RegattaCentral

2013 Regatta Rules

Scholastic Rowing Association of America

National Championship Regatta

Regatta Information & Rules

Racing will be conducted under the USRowing, “Rules of Racing” and SRAA Rules.

• The SRAA National Championship regatta is an invitational regatta and will always be held on Friday & Saturday of Memorial Day weekend.
• Invitations to this regatta are open to qualified crews of any public or private school given to the education of youth.
• A national scholastic institution must certify the status of the school.
• Students must be working toward a diploma.
• All schools wishing to enter must be approved to compete in their state’s public league championship regatta.
• Neither composite teams, nor rowers representing more than one public school district will be allowed to compete.

Qualifying

• Crews will be invited based on their performance at a qualifying championship.
• The qualifying championship regattas are:
  • Florida State Championship
  • Midwest Championship
  • Garden State Scholastic Championship
  • New York State Scholastic Championship
  • Philadelphia City Championship
  • Virginia State Championship
  • Washington Metropolitan Interscholastic Rowing Association
• All teams must qualify at their local championship or petition for open slots.
• Open slot petitions will be accepted from crews placing below the automatic selection criteria in their championship regatta, however, priority for open slot petitions will be given to crews that are not from one of the qualifying championship areas.
• In addition, any entries not used for the championship regattas will go into the open slot category.
• The qualifying championship regatta directors must supply the order of finish for their events to the SRAA.

Events

*Second Varsity boats will only be allowed if the Varsity 8 Qualifies and registers. Your second boat must qualify as well.

** Open Slots are for schools: (a) who do not compete in the above named championship regattas; (b) who do not qualify for automatic selection at one of the  above named championship regattas.

Entries

All entries must be signed by the Headmaster or Principal of the school and contain only the names of bona fide students in regular attendance at day classes, grades 9 thru 12, whose scholastic eligibility meets  the regular requirements of their respective schools. Each school shall be responsible for the conduct and physical fitness of its contestants. See special requirement for lightweight events below

1) Entry Fees:

2) How to enter.

• All teams that qualify through the championships regattas must complete the entry process online at Regatta Central no later than 5:00PM EDT two days after the conclusion of their championship regatta. Registration Instructions Purchase Order Authorization
• Boatings MUST include the names of potential substitutes.
• Please refer to the SRAA Lightweight Rules for additional time sensitive documentation required for lightweight competitors.
• The deadline for lightweight documentation is April 1^st.
• No late entries or lightweight documentation will be considered or accepted.

3) How to petition for Open slots at the SRAA Regatta.

• Teams without qualifying regattas may petition for Open “slots” beginning after April 18, 2013.
• Teams with qualifying regattas that do not automatically qualify may still petition for an open slot in the regatta.
• Petitions must be entered on-line and received at Regatta Central no later than 5:00PM EDT on Tuesday, May 14, 2013.
• Petitioning teams should provide evidence of why they should be considered.
• A subcommittee of the SRAA Board of Directors will consider petitions as they are received, with priority given to competitive teams that are not in one of the championship regattas.

SRAA Regatta Rules

1) Racing will be conducted under the current edition of USRowing “Rules of Racing” and the SRAA Rules.

2) The Executive Board of the SRAA reserves the right to request the removal of any person or persons from the regatta site for unsportsmanlike conduct or breaking of the rules. Removal from the site may lead to a ban of that person or persons from future regattas as determined by the Executive Board.

3) Access to the race course by anyone other than race officials or safety personnel is prohibited. Exception to this rule would be for a credentialed member of the press or VIP approved by at least two members of the Executive Board of the SRAA. Notification of this exception must be provided to the Chief Referee prior to access to the race course.

4) All questions of eligibility, qualification or interpretations of any rule shall be referred to the Chief Referee whose decision shall be made in coordination with the SRAA Executive Committee. This decision shall be final and not subject to appeal.

