The Rulesfrom Start to Finish

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The Rulesfrom Start to Finish

• Referee Clinic
• February 16, 2002
• Terry Ryan J/R 605

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Standard Disclaimer

• This presentation includes forward-looking
  statements. Consult your financial advisor.
• The views expressed are mine alone.
• Employees of USRowing and their families are not
  eligible.
• Your mileage may vary.
• I was trained in the Northeast.
• Roxanne made me do it.

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Dominating Principles

• Safety
• Fairness
• Each rules existence is owed to either of the
  above
• Interpret and apply rules for safety first,
  fairness second

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Reporting to the start

• Two minute rule (fairness)
• Not locked on _at_ two minute warning (fairness)
• Not locked on _at_ starting time exclusion
  (fairness)
• Discretion advised!

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Appearance (2-302)

• The exception to the rule
• Fairness requires wise enforcement, since other
  crews endeavor to comply

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Changing race times (2-303)

• Starters discretion to change start times, lane
  assignments
• We hope with notification of the chief and finish
  crew!
• Fairness issuetake into account course or
  athlete issues

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Alignment (2-304)

• All bows on starting line (fairness)
• In tough conditions, best possible alignment
  (fairnessdont want crews sittin n chillin
  for that perfect alignment)
• Flags to notify starter when fair condition
  established

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Polling (2-305)

• Announcement warning to sit ready. Hands
  indicate potential unfairness.
• Best judgment when conditions are as fair as
  possible
• Lost alignment? Reset

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Starting commands (2-306)

• Attention/GoCrisp command w/ flag for fair
  start. Flag motion is the signal!
• Unfair start in your immediate future? Lower
  flag w/ As you were.
• Recognize hand in normal startif you dont see
  it, other referees may restore fairness by
  stopping race

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Quick Start (2-307)

• Cant get a fair start within a fair length of
  timeuse Quick Start
• Announce, point/align, startbut recognize hands
• This start acknowledges that the polled start may
  take so long as to affect fairness

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Countdown Start (2-308)

• The last chance for fairness
• If polled and quick start are still unfair in
  length, announce countdown start
• The countdown shifts responsibility for pointing
  and readiness to the crews
• No hands acknowledged once begun
• BUTdont start if unsafe! Doh!

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False Start (2-309)

• Any crew crossing the line before flag moves
• Judge at start has sole call (fairnesswhy?)
• Red flag, sound alarm, return
• ID crew(s), assess, restart
• Warning is presumed penalty

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Failure to Start (2-310)

• A crew not starting stops the race
• Check reason
• If not justifiable assess penalty (warning)
• Restart

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Broken Equipment (2-311)

• If signaled in starting area, stop race Check if
  valid. Allow opportunity to fix. If not,
  penalize. Restart
• Breakage affects propulsive ability of shell.
• Negligence no excuse (slides, crabs, etc). Out of
  starting area, presumption is boat was OK to
  race, unfair to restart

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A crews water (2-401)

• Protected territory, be it a buoyed lane or a
  line defined by two points
• In it, the referee is the Guardian Angel Leave
  it, and someone else is entitled to protection

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Steering (2-402)

• A crew is responsible for its own steering
• Referees do not intervene, unless interference,
  obstacle, or otherwise protect safety of crews

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Referees position (2-403)

• Take whatever position places you to best protect
  
• 1) Safety
• 2) Fairness of competition
• Dont wake crews (fairness) unless higher
  consideration (safety) requires

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Interference or Foul (2-404)

• Prevent by instruction before interference
  happens
• Interference cant happen unless a crew enters
  another crews water
• Consists of
• Physical contact
• Washing
• Causing course alteration to avoid contact

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Stopping a race (2-405)

• Interference or other unfairness
• Crew opportunity to win, place, advance affected
• No further competitive value in continuing
• Easier call early vs. later
• More beer call discussions than any other topic

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Penalizing Interference (2-406)

• Impose penalty, and restore aggrieved crews
  opportunity
• Presume exclusion, unless
• Interference slight (no lost opportunity)
• Interference severe or intentional (DQ)
• Interference occurred before instruction
• Interference _at_ start (maybe warn)

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Referees Instructions (2-407)

• Alter course white straight up, call crew, move
  flag in direction sought
• Keep apart white flag straight up, call crews,
  Keep Apart
• Crew(s) to stop rowing White straight up,
  Stop resume has white straight up, Resume
  rowing, drop flag forward
• All Crews stop Red straight up, Stop, sound

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Avoid unsafe conditions (2-408)

• Previously known obstacle Name crew, call
  Obstacle or Stop, no steering
• Previously unknown Name crew, call Obstacle or
  Stop, indicate direction to alter course,
  restore opportunity
• Return to lane crews seeking sheltered water or
  otherwise gaining advantage

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Racing cadence (2-409)

• Must maintain a cadence that allows a crew to win
  or advance
• Instruct crew to return to racing cadence
• Penalize if they fail to do so
• 2002 change?

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Outside Assistance (2-410)

• No coaching or team assistance. Benefit not
  necessary
• No team member or coach following in a launch
• Finish line speakers turned off _at_ 1750m, unless
  pointed away from the water
• 2002 rules change?

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Unsportsmanlike conduct (2-411)

• Any unsportsmanlike conduct can be penalized,
  whether in rules or not.
• Aggrieved crews get restored opportunity
• Any team member can have participation
  curtailed
• Abusive conduct, language may be reported to
  Referee Commission

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Order of Finish/Dead heats (2-501)

• Finish is bow touching finish line
• Dead heat if simultaneous, or no determination
  possible
• Finals require re-row if needed to establish
  medals (or duplicate medals)
• Advancement may require re-row
• Refusal to re-row yields right to place

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Finish Line Procedure (2-502)

• Finish crew in stacked line up w/ clear view
• Race time kept on the water, Finish flag
  indicates first crew to cross Finish watches
  start timing
• Chief calls each crews finish assigned watch
  takes time difference from first finisher
• Flag/sound continues for each crew
• Chief judge plus three judges determine order and
  time calculations
• Chiefs opinion final

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Declaring race to be official (2-503)

• Race completion requires last crew to finish and
  Referee declaring race to be official
• Check conditions and protests
• If OK, white flag, give time, Chief Judge
  acknowledges w/ white flag
• If penalty needs assessing (and is accepted), red
  flag, give penalty, white flag, give time
• If protested, raise red flag, announce protest,
  give time. Chief Judge informs Chief Referee to
  convene jury
• White flag means race official only then may
  results be released

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Placement of Crew (2-504)

• Chief Judge determines placement
• Cant win, place, or advance w/o finishing
• If coxed, he/she must finish
• If straight, the boat must finish
• Equipment, advertising, competitor violations can
  cause a crew not to be placed
• Excluded? DQd? Not placed!

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• The complete works of
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