FSRA West District Championship 

Rules & Eligibility

Covid guidelines:

• Rowers, Coaches & Support staff only
• No spectators on the island - only support staff allowed. 1 parent per 10 kids allowed as support staff.  (100 kids = 10 parents). Wrist bands will be given to each team at check in for all ADULT support staff (coaches included). Please check in on Friday between 3:00-7:00 pm or 6:00-7:00 am on Saturday with Rick Brown from Sarasota Crew. Athletes will not be required to wear wrist bands.
• There is plenty of space to watch racing on the West shore at NBP. Map can be found here. Please follow the parking and no drop off rules that NBP has put in place for this race. No drop off will happen at the island.
• Masks worn at all times on the island. They may only be taken off when boats are on the water or you have left the island.
• Social distancing required. Team tents may be set up near your trailer. All teams should keep their rowers in their immediate assigned space.
• No bathrooms open. Port-o-lets will be placed strategically around your trailer area.
• Each Team is required to run their own wellness check. These checks should include  temperature checks for all your athletes, coaches, and support staff. 
• You may bring in food & set it up, but no cooking.

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

• The FSRA West District Championship regatta is an association regatta open to current Scholastic and Youth team members in the Western District of the Florida Scholastic Rowing Association. Other FSRA teams will be allowed to enter in 2021 because of canceled regional races. Any team from outside of the West District will not qualify for the overall West District Championship points and 1st, 2nd and 3rd will still be awarded to West District teams no matter if there are non-West District teams that finish in the top 3 of the race. Any composite boat approved will also not be eligible for 1st, 2nd, 3rd place medals or points.

• FSRA teams must be in good standing with the association and all delinquent fees and dues must be paid prior to any entry being accepted from that team.

• All rules from the FSRA state championships will also be followed for the West District Championship. Rowers are allowed to enter one sweep and one sculling event. B entries are allowed in any event that is the lowest boat event in that boat category.

• An Eligible Athlete is a competitor who in the current calendar year does not attain the age of 19 and has been enrolled in secondary school as a full-time student seeking a diploma from the State of Florida, or who in the current calendar year did attain the age of 19 and is and has been continuously enrolled in secondary school as a full-time student seeking a diploma from the State of Florida.  A competitor thus ceases to be an Eligible Athlete after December 31 of the year of his or her 18th birthday, or of the year in which he or she completes the 12th grade of secondary school, having been a continuous full-time student, whichever is later.

• New rowing programs will not be allowed special entry exceptions.

Results will be used to help for Seeding for FSRA Florida State Championship

How to enter

• All teams must complete the entry process online at Regatta Central.

• Boatings must include the legal names of competitors (as it appears on photo ID and NOARA waiver for verification purposes)

• Boatings must include potential substitutes for those substitutes to be eligible to compete.

• The NOARA waiver must be completed for each competitor thru their Regatta Central compliance.

• Late entries will be accepted as long as open lanes are available using a 7-lane format. Additional outside lanes and additional races will not be added to accommodate late entries.  Late entries will be charged an additional late entry fee and will not be seeded for heats.

• Scratch Policy:

  • Scratches made after the standard entry deadline and before the late entry deadline forfeit their entry fee.

  • Scratches after the late entry deadline and race no shows will incur an additional $50.00 Scratch Fee which is due before following crews are allowed to launch or future entries accepted.  Verified medical exceptions will be accepted.

Regatta Meeting 7:00 am by the launch docks

Rules

• All races are 1500 meters or as close to this distance as the race venue safely allows.

• There is no breakage zone. 

• Missed race: No special allowances will be made for crews late to the start line. Teams hot seating equipment do so at their own risk.

• Doubling limits: Rower – 1 event only per category (sweep & sculling), no doubling within category (sweep & sculling); coxswains - maximum 2 events of which 1 can be as a rower. 

• Males may not row in female events.  Females may not row in male events. With the exception of coxswains. 

• If a composite crews (rowers from two or more FSRA Member teams in the same boat) is approved, it will not be racing for medals or points.

• Teams cannot enter and race a 2nd Varsity 8+ without entering and racing a 1st Varsity 8+.

• Teams cannot enter and race a 2nd Varsity 4+ without entering and racing a 1st Varsity 4+.

• Teams cannot enter and race a 3rd Varsity 8+ without entering and racing a 2nd Varsity 8+.

• Teams cannot enter and race a 4th Varsity 8+ without entering and racing a 3rd Varsity 8+.

• Teams cannot enter and race a 2nd Freshman 8+ without entering and racing a 1st Freshman 8+.