5) All decisions of the SRAA Race Jury with respect to protests shall be final and binding, and not subject to appeal to any outside agency or organization.

6) ATHLETIC ELIGIBILITY LIMITATION

• Eligibility is assigned to students in their freshman through senior year (grades 9 through 12).
• Each athlete has four consecutive years (eight consecutive semesters) of eligibility beginning in September of their freshman year (9th grade).
• A rower or coxswain cannot have reached his or her 19th birthday prior to September 1st of that academic year.
• After eight consecutive semesters, a student will have completed his/her athletic eligibility and may no longer participate in the SRAA Regatta.
• The eight consecutive semester rule begins with the student’s initial enrollment in the 9th grade.
• Post Graduates or (Canadian/US) fifth year students are not permitted.
• Lightweight rowers must have submitted online the lightweight documentation to be eligible.

7) All races shall be a distance of 1500 meters.

8) No movable outriggers.

9) “B” boats will not be accepted in the regatta.

10) Rowers and coxswains are only allowed to row in one event.

11) Freshman shall be designated as those athletes in the 9th grade as listed on their team roster.

12) Junior events are restricted to competitors in the 11th grade (junior year) or lower.

13) Juniors, including coxswains, must not have attained the age of 18 years prior to September 1st of that academic year.

14) 12th grade (Senior) students shall not complete in junior events.

Starts
A Traffic Light Start System may be used at the starting line for the 2013 SRAA Regatta. Please review the procedures below. If the light system is not functioning, the start will be given using flags.

Starting Commands with Lights
(a) After the crews have been announced, the Starter shall start the race by:
1. Calling out “Attention!”
2. The Starter shall press a button to change the traffic lights in each lane from the neutral (unlit/black) position to red
3. After a distinct and variable pause, the Starter shall give the starting command by pressing a button that shall at the same moment:

• Change the red light in each lane to green
• Make an audible signal through the loudspeakers

(b) If, after the red light has been illuminated, the Starter believes for any reason that the start should not occur, he or she shall call out, “As you were!” and change the lights from red to neutral. The Starter shall repeat the starting commands in their entirety, but may dispense with announcing the crews.
(c) Crews may leave the starting line when the light turns from red to green.

Progressions

We will use the USRowing Progressions system “C” except for the Sr. 8’s and Sr. 4’s.

Senior 8’s and Senior 4’s Events with 36 entries will have 6 heats of 6 boats.

Heats

• 1st and 2nd place will go straight to semi’s
• 3rd and 4th place will go to repechage
• 5th and 6th place will be eliminated

Repechage (2 reps of 6 boats each)

• 1st, 2nd, and 3rd will go to semi’s
• 4th, 5th, and 6th will be eliminated

Semi Finals (3 semis of 6 boats each)

• 1st and 2nd place will go to the Grand final
• 3rd and 4th place will go to the Petite final
• 5th and 6th place will be eliminated

SRAA Lightweight Rules

• Men’s Weights: 150 lbs. (no averaging)
• Women’s Weights: 130 lbs. (no averaging)
• All lightweight rowers including potential substitutes must have submitted via the SRAA website a verified health certificate dated between August 1^st and April 1^st of the academic regatta year.
• Certification must be completed and submitted by a licensed athletic trainer.
• Teams that do not submit the SRAA health certificate online prior to April 1^st will not be permitted to row as a lightweight at the SRAA Regatta.
• No Registrations for lightweight events will be accepted if the health certificate was not received by April 1^st.

