Penalties & Protests

PROTESTS

All protests must be filed within 30 minutes of the end of the race in which the violation occurred. The crew’s coxswain or representative rower/sculler must indicate the crew’s intent to file a protest to the course marshal at the finish line or to the dockmaster on shore at the docks/launching area.

Protest forms are available at the tent near the finish line. Protest forms must be filed directly with a USRA race official. Have a representative from the protesting crew available during the judge and referee deliberations.

Protests filed during the morning events will be heard at the Noon break, and protests filed during the afternoon events will be heard following the final event. All protests will be heard at the Race Control/Communications tent near the finish line.

A $25 filing fee is required at the time a protest is filed. In the event the protest is upheld, the fee will be returned. If the protest is denied, the fee will be forfeited.

Any events under protest may delay the awarding of medals for that event.   All protests will be adjudicated by US Rowing officials at the officials’ meeting following the final race of the day.  Medals not awarded or retrieved 30 minutes after the last race will be mailed after the event.

PENALTIES

Minor Violations (10 seconds):

  • Each buoy missed on the course
  • Shells without bow numbers at the finish
  • Purposely starting out of order against directions of the Starter
  • Failure to follow traffic rules in the launching, docking, start marshaling, or practice area
  • Unsportsmanlike conduct

Major Violations (30 seconds):

  • Interference with crews marshaling in the start area
  • Not granting right-of-way for overtaking crews
  • Missing buoy chute at start
  • Missing buoy chute at finish
  • Failure to pass through the appropriate span of each bridge as marked on map.

Major Violations (60 seconds):

  • Interfering with another shell during the same race

Exclusion

  • Not arriving at the start within thirty (30) seconds of last entrant in their event
  • Not complying with specified classification of events
  • Interference with a racing shell by a nonracing shell
  • Causing a collision
  • Rowing the course with the wrong bow number