Rowing 101

Oct. 20, 2008

NORMAN, Okla.-- With their next regatta just around the corner, the OU women's rowing team has been preparing and gearing up for another great performance. The Head of the Colorado, hosted by the Austin Rowing Club, finds the squad traveling to Austin, Texas this weekend for their second competition this fall. The regatta is held annually on the last Saturday of October and is traditionally referred to as "Pumpkinhead." The race will be a 5,000 meter head race located on Town Lake in Austin.

Understanding the sport is beneficial for spectators, so this week's Rowing 101 focuses on possible penalties that can affect the competition.

Types of Penalties

Reprimand: A reprimmand consists of an informal caution that has no immediate effect on the crew. Succeeding behavior by the crew refuting the reprimand can be seen as evidence that the crew acted flagrantly or intentionally.

Warning: A crew that receives two warnings that apply to the same race will be excluded pursuant to the Exclusion penalty. A false start has the same effect as a warning.

All warnings will expire and have no further effect once the race to which they have been issued has been successfully completed. If a race is rerowed, warnings applicable to the original race will apply to the rerow.

Exclusion: A crew that is excluded will be removed from the event but may still compete in other events.

Disqualification: A crew that is disqualified will be removed from all subsequent races and events in the same regatta. Disqualification is appropriate for crews that violate the rules in a flagrant or intentional manner.

The duration of disqualification issued by an individual race official never exceeds the duration of the regatta, however all instances must be reported to the USRowing Judge-Referee Committee.

Race officials may disqualify an individual competitor rather than the entire crew, in which case the rest of the crew may continue to compete in events as long as they comply with the rule regarding substitutions.

Imposition of Penalties

Race officials may impose all penalties described above on crews as applicable. It is not necessary for a competing crew to lodge a protest in order for a race official to impose a penalty.

A crew and its members are each responsible for the individual acts of its members. Unless the rule of disqualifying an individual competitor applies to the situation, any penalty imposed on a crew shall also be deemed imposed on each member of the crew.

Matters Subject to Protest

Any crew that claims that a race in which they competed was not fair, the Rules of Rowing were not followed or that its opportunity of winning was unfairly deprived, may lodge a protest.

Only matters that affect the substantial rights of a crew will be subject to protest. The Jury disregards harmless errors that do not affect the outcome of the race.

Race officials explicit findings are deemed final and will not be subject for review by protest, appeal, or otherwise. Such findings include, but are not limited to, a finding by the Referee that a crew was out of its lane, the Starting Judge's declaration that a crew left the starting line early, or by the Chief Judge and Judges regarding the finish.

University of Oklahoma Athletics

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