• Junior events may be entered independently of all other categories.

• Lightweight events may be entered independently of all other categories.

• Freshman events may be entered independently of all other categories.

• Junior events are restricted to competitors in the 11th grade (junior year) or lower AND who have not attained the age of 18 years prior to September 1st of the current academic year (born after August 31, 1998).

• Freshman events are restricted to competitors in the 9th grade (freshman year) or lower.

• “B” entries will only be accepted in the lowest boat event of each category. For example, if there is no 3rd boat event in a category, B boats would therefore be allowed in the 2nd boat event.

• If only one boat is entered in an event that has a higher boat event that boat will be moved to race as a B boat. For example if there is only one 4th Varsity 8+ entered, it will be moved to the 3rd Varsity 8+ event as a B boat.

• All boats will be equipped with a protective bow ball and quick release shoes. Boats not so equipped will be barred from launching.

• All boats will carry a bow number of their assigned race lane for identification.  Bow numbers should be large enough to be easily visible with the naked eye from shore with good contrast between the number and the background.  The team will be responsible to provide its bow number.

• Lightweight male rower maximum weight: 150 lbs. (no averaging)

• Lightweight female rower maximum weight: 130 lbs. (no averaging)

Varsity Eligibility Check-in Procedures

• Varsity events are open to all eligible athletes as defined above.

Lightweight Eligibility Check-in Procedures

• Lightweight events are open to all eligible athletes as defined above who meet the weight requirements.

• Weigh in will be allowed between 3:00-6:00 pm on Friday and 6:00-7:00 am on Saturday. These are the only times available. The entire boat needs to be present to weigh in. Re-weighs will only be allowed if the rowers is within one (1) pound of the event maximum and must be done within the weigh-in time windows.

Junior Eligibility Check-in Procedures

• Junior events are restricted to competitors in the 11th grade (junior year) or lower AND who have not attained the age of 18 years prior to September 1st of the current academic year.

• While birth date and grade validation is based on the honor system, the regatta committee reserves the right to conduct spot checks until all race results are made official. Athletes not able to comply with spot checks by providing documentation to regatta HQ by 6PM saturday evening will not be eligible to compete. Boats without eligible substitutes will be removed from races.

• Methods of validation for athletes in Junior events:

  • Either each student brings a photo ID and school transcript or class schedule showing they are currently not a senior (11th grade or lower) and shows their birth date (either on the ID or school document).

  • Or the coach provides a signed statement from their school on school letterhead that the named athletes are not a senior (11th grade or lower) and was born after August 31, 1998 (08-31-1998). Students must provide a photo ID to match the name on the school list.

Freshman Eligibility Check-in Procedures

• Freshman events are restricted to competitors in the 9th grade (freshman year) or lower.

• While grade validation is based on the honor system, the regatta committee reserves the right to conduct spot checks until all race results are made official. Athletes not able to comply with spot checks by providing documentation to regatta HQ by 6PM saturday evening will not be eligible to compete. Boats without eligible substitutes will be removed from races.

• Methods of validation for athletes in Freshman events:

  • Either each student brings a photo ID (and school transcript or class schedule if their photo ID does not show their current grade level/graduating class).

  • Or the coach provides a signed statement from their school on school letterhead that the named athlete is a freshman (9th grade or lower). Students must provide a photo ID to match the name on the school list.

Minimum Entries

Since the results from the District Championships are used for the seeding of the FSRA Florida State Championship, any event with an entry will race.

For events with only one (1) team entered at the registration deadline, the race will be scheduled, however, one of two race scheduling situations may happen:

1. The boat may run solo to complete the race for seeding

2. Or should there be multiple events with 1 entry, those events falling within this situation may be run together. Should boats from separate categories be run in the same race, results will still be counted towards whichever event each specific boat was originally entered.

Teams will be notified after the registration deadline about any schedule changes.

Protests

• Protests should be avoided at all costs and be used as a last resort.

• Protests shall be registered on the water in accordance with USRowing rules.

• 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.

Inclement Weather Procedure

The FSRA Regatta Committee, the Regatta Director, the 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 FSRA Regatta Committee will prioritize events and determine which races will occur during the time window racing can be safely conducted.

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

• Email sent out to all coaches

Trailer Arrival - Please do not arrive before 1:00 pm on Friday. If you will be after 7:00 pm on Friday, please let us know. If you need to arrive on Saturday please do so between 6:00-7:00 am.

Practice Friday
We will have several safety launches on the water from 4:00-6:00 pm on Friday for anyone wanting to practice on the course.