Weigh-in Procedures

• USRowing rule 4-110 does not apply for this regatta.
• Test scales will be open Thursday evening in the weigh-in area from 4:00 pm to 6:00 pm.
• Rowers must bring a picture ID.
• There will be only one official weigh-in period for the entire regatta on Friday morning.
• The window for weigh-ins is from 6:00AM to 10:30AM.All weigh-in procedures must be completed two hours prior to the published race time.
• Rowers scheduled in the earlier races will be given priority.
• All boats must have filled out a 2013 Lighweight Boating Form , including the names of substitutes, prior to weighing-in.
• All rowers and coxswains must be present by boat dressed in their team uniform (uni) for weigh-ins.
• Coxswains do not weigh in.
• All substitutes will weigh in with their boat mates.
• Weigh-ins will be conducted as a yes/no system without actual weight being announced.
• Rowers that do not make weight on the first try will be excluded from all lightweight events for the entire regatta.
• Rowers making weight must attach the lightweight wristband to their “outside” hand or ankle if desired for scullers before leaving the weigh-in area.
• Wristbands are to remain in place until the conclusion of rowing in the regatta.
• Problems with wristbands must be brought to the attention of the referee in charge of weigh-ins.
• Food is not permitted in the weigh-in area.

Protests

• Protests should be registered on the water in accordance with USRowing rules.
• In order to address protests, an informal “pre-hearing” will be held by a specially designated “ombudsman” official as soon as the crews have returned to the dock.
• This “ombudsman” will act only as a moderator and will attempt to resolve the potential protest(s) in a way mutually agreeable to the protesting crew, any other crews involved and the official most directly involved.
• If no mutually agreeable resolution can be arranged within a reasonable period of time or if it seems necessary to consult additional witnesses, the protesting team will then submit its formal protest to the SRAA Race Jury. The Jury will be convened as soon as possible.
• The formal protest, written by a member of the racing crew, to the SRAA Race Jury must be submitted to the Chief Referee or his designee by a member of the crew, citing the reason for the protest, the USRowing or SRAA rule(s) being cited and the remedy the crew seeks.
• The protest must be accompanied by a $50.00 fee, returned if the protest is upheld.
• Disposition of the protest will follow the USRowing rules.
• In accordance with SRAA rules and with the approval of the Chief Executive Officer of USRowing, Rule 2-608, “Appeal from the Jury and Grievance Procedure” as described in the Chief Executive Officer Procedures Manual is superseded. All decisions of the SRAA Race Jury with respect to protests shall be final and binding, and not subject to appeal to any outside agency or organization.

Inclement Weather Procedure

The Scholastic Rowing Association of America, Chief Referee, and the LOC will work together to monitor the weather continuously during the event.

Should it be determined that schedule changes are necessary due to weather concerns, the following weather plan will be utilized:

1. Unable to run races Friday and Saturday:

Cancel Regatta.

1. Unable to run races Friday – Run races on Saturday:

Run Friday’s schedule as a head race with top 6 times in each event going to finals.

1. Unable to run races Saturday – Use results from races on Friday:

Award medals to top three times of Friday’s races.

1. Limited racing on Friday and Saturday:

Run all heats with top 6 times going to final.

1. Limited racing on Friday but full racing on Saturday:

Finish Friday schedule on Saturday with top 6 times going to final.

1. Full schedule on Friday but limited on Saturday:

Run all heats with top 6 times going to final.

In the event scenario 1 to 6 cannot be implemented, the Regatta Committee reserves the right to select events starting with Varsity events that can be run depending on time, weather and safety.

Communication Plan

• Weather-related schedule changes will be announced utilizing the following mediums.

1. Posted on the results board at the regatta site.
2. Announced over the on-site sound system.
3. Posted online at www.sraa.net and on Regatta Central.
4. Via Text message. Coaches’ athletes and parents can register to receive weather related text from the SRAA website.

• Teams are responsible for staying up to date on announced schedule changes.
• Please direct any questions about schedule changes to the SRAA at the registration area.

Awards

• Medals and shields will be presented to each member of the winning crews and award plaques to the winning schools.
• Medals will be given to second and third place finishers in events with six or more entries.
• Earle P. Baltz Memorial Trophy will be presented to the winner of the Men’s Senior Single.
• Mathew Ledwith Memorial Trophy will be presented to the winner of the Women’s Senior Single.