With the last races of the season finished, I didn’t think that talking about a specific rule or issue would be very helpful, so some cold winter night, when you have a fire going in the fireplace, you can curl up and read a good book, like the Rules of Rules of Rowing. It doesn’t take long and they are available online at www.USRowing.org.

It always amazes the referees that so few rowers actually know the rules, especially when not knowing them can cost someone a medal. We also are surprised that a lot of coaches haven’t reviewed them in a long time either. The rules do change over time, as we work to improve racing. So if you have been racing for several years, the rules you knew when you started aren’t the same as those in use today.

Some rules are straightforward and do not change much over time, like the rules covering boat construction. Other rules, such as our start commands, seem to be constantly evolving. (Those of us who have been rowing for a while can remember laughing at the way some referees would forget what commands to use in a given year as we went from French to English.)

In my experience some of the most commonly misunderstood rules include:

Protesting the start at the finish. According to the rules, if you row out of the starting zone, you have accepted the start, so protesting the start at the end of the race won’t help you any. If you aren’t ready at the start of a race, don’t row. That is not an easy thing to do, but once you start rowing, you lose your chance to protest.

Protesting about interference when you aren’t in your lane. The rules protect a boat that is in the correct lane, so if someone comes into your lane, they are at fault and will likely receive any penalty. But if you leave your water, then you are no longer protected and much more likely to be penalized for any interference. And by the way, the rules say that only the referee can say who is in whose water.

Coxswain’s weight. Referee’s normally check for weights at the end of the race. If you don’t have it, your boat will be excluded from the race.

Unsportsmanlike conduct. This can cover many items, but the one I have seen (or heard) the most is cursing. It is absolutely inappropriate for anyone in the boat to curse for any reason and doing so within the hearing range of a referee will earn you at least a reprimand, if not a warning. Cursing at a race official will earn you an exclusion. 
 
There are also some rules that you make think are odd but here is why we enforce them: 

The uniform rule. One of the most critical things that we do at the finish is determine the correct order of finish. Uniforms help identify who you are when we cannot see your bow number. 

Late to the line. It is unfair to the other crews who were on time to hold the race because you are late, so we don’t do it. We, too, like to see everyone race and know that sometimes it isn’t your fault, but if five crews made it to the line on time, then we are going to start it on time without you.

The coxswain rules. A cox is considered part of the team, so he or she must have the same uniform as the rest of the crew.

I highly recommend to anyone involved in rowing that they read the rule book prior to each racing season. Check to see what has changed and look for things that might have confused you or your team in the past (even referees go to a clinic each year to review the rules). So for you to have the most successful racing season that you can next spring, read the rules or even come to a referee clinic and learn the rules alongside us.