Each crew shall be assigned a lane, which shall constitute that crew's own water for the duration of the race. A crew that rows in its own water is entitled to protection by the Referee. A crew that leaves its own water does so at its own risk and peril.
Each crew is responsible for its own steering. The Referee will not render assistance to crews merely to steer a better course, even if a crew leaves its own water, and will instruct a crew to alter its course only to prevent interference, or otherwise ensure safety, or to ensure fairness to other crews.
The Referee shall have final authority over the operation of his or her launch at all times. During the race, the Referee shall position the launch wherever it might be necessary to observe and control the race, and take necessary action, either on or off the course. If the Referee is forced to overtake a trailing crew, he or she will, if possible, inform the crew to expect a wash and pass the crew in a way to minimize adverse effects, but nevertheless shall assume whatever position is required without delay.
(a) If a crew has left, or is about to leave, its own water and is in danger of interference with another crew that is rowing in its own water, the Referee shall instruct the offending crew to alter its course as described in Rule 2-407(a) ("Referee's Instructions to Crews"). A crew leaves its water when any part of its boat or equipment leaves the crew's assigned lane.
(b) Interference shall consist of physical contact with another crew (including clashing of oars), washing another crew, or forcing another crew to alter its own course in order to avoid imminent collision.
(1) It shall not be interference if a crew is washed or obstructed while rowing outside its own water. If two crews both rowing outside their own water are in danger of collision, the Referee shall instruct them to keep apart as described in Rule 2-407(a)(1) ("Referee's Instructions to Crews"), but neither crew shall be entitled to claim interference as a result of any such collision. A crew improperly rowing in another crew's water, however, shall yield to the other crew attempting to return to that water, and shall be guilty of interference if it fails to do so.
(c) If a crew fails to respond to instructions, or if it is about to cause a serious collision, the Referee may order the crew to stop rowing as described in Rule 2-407(b) ("Referee's Instructions to Crews").
If, either due to interference or other unfair condition, it is likely that a crew in contention has been deprived of its opportunity of winning, placing, or advancing, and if further continuance of the race would be of no further competitive value, the Referee may stop the race by giving the instruction described in Rule 2-407(d) ("Referee's Instructions to Crews").
(a) The Referee may impose one of the penalties described in Rule 2-602 ("Types of Penalties") upon a crew guilty of interference, and shall take such action under Rule 2-603 ("Restoring Opportunity of Winning; Altering Results") as is necessary to restore the aggrieved crew's fair opportunity of winning. Penalties for interference may be imposed at the conclusion of the race, or after the race has been stopped in progress (Rule 2-405).
(b) The appropriate penalty for interference shall be presumed to be exclusion. Nevertheless, the Referee may impose a different penalty if he or she explicitly finds that special circumstances existed. Such circumstances may include the following.
(1) The interference was so slight that there is no significant possibility that the results of the race were affected, in which case the Referee may choose to impose no penalty, or one of the lesser penalties described in Rule 2-602 ("Types of Penalties"), applicable to the next race in the event.
(2) The interference was flagrant or intentional, in which case the Referee may impose the penalty of disqualification.
(3) The interference took place before the Referee was able to instruct the offending crew (Rule 2-404(a)), in which case the Referee may choose to impose no penalty, or one of the lesser penalties described in Rule 2-602 ("Types of Penalties"), applicable to the next race in the event.
(4) The race was stopped in progress under Rule 2-405 ("Stopping a Race in Progress"), and the interference occurred before the aggrieved crew left the starting area, in which case the Referee may impose the lesser penalty of a warning upon the offending crew.
(a) An instruction for a crew to alter its course shall consist of raising a white flag vertically, calling out the crew's name, and dropping the flag laterally to whichever direction the crew should move. This procedure may be repeated if the crew does not respond to this instruction.
(1) Alternatively, if the Referee wishes to instruct two crews simultaneously to keep apart, he or she may instruct them by raising a white flag vertically, calling out the names of both crews, and calling out "Keep Apart!".
(b) An instruction for a crew to stop rowing shall consist of raising a white flag vertically, calling out the crew's name, and calling out "Stop!". If thereafter the reason for stopping the crew ceases to exist, the Referee may instruct the crew to continue rowing as described in subsection (c).
(c) An instruction for a crew to continue rowing shall consist of raising a white flag vertically, calling out the crew's name, dropping the flag directly forward, and calling out "Continue Rowing!".
(d) An order to stop an entire race shall consist of sounding a noise-making device such as a bell, siren or airhorn; waving a red flag; and calling out "Stop!".
