Breaststroke and Butterfly Turns

As of September 2013, USA Swimming and FINA rules made it clear that the hands have to touch apart and at the same time. Section 101.2.4 (breaststroke) and Section 101.3.4 (butterfly) of the USA Swimming rulebook states: "[T]he touch shall be made with both hands separated and simultaneously at, above, or below the water surface." With the inclusion of the word "separated" and no requirement that a swimmer must touch at a turn or finish with the hands on the same horizontal plane, touching with one hand at or below the surface, while the other hand is above the surface is perfectly legal, as long as they also touch simultaneously.