Coxswain's Guide to Rowing Australia Rules of Racing 2026

Weigh-in (Rule 30):

• Coxswains are weighed wearing racing uniform by a person authorised by the Organising Committee, on tested scales.
• Weighing is not less than one hour and not more than two hours before their first race on each day of the competition.
• The scales indicate weight to 0.1 kg.
• The Organising Committee may require an official photo identity card to be deposited at the first weighing or later. If an official crew photo has been checked against such a card, the Control Commission may use the photo instead at weighing.

Deadweight checks:

• The Control Commission may require the deadweight to be checked at any time before the race or until immediately after disembarkation.
• The Starter and Umpire may also check that the deadweight is present.
• The Control Commission is responsible for checking deadweight before and after the race.

Lightweight races: the same coxswain provisions apply (Rule 29.6).

Age (Rule 26 and 29.3): age categories apply to coxswains, except in Under 23 and Masters categories.

• Under 17: until 31 December of the year the coxswain reaches 16.
• Under 19: until 31 December of the year they reach 18.
• Under 21: until 31 December of the year they reach 20.
• Under 23: until 31 December of the year they reach 22 (but age categories do not apply to coxswains here).
• Open: a coxswain too old for Under 23 is classified Open, and Open events are open to all ages.
• Masters crew age categories do not apply to coxswains either; the crew's average age excludes the coxswain.

Gender (Rule 29.2): open. A women's crew may be steered by a man and a men's crew by a woman. In mixed Masters events the coxswain may be of either gender.

School events: a school competitor must qualify as Under 21 and be a full-time day student at a secondary school, and school events are restricted to crews from one school only.

Single-club events: any event specified as a single-club or non-composite crew event, including Open Club or Masters Champion Club events, must be steered by a coxswain from the same club as the rest of the crew.

Coxswains are members of the crew, and any reference to rowers in the Rules includes coxswains unless stated otherwise (Rule 29.1).

A race is valid even if the crew is incomplete. However, a crew of a coxed boat that finishes the race without its coxswain is excluded (Rule 82).

The gender of a coxswain is open: a women's crew may be steered by a man and a men's crew by a woman (Rule 29.2).

• Be attached early: crews must be attached to their start pontoons at least two minutes before the designated start time. The Starter then announces "Two Minutes", which means the crew is formally under Starter's orders and must be ready to race within two minutes.
• Start zone: the first 100 m of the course. A crew may enter if the Starter permits, but not the racing lanes until all crews from the preceding race have left the zone and the Starter has given the crew a lane.
• Roll-call: the Starter calls each crew in lane order. Once it begins, each crew must make sure its boat is straight and ready to race by the end. The Starter carries on regardless of any crew indicating it is not ready or not straight.
• Quick Start: in adverse weather or for another valid reason, the Starter may say "All Crews" instead of a roll-call.
• Signals: "Attention", then the red flag (or red light), then after a clear pause of varying length, the flag drops with "GO!" (or the light turns green with an audible signal).
• False start: if the boat crosses the start line after the red flag or red light is shown and before the start command, with rowers beginning to row, the crew gets a Yellow Card. Only the crew the Judge at the Start decides caused it is sanctioned.
• Two Yellow Cards: two Yellow Cards applying to the same race (including two false starts) mean a Red Card and exclusion from the event.
• Late arrival: the Starter may start the race without reference to absentees, and may give a Yellow Card to a crew arriving late.
• Objection: a crew given a Yellow Card at the start may object to the Umpire or Starter at the time.

Rule 79 says crews are responsible for their own steering. Each crew has a lane reserved for its own use and must stay completely within it, including its oars or sculls, throughout the race.

• Leaving the lane: a crew that leaves its own lane does so at its own risk.
• Interference: if it impedes or interferes with an opponent, or gains an advantage, it may be sanctioned without prior warning or other notification from the Umpire.
• What counts as interference (Rule 80): the crew's oars, sculls or boat encroach into the opponent's lane and cause a disadvantage by contact, wash or other distraction. The Umpire alone decides whether a crew is in its own lane.
• Consequences: if the interference affected the other crew's finishing position, the crew may be excluded. After a collision, the Umpire may exclude the crew causing it even without a prior warning. The Umpire may not alter a placing.
• Umpire help: the Umpire shall not give steering indications except to avoid accidents or stop interference by opponents, so watch for the white flag.
• Entering the lanes: crews do not enter the racing lanes until the previous race's crews have left the start zone and the Starter has given them a lane.

The By-Law adds that nothing in the interference rule lessens a crew's responsibility to remain in its designated lane throughout the race.

From the By-Laws to Rule 80:

• White flag shown, crew named, flag lowered to one side: the crew is about to interfere with another by its wash or by leaving its lane, and must change direction towards the side the flag is lowered. The Umpire does not otherwise give steering indications unless there is an obstruction in the lane.
• White flag raised vertically, crew named, "Stop": the crew must immediately stop its boat. This is used to ensure safety and prevent damage to boats and equipment. The crew may begin rowing again to finish the race if the Umpire permits.

At the finish (Rule 82 By-Laws):

• White flag to the crews: the Umpire considers the race was in order. Crews who disagree raise an arm to object before this.
• Red flag: the Umpire has decided the race was not in order, or is dealing with an objection, and will announce the decision.

At the start (Rule 77 By-Law): a bell and a waving red flag (or flashing red light and repeated audible signal) stop the race after a false start.

An excluded crew is told "(name of crew) - (reason for the exclusion) - red Card - Exclusion!" The Umpire must also make sure a crew they want to address can hear them.

During the race: if a crew thinks another crew is interfering with it and causing a disadvantage, a member of the crew should if possible draw the Umpire's attention at the time, to indicate it intends to make an objection (By-Law to Rule 80).

After the finish (Rule 84):

• A crew member raises an arm to the Umpire immediately after the finish.
• This must be done before the boat leaves the immediate area of the finish line and before the Umpire shows the white flag to the Judge at the Finish, or the objection is not valid.
• The crew must not leave the finish area until the Umpire has heard the objection.
• It can only concern the conduct of that crew's own race, and its ranking must have been affected.
• The Umpire may reject it (white flag), accept it (red flag, meaning the race was not in order), or seek more information.
• Once the Umpire has confirmed the race was in order to the Judge at the Finish, no further objections are accepted from the crews in that race.

Objecting to a sanction: a crew may only object at the time the sanction is awarded, by telling the Jury member, Starter or Umpire who notified it. A crew given a Yellow Card at the start may object to the Umpire or Starter at the time.

Protest: if the objection is rejected, the crew can protest in writing to the President of the Jury no later than one hour after the race concludes, with a $100 deposit that is refunded if the protest is upheld.

Rule 64 requires the Organising Committee to publish traffic rules for training and for racing and display them clearly in the boathouse or embarkation area. It is the responsibility of every rower, coach and team manager to read, understand and comply with them. Large signs should be beside the pontoons where crews go out.

While warming up for a race or cooling down from one, crews:

• must not cross the finish line, in any direction, while boats from another race are finishing;
• must stop when a race approaches their position; and
• must not follow a race over any part of the course, even outside the buoyed area, when not taking part in it.

A crew may be sanctioned for failing to follow these requirements.

Other points:

• The traffic rules identify at least one clear lane of water (13.5 m) as a neutral lane between crews travelling in opposite directions, or else a continuous physical barrier such as a swimming line.
• Unless specifically notified, there is no training during racing at Rowing Australia events.
• No boat may be on the course during official racing hours without the President of the Jury's specific authority.
• A sanction for an infringement during cool-down or training can be objected to only before the crew embarks for the race the sanction applies to.

Coxswains are members of the crew, and any reference to rowers in the Rules includes coxswains unless stated otherwise (Rule 29.1). So these apply to them:

• Swimming: all rowers in an RA regatta must be able to swim 50 m and keep their head above water unassisted for three minutes. The club or school must certify this and provide evidence if RA asks. At the Australian Masters Rowing Championships and the Australian Coastal Rowing and