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Head of the Riverfront rules

JUNIOR: A Junior is a competitor who in the current calendar year does not attain the age of 19, or who is and has been continuously enrolled in secondary school as a full time student seeking a diploma. A competitor thus ceases to be a Junior 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 full time student, whichever is later.

Note: HIGH SCHOOL/JUNIOR COACHES AND ROWERS— Due to NCAA legislation prohibiting collegiate and junior rowers from competing in the same event, junior rowers may not row up and may only race in events designated as Junior. The Regatta values the participation of both college and high school athletes, while not jeopardizing their ability to compete in future intercollegiate contests.

Coaches: Please review the rules and eligibility clarification below. Each year we're asked by coaches about the standard policy of requiring no "Second/JV" boats be entered without an accompanying First/varsity entry. While we try to review entries as they come in, the sometimes staggered entry process and occasional “moves” of entries from one category to another make it difficult to entirely regulate this eligibility criteria, and we rely on the diligence of the coaches to honor the standard.
The High School Races in Head of the Riverfront are divided into 1st Junior, 2nd Junior and Novice categories. The 1st Junior races are intended for high-school rowers and scullers whose coaches deem them to be of varsity standard. The 2nd Junior races are intended to provide an appropriate competitive opportunity for high school rowers whose coaches deem them not yet to be of true Varsity standard, but who are above Novice standard. Accordingly, no high school program may enter a boat in any of these 2nd Junior events unless it has also entered at least one boat – its presumed first and fastest boat – in the applicable 1st Junior event.
The Novice races are for rowers who are in their first calendar year of competitive rowing by type, i.e., sweeping or sculling, having begun rowing no earlier than June of the same year as the regatta. Experience in sculling events does not count as experience in sweep events and vice versa.

OPEN: Open to all except Junior (see above) crews.

MASTERS AND VETERANS: Must be over the age of 21 as of December 31st, year of the event. Age as of December 31, year of the event, rounded down to the highest contained integer, governs, as applicable, both the age-group category and the time adjustment of a given boat in our Masters/Veterans events. A Masters or Veterans single sculler or crew may compete in a lower (younger) age category. No Masters single sculler or crew may compete in a higher (older) age category.
Master/Veteran: For singles, these events will be run in 10-year increments except for the first category: 27-39, 40-49, 50-59, 60-69, and 70-79. There is no handicapping within 10-year increments. Medals will be awarded in each 10-year category. For larger boats, a handicap will be calculated for each crew based on handicap tables, as adjusted for the distance.

COXSWAINS: There is no weigh-in requirement for coxswains.

GENDER IDENTITY: The Head of the Riverfront adheres to the USRowing policy regarding gender identity as stated in the USRowing Rules of Rowing. The USRowing Board of Directors has adopted a comprehensive Gender Identity policy, which is contained in the Policy Manual.