% less variation and about 0.14 m greater head-entry distance than starts without a ledge.⁷

Products¶

This section catalogs the devices of three manufacturers, whose designs differ mainly in how the ledge attaches and how it clears the water after the start: Swiss Timing (Omega) makes the OBL2 Pro, which mounts on the company’s own starting blocks and is lifted off by an official; Colorado Time Systems (CTS) makes a device that retracts automatically; and FINIS makes a manual strap-hung wedge.

Product	Manufacturer	Attachment	Retraction	Status
Backstroke Start Device	Colorado Time Systems	Strap or deck anchors	Automatic, torsion-spring	Current
Backstroke Start Wedge	FINIS	Straps to block posts, hand grips, or block edge	None (manual)	Current
OBL2 Pro Backstroke Ledge	Swiss Timing (Omega)	Hooks over an Omega OSB platform top	None; removed by an official	Current

Each product article covers its device in full, its parts, mounting, operation, and care; this page is the shared overview they refer back to.

See also¶

• Start systems: the electronic starter that signals the race
• Touchpads: the touch panel at the wall the ledge sets against
• Equipment: the equipment reference

References¶

Footnotes¶

1. World Aquatics, Swimming Technical Rules, backstroke start rule (SW 6.1), including foot placement when a backstroke ledge is used. ↩ ↩² ↩³

2. Swimming World, A History of the Backstroke Start and Backstroke Wedge. ↩ ↩²

3. SwimSwam, No Backstroke Wedges For Santa Clara Grand Prix After FINA Recommendation (2014 FINA recommendation to defer use until a full launch). ↩

4. World Aquatics, Facilities Rules 2021–2025, FR 2.1.11 (backstroke ledge dimensions). ↩

5. World Aquatics, World Aquatics updates Competition Regulations (15 December 2024; minimum ledge length changed from 65 cm to 60 cm). ↩

6. NFHS, Backstroke Ledges to be Permitted by State Adoption in High School Swimming (effective 2025-26; state adoption; 6 ft depth to 5 m; host provides identical ledges). ↩

7. de Jesus et al., Backstroke start performance: the impact of using the Omega OBL2 backstroke ledge (independent biomechanical study of a backstroke ledge). ↩