Junior Tech Suits (Under 12/13 Compliant)

Junior Tech Suit Rules

The rules for tech suits in swimming for “under 12” and “under 13” swimmers differ across countries.

While some countries have no restrictions on what young swimmers can wear at official events (England, Wales), others have implemented restrictions on the junior tech suits that can be worn by “12 and under” or “13 and under” competitors (Scotland, Ireland, USA). It is a good idea to familiarise yourself with your own country’s rules before sending your kids off to a competition.

We have pulled together some of the more well-known restrictions in countries around the world as a reference guide, but we recommend that you do your own research to check that your chosen suit is compliant in your country.

Look for this label on our website.

It indicates that the tech suit complies with the strictest of international standards for childrens swimming competitions. If there is any doubt about your local regulations, the safest choice is to stick to using tech suits with this label.

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Under 12 and Under 13 Tech Suit Rules (Global Comparison)

Country	Age Group	Bonded, Taped, or Mesh Seams	Compressive Material	Leg Grippers	Water Repellent Fabric	Additional Notes
		Tech Suit Characteristics (✅ = Allowed \| ❌ = Banned)
England	–	✅	✅	✅	✅	No official restrictions. Competitors can use any tech suit.
Wales	–	✅	✅	✅	✅	No official restrictions. Competitors can use any tech suit.
Scotland	13 and Under	❌	❌	❌	❌	Scotland has some of the tightest regulations. Only the items marked in with our “Under 13 compliant” label are allowed for official Scottish Swimming events.
Ireland	13 and Under	❌	❌	❌	❌	Guidance for Ireland states “Suits which contain ALL 4 elements of: Water repellent fabric, Compressive material, Bonded Seams, Leg grippers are prohibited.A suit with one individual element is not considered a tech suit.
USA	12 and Under	❌	✅	✅	✅	“Must have the World Aquatics Green Tick on the suit (or be on the exemption list). No woven fabric below the hips. Non-compliant suits are only allowed at national level events, or Olympic trials.”
Canada	12 and Under	❌	✅	✅	✅	Bonded seams and leg grips are banned. Look for our official “Under 13 compliant” label.
Australia	12 and Under	❌	✅	❌	✅	Bonded seams are banned. Look for stitched seam suits.
New Zealand	12 and Under	❌	✅	✅	✅	Bonded seams are banned. Look for stitched seam suits.
France	13 and Under	❌	✅	✅	✅	France guidance also suggests that junior tech suits should not cover more than 1/3rd of the thigh.

Note: although we have done our best to ensure that all information in this table is correct, it should not be treated as a guarantee from us. If you are in any doubt at all, please check with the official swimming authority in your region.

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