Take a dip into the colorful history of swim suits, and what you'll find is that swimsuits have a long and curiously spotted history. In the wake of struggling to strike a balance between functionality and modesty, the world of recreational and competition swim suits' only task now is to stay in keeping with the ever-evolving fashion trends.

General swimsuit rules for team swim suits worn during official swim competitions in the US. As rules vary from one organization to another, please check with your local high school, college, or organization for official rules pertaining to your swim team.

An alphabetical list of terms used in team swimming

As with all competitive sports, team swimming in the US and internationally is governed by an extensive set of swim rules and regulations. What follows is a look at basic team swim rules set by the governing body for international swim competitions, or *FINA, which serve as a guide for national and local swim clubs. The national governing body for the US, USA Swimming, provides its own official publication of a similar but modified set of rules.