Metropolitan Swimming and USA Swimming have very strict rules on recruiting:
It is illegal for any coach, former coach, parent or club representative to approach a swimmer or parent from another club to encourage them to leave their team for another team.
Marlins coaches must be notified at once if such a problem occurs.

Click here for .pdf file of this policy

Metropolitan Swimming: Policy on Recruiting

A.                Recruiting is forbidden.

B.                Recruiting is defined as any contact by a “Representative of Club Interests” with a
United States Swimming registered swimmer affiliated with a member organization.

C.                “Representative of Club Interests” is any coach, swimmer, parent of a swimmer, or any individual employed by or associated with a member club.

D.               Any unattached swimmer, in the process of transferring to a member club, is deemed a member of said organization.

E.                A “Representative of Club Interests” may utilize the media in advertising the club’s program; advertise notices of tryouts and information regarding the team to the public at large in schools, municipalities and at any Non-United States Swimming events; respond to inquiries concerning its organization when such inquiries were initiated by the inquirer.

F.                 Any violation of this recruiting rule shall subject the INDIVIDUAL to censure, suspension for a definite or indefinite period of time, expulsion or a fine or any combination of the proceeding.

G.               Any violation to the recruiting rule by any “Representative of Club Interests” shall subject THE CLUB to censure, suspension for a definite or indefinite period of time, expulsion or a fine or any combination of the proceeding.

H.               Any violation of the recruiting rule by a “Representative of Club Interests” may subject THE COACH to censure, suspension for a definite or indefinite period of time, expulsion or a fine or any combination of the proceeding, if it is shown that the coach either knew or should have known of the activities of the “Representative of Club Interests”

USA-SWIMMING: POLICY ON RECRUITING
2003 rulebook page 108: article 304.3.13

“Action, other than through general advertising, by a coach, owner, officer, volunteer, representative, or employee of a swim club, or a USA Swimming or LSC employee, either through direct contact with an athlete or the encouragement of others, to recruit or otherwise encourage an athlete who is already a member of a USA Swimming member swim club to compete for or become a member of the swim club with which the acting party is affiliated, unless the acting party receives prior written approval to recruit or encourage the athlete from the coach of the athlete’s existing USA Swimming-member swim club or contact is initiated by the athlete, the athlete’s parent or authorizes representative”

USA-SWIMMING: REPRESENTATION
2003 rulebook page 63

Article 203.3: “For a swimmer to represent a USA Swimming Club in a competitive event, 120 consecutive days must have elapsed without the swimmer having represented any other USA Swimming club in USA Swimming competition. This 120-day rule does not apply to representation in closed competition if it is sanctioned or approved by the LSC” (But the swimmer can compete as unattached)

Article 203.5: When transferring between LSCs or clubs the swimmer shall present a written transfer in accordance with USA Swimming procedures. When transferring from one club to another within the same LSC, the procedural requirements established by the LSC Registration Committee shall be followed” (Transfer form must be filled out and signed by former club coach or administrator – this is especially important because no coach should sign this form is swimmer still owes money to former club. Signed transfer form must then be signed by new club representative, and mailed to the Metropolitan Swimming office with $5 – 120 days must pass between the swimmer’s last competition with former club to first competition with new club.) 

Article 203.6: If a member club of an LSC has secured a court judgment against an athlete member (or his/her parents or custodians) for non-payment of club membership dues and fees, which entitle the athlete to compete attached to the club, that athlete shall be ineligible to represent any USA Swimming member club until the judgment is paid.

Article 203.7: An unattached competitor is a registered swimmer who represents no club, educational institution or other organization. (While unattached, a swimmer can compete in individual events but cannot compete in relays with former or new club.)