2024 Rules of Racing: Major Changes and Updates Unveiled

2024 Rules of Racing Changes and Updates 1

Introduction In 2024 there are a few major changes and other minor changes. The main changes are: Unsporting Behaviour Definition of a Women Updates to British Rowing Membership cards & Day Tickets Added Welfare Officer to the Organising Committee Control Commission Substitution Rules Starting side-by-side Races Umpire Decisions Revised Definitions Offshore Competition & Beach Sprints completely reorganised and revised 2

Unsporting behaviour Updated throughout the rules Unsportsmanlike behaviour is now Unsporting behaviour 3

Classification of Events 4-1-1 Women s Events A rower is eligible to compete in a women s event, or as a woman in a mixed event, if the rower is recorded as female in BROE. Clarifies the golden record location of a competitor s gender. No change in practice, it makes it clear that the responsibility for defining Male or Female lies with British Rowing and its procedures not the competition or umpire. 4

Membership Cards 7-2-3 Membership Card All competitors shall take their membership card with them to a competition.Any competitor who cannot produce their digital membership card when requested by an official may be disqualified but can be replaced by a suitably qualified substitute (see 7-2-4b). The digital membership card is the primary means of identification and should always be carried. If the card is not available (e.g. not yet received) then other forms of photographic identification can be used. Membership cards are now digital British Rowing no longer sending out a physical member card Now downloadable as a PDF Available to be stored in your digital wallet Still has a photo on it 5

Day Tickets Still being trialled subject to change! Available for some competitions Currently determined by British Rowing Email competitions@britishrowing.org if your competition would like to use them Insurance for the day not personal accident cover or for training Still has a photo on it Available to be stored in your digital wallet 15 for 1stticket, 10 for subsequent tickets (per competition day) 6

Welfare Officer 5-2-2 Welfare Officer Before a competition the Organising Committee shall appoint a Welfare Officer, who shall become a member of the Organising Committee and who is responsible for producing appropriate Welfare Plans for the competition 5-2-4 Safety Instructions The Organising Committee in consultation with the Race Committee Chair, the Safety Adviser and the Welfare Officer shall develop welfare plan and how to summon help if required Makes it clear the responsibility of the Welfare Officer No changes to best practice 7

Control Commission 6-1-5 Additional Officials a. Control Commission. A team of officials who may check that the provisions of the rules on equipment 7-2-2Duties of the Control Commission The Control Commission shall supervise the crew boating areas and may check that all relevant rules pertaining to crew composition and equipment are being observed. Clarifies that the Control Commission don t do a 100% check. Appendix B Essential Equipment for Control Commission Removed requirement to provide deadweight for coxes. Coxes need to provide their own deadweight. 8

Crew Composition 7-2-4 Crew Composition b. All the rowing members of a crew, and the cox, may be substituted until the official close of entries. Thereafter, until the first race of the crew in the competition has started, up to half of the rowing members of a crew and the cox may be substituted. c. Any further substitutions after the official close of entries additional to those allowed under Rule 7-2-4b will only be permitted on the basis of medical Clarification when the medical substitution rule starts. 9

Starting side-by-side Races 7-3-4d Start Procedure (no 2 minutes ) d. When the Starter has omitted the words Two minutes in accordance with rule 7-3-1c the Starter shall first announce the race and then announce any Official Warnings Adds a reminder to the rules to announce the race before official warnings if the 2 minutes is omitted 7-3-4e Start Procedure (Master s handicap) count down aloud from [x-1] to 1 The rule was [x-1] to x which was a typo! 10

Umpires Decisions 8-1 General b. The decision of an umpire in a side-by-side race shall be final and without appeal. c. In a processional race the Race Committee Chair shall moderate all the penalties awarded during the race to ensure that they are awarded consistently across all stations in the race. In side-by-side races no change. An umpire s decision is final In processional races (heads or time trials) Umpires now report to the RC Chair any infringements, so that the RC Chair can make sure that all penalties are applied equally down the course. No change in how umpires general work as a team at heads. 11

Definitions u. Membership Card: a digital file issued to all paid up registered members of British Rowing and stored on their personal mobile devices or otherwise kk. Recreational Boat: A stable boat is one used commonly for recreational rowing. Stable Boat Events and Competitions Remove references to the Explore Rowing programme as it does not exist 12

Offshore and Beach Sprints Appendix F & G reorganised Layout matches main rule sections References to the applicable rule added Latest best practice for Beach Sprints written into the rules Courses for processional time trials Required umpires and additional officials and their duties Boat handlers responsibilities 13