(a) If a crew is steering toward a previously known or identified obstacle or installation, and is in reasonable danger of collision, the Referee shall name the crew and call out "Obstacle!". If collision is imminent, the Referee shall order the crew to stop as described in Rule 2-407(b) ("Referee's Instructions to Crews"). That crew may then correct its course and continue with the race, but shall not be entitled to any consideration, such as a rerow or advancement in the progression system, as a result of such occurrence.
(b) If a crew is steering toward a previously unknown or unidentified obstacle or installation obstructing its assigned lane, and is in reasonable danger of collision, the Referee shall name the crew, call out "Obstacle!" and instruct the crew to alter its course as described in Rule 2-407(a) ("Referee's Instructions to Crews"). If collision is imminent, the Referee shall order the crew to stop as described in Rule 2-407(b) ("Referee's Instructions to Crews"), after which it may correct its course and continue with the race. If the opportunity of a crew to win or advance are affected by such occurrence, the Referee may take appropriate action to restore that opportunity pursuant to Rule 2-603 ("Restoring Opportunity of Winning; Altering Results").
(c) If a crew is rowing outside its assigned lane, and is thereby in a position to gain an unfair advantage, either by shortening its course, or by receiving the benefit of more favorable environmental conditions, such as wind or current, the Referee shall instruct the crew to return to its lane as described in Rule 2-407(a) ("Referee's Instructions to Crews"). If the crew does not comply with such instruction, the Referee may impose one of the penalties described in Rule 2-602 ("Types of Penalties").
A crew must maintain a racing cadence of which it is capable in good faith throughout a race, as indicated by its strokes per minute. Any stroke rate that causes a crew to win or advance in a heat shall be considered in good faith, provided that the number of crews to advance is less than the number of crews competing. The Referee may impose one of the penalties described in Rule 2-602 ("Types of Penalties") upon a crew that does not maintain a racing cadence after having been instructed to continue rowing as described in Rule 2-407(c) ("Referee's Instructions to Crews").
(a) No crew shall receive any outside assistance, coaching, or advice during a race. The Referee may exclude any crew that receives such assistance, coaching, or advice from another member of its team, regardless of whether or not any benefit was received, and any race official who observes such conduct shall report the incident to the Chief Referee, who may curtail or prohibit the further participation at a regatta of any team member found responsible.
(b) No team member, including coaches, shall follow a race in a launch.
(c) Loudspeaker systems to announce the progress of the race to spectators in the finish area shall be turned off when the leading crew has entered the last 250 meters of the course, unless the speakers are pointed away from the water so that they are inaudible to the crews, and do not distract race officials.
(a) A crew that engages in unsportsmanlike conduct may be assessed by a race official with one of the penalties described in Rule 2-602 ("Types of Penalties"), regardless of whether such conduct otherwise constitutes a violation of these Rules. If another crew's opportunity to win, place, or advance is affected by such conduct, the Referee shall take appropriate action to restore that opportunity, pursuant to Rule 2-603.
(b) Any team member, including a competitor, who engages in unsportsmanlike conduct at any time during the regatta may have his or her further participation at the regatta curtailed or prohibited by a race official.
(c) If any team member engages in personally abusive language or conduct, the incident shall be reported by a witnessing race official to the Judge-Referee Committee.
(a) A crew has finished the race when its bow or any part of its hull touches the plane of the finish line.
(b) It shall be considered a dead heat if two or more crews finish the race simultaneously, or if the judges, after having used all best efforts and available resources, are unable to determine the order of finish with reasonable certainty.
(1) If a dead heat occurs in a finals race, and if a proper order of finish is necessary to determine which crews are entitled to medals or awards, the Referee shall order the crews involved in the dead heat to rerow after a rest interval. If a crew refuses to rerow, the Referee shall award the higher place being contested to the other crew, and he or she may exempt it from rerowing the course. If a rerow is not practical, the Referee may order that duplicate medals be awarded.
(2) If a dead heat occurs in a race other than a finals race, and if a proper order of finish would be necessary to determine which crews advance in the progression system, the Referee shall, wherever possible, allow all crews involved in the dead heat to advance. If such action is not possible, the Referee shall order the crews to rerow, after allowing for a rest interval, and after having taken into account the scheduled time of the next race in the event. If a crew refuses to rerow, the Referee shall award the higher place being contested to the other crew, and he or she may exempt it from rerowing the course.
(a) The Chief Judge and the Judges shall sit one behind and above each other so that each has a clear view of the finish line. They shall be equipped with stopwatches and a program or finish cards on which to record the order of finish.
(b) A Timer shall be stationed in the primary Referee's launch equipped with a stopwatch to record the time of the first place crew. He or she shall start the stopwatch when the Starter's red flag begins to move. The Referee may act as Timer.
(c) A Flagperson equipped with a highly visible flag shall be stationed just beyond the finish line, in such a manner as not to obstruct the view of the Judges, and visible to the Timer in the Referee's launch.
(d) As the bow of the first crew touches the finish line, the Chief Judge shall call out "One!". At that moment, the Flagperson shall quickly lower his or her flag, and the Timer in the Referee's launch shall stop his or her stopwatch. Thereafter, as the bow of each crew touches the finish line, the Chief Judge shall call out "Two", "Three", etc., and the Flagperson shall alternatively raise or lower the flag. A horn or other sound device shall signal to each crew when it crosses the finish line. This process shall be repeated until all crews have touched the finish line.
(e) At least three judges in addition to the Chief Judge shall be assigned to record the order of finish and calculate the time for each crew that finishes. They shall be provided with stopwatches capable of recording multiple intervals. The Chief Judge shall resolve any disagreements among the judges, and his or her factual findings shall be final.
(f) In lieu of the timing system described in this Rule, the local organizing committee may provide for electronic or automated timing systems.
(a) A race is not complete until the last crew has finished the race and the Referee has declared the race to be official.
(b) After the last crew has finished the race, the Referee shall observe the crews to determine if there are any protests, or if any competitor requires assistance.
(1) Before declaring the race to be official, the Referee may require that a coxswain display any deadweight required under Rule 4-109 ("Coxswain's Weight").
(2) If no crew signals that it has a protest, and if the Referee is satisfied that the results of the race are proper, he or she shall declare the race to be official by raising a white flag. The Referee shall then announce to the Judges the time of the first place crew received from the Timer. The Chief Judge shall then acknowledge the Referee by raising a white flag.
(3) If the Referee decides to impose one of the penalties described in Rule 2-602 ("Types of Penalties") upon one of the crews, and there is no further protest as a result, the Referee shall raise a red flag, announce the penalty, and then raise a white flag and give the winning time.
(4) If there is a protest that cannot be resolved immediately, the Referee shall raise a red flag, announce the protest, and give the first place time for the information of the Judges. The Chief Judge shall thereupon inform the Chief Referee to convene the Jury.
(c) Once the Referee has raised the white flag, the results of the race shall be considered official and may be released by the Chief Judge to competitors, spectators, and the press. The results of a race that has not been declared official shall not be released.
(a) Subject to the other subsections of this Rule, crews competing in a race shall be placed by the Chief Judge according to the order of finish. Being placed shall entitle the crew to applicable awards, prizes, or advancement in the progression system.
(b) A crew that does not complete the course shall not be placed, and shall not be entitled to advance in the progression system, unless the Referee excuses the crew from completing the course due to circumstances beyond its control.
(c) In events with coxswains, a crew that touches the finish line missing its coxswain shall not be placed. A crew, including a single scull, that touches the finish line missing one or more of its rowers shall be placed.
(d) A crew whose equipment does not comply with Part A (Construction and Design) of Article III (Equipment) of these Rules shall not be placed. A crew whose competitors do not comply with applicable provisions of Article IV (Competitors), or with the announced criteria for the event, of these Rules shall not be placed.
(e) A crew that has been excluded or disqualified as described in Rule 2-602 ("Types of Penalties") shall not be placed.
(a) Race officials may in the course of their duties impose the penalties described in Rule 2-602 ("Types of Penalties") on crews as authorized under these Rules. It is not necessary for a competing crew to lodge a protest in order for a race official to impose a penalty.
(b) A crew and its members are each responsible for the individual acts of its members. Unless otherwise provided pursuant to Rule 2-602(d)(2) ("Types of Penalties"), any penalty imposed on a crew shall also be deemed imposed on each member of the crew.
(a) Reprimand: A reprimand shall consist of an informal caution, and shall have no immediate effect upon a crew. Subsequent behavior by the crew inconsistent with the terms of the reprimand, however, may be evidence that the crew acted flagrantly or intentionally.
(b) Warning: A crew that receives two warnings applying to the same race shall be excluded pursuant to subsection (c) below. A false start shall have the same effect as a warning.
(1) All warnings shall expire and be of no further effect once the race to which they apply has been successfully completed. If a race is rerowed, warnings applicable to the original race shall also apply to the rerow.
(c) Exclusion: A crew that is excluded shall be removed from the event. The excluded crew may still compete in other events.
(d) Disqualification: A crew that is disqualified shall be removed from all subsequent races and events in the same regatta. Disqualification shall be presumed to be appropriate where a crew has acted in flagrant or intentional violation of rules concerning safety or fairness.
(1) In no event shall the duration of disqualification imposed by an individual race official or Jury exceed the duration of the regatta. All cases of disqualification, however, shall be reported to the USRowing Judge-Referee Committee.
(2) Instead of disqualifying a crew, race officials may disqualify an individual competitor, in which case the remainder of the crew may continue in subsequent events in which it is able to comply with the rule regarding substitutions (Rule 5-207).
(a) If the Referee finds that a crew has been deprived of its fair opportunity of winning, placing, or advancing, whether due to interference or other unfair condition on the course, he or she shall take such measures as are necessary to restore that opportunity. Such measures may include rerowing a race with all or some of its original participants, or advancing the aggrieved crew into an extra lane in a semifinal or final.
(b) If the Referee advances an aggrieved crew into a semifinal or final under subsection (a) above, he or she may also require the crew to row over a portion of the course at a racing cadence, if such action is necessary to prevent the crew from gaining an unfair advantage over other crews.
(c) Apart from imposing one of the penalties described in Rule 2-602 ("Types of Penalties") or taking action under subsection (a) above, the Referee shall not alter the placement of crews in a race, except that:
(1) He or she may order, as an alternative to imposing one of those penalties, that a crew guilty of interference be placed directly behind the aggrieved crew in the order of finish, if such action would restore the aggrieved crew's opportunity of winning or advancing, and if the rights of other crews in the race would not be adversely affected.
(2) He or she may order that an aggrieved crew shall be considered to have rowed a dead heat with the crew immediately preceding it in the order of placement. Such action may result in duplicate medals being awarded.
(a) Any crew claiming that a race in which it competed was not fair or proper, or that the Rules of Rowing were not followed, or that its opportunity of winning was unfairly deprived, may lodge a protest as described in Rule 2-605 ("Lodging a Protest").
(b) Only matters that affect the substantial rights of a crew shall be subject to protest, and the Jury shall disregard harmless errors that did not affect the outcome of the race.
(c) To the extent that race officials acting within the scope of their duties make explicit findings of fact, those findings shall be final and not subject to review, by protest, appeal, or otherwise. Such findings shall include, but not be limited to, a finding by the Referee as to whether a crew was out of its lane, a finding by the Judge at Start as to whether a crew left the starting line early, or a finding by the Chief Judge and Judges regarding the order of finish.
(a) A protest involving the conduct of a race shall be lodged by the crew at the finish while it is still on the water and before the Referee declares the race to be official, unless circumstances beyond its control prevent it from doing so. A coach or other team member may not lodge such a protest on behalf of a crew. A protest concerning exclusion of a crew at the start may be lodged with the Starter at the time.
(1) A protest concerning any action on land shall be lodged by an affected team member with the Chief Judge, or with another race official designated by the Chief Referee, within one hour after being informed of such action. The protest statement required under Rule 2-606 ("Filing the Protest Statement") shall be filed within the same time.
(b) A crew wishing to lodge a protest shall signal to the Referee immediately after finishing the race by having a member of the crew raise his or her hand until the attention of the Referee has been gained. The Referee shall thereupon inquire as to the nature of the protest.
(1) If the Referee concurs in the protest, he may impose whatever penalty or other corrective action is proper under these Rules, and shall announce that fact to the crews affected. If no crew protests that penalty or corrective action, he shall declare the race to be official as described under Rule 2-503(b)(3) ("Declaring the Race To Be Official").
(2) If the Referee does not concur in the protest, and if upon hearing the Referee's opinion the crew withdraws the protest, the Referee shall declare the race to be official as described in Rule 2-503(b)(2) ("Declaring the Race To Be Official"). If the protesting crew does not accept the Referee's opinion, or if a crew protests a penalty or corrective action imposed by the Referee, the Referee shall so inform the Chief Judge (Rule 2-503(b)(4)).
(a) Once a protest is lodged, a crew wishing to be heard before the Jury shall submit a concise written statement, describing the facts that underlie the protest and the relief that the crew seeks, to the Chief Judge, or with another race official designated by the Chief Referee whose identity is conspicuously posted, within one hour after it reaches land. The statement shall be accompanied by cash or check payable to the local organizing committee in the amount of $25.00. A protest in which such a statement is not filed shall not be heard.
(1) The protest statement shall be signed by a member of the protesting crew in his or her individual name. Such signature constitutes a representation to the Jury that the facts contained therein are true and correct to the best of the signer's knowledge or belief.
(2) The $25.00 shall be returned to the crew if the protest is upheld, or if it found by the Jury to be substantially justified. The $25.00 shall also be returned to the crew if an appeal to the Judge-Referee Committee under Rule 2-608 ("Appeal from the Jury") is sustained. The $25.00 shall otherwise be remitted to the local organizing committee.
(3) The written protest statement may be amended after it is submitted, but the Jury may take such amendment into account in assessing the credibility of the statement.
(a) In deciding protests, the Jury shall use the procedures described in this Rule, in order to afford the parties a fair and speedy hearing. The Jury may adopt supplementary procedures for situations not covered in this Rule.
(b) In deciding a protest, the Jury may impose any of the penalties described in Rule 2-602 ("Types of Penalties"), or take any other action that an individual race official acting in the same situation would be empowered to take.
(c) The Jury shall adjudicate a protest after having conducted a hearing. The decision of the Jury shall be based solely on the testimony and evidence presented before it in the hearing.
(1) The hearing shall not commence until after each crew named or involved in the protest has had a reasonable opportunity to inspect the written protest statement and gather evidence in its favor.
(d) Each crew named or involved in the protest shall have the right to have one representative present at the hearing, except for the actual deliberations of the Jury. This representative may be a coach, manager, or other team member. This representative shall not be a witness at the hearing.
(e) If the protest involves only the interpretation of USRowing Rules of Rowing, and does not involve disputes of fact, the Jury shall decide the protest after having heard the remarks, if any, of each representative of the crews named or involved in the protest. If the protest involves resolution of disputes of fact, and to the extent that inquiry into those facts is not forbidden by Rule 2-604(c) ("Matters Subject to Protest"), the Jury shall decide the protest after having heard relevant testimony and received appropriate evidence.
(f) Witnesses who give evidence before the Jury shall not be present at the hearing except for such time as they are actually giving testimony.
(g) Formal rules of evidence shall not apply, and the Jury may consider any evidence or testimony that it considers to be useful in resolving the issues. Presentation of evidence may be by narrative testimony, tangible evidence, or by questions asked by the Jury. A representative of a crew may request that a question be asked by the Jury.
(h) The order of proceedings of a Jury hearing shall be:
(1) Introduction of members of the Jury;
(2) Reading of the protest statement;
(3) Any further evidence presented by the protesting party;
(4) Evidence, if any, presented by the crew or crews whose actions are complained of, or who would be affected by the outcome of the protest;
(5) Reports of the race officials involved and other necessary witnesses;
(6) Closing statements, if any, by the representatives of the crews;
(7) Deliberations of the Jury;
(8) Announcement of the Jury's decision by the Chief Referee. Upon the request of any party to the protest, the Jury shall provide a written statement of findings and conclusions that formed the basis of its decision.
(a) Any crew aggrieved by the decision of the Jury may appeal from that decision to the USRowing Judge-Referee Committee.
(b) The grounds for an appeal shall be limited to actions that affected the outcome of the race, and shall further be limited to:
(1) actions that are at variance with the USRowing Rules of Rowing or custom or precedent established there under;
(2) actions in areas committed to the discretion of race officials that are demonstrably arbitrary or capricious, or where the exercise of discretion is without substantial foundation under the circumstances.
(c) Actions that are not appealable under subsection (b) above but are nevertheless relevant in assessing the professional conduct of race officials may be reported to the Judge-Referee Committee or a member thereof for possible action.
(d) An appeal under this Rule shall be filed by placing in the United States mail or equivalent method of delivery an appeal statement to the Chair of the Judge-Referee Committee, care of USRowing Headquarters, within five working days of receiving the Jury's decision.
(e) The Judge-Referee Committee may hold such proceedings and establish such procedures as may be necessary to ensure fairness and protect the rights of the parties. It may, before deciding the appeal, require a written report from the Jury of the regatta involved stating the basis of its decision.
(f) The Judge-Referee Committee shall render a written decision on any appeal within 10 working days after having received the appeal, unless it finds that a longer time is necessary to ensure fairness and protect the rights of the parties. Decisions of the Committee are final and not subject to further review, except through the USRowing Grievance Procedure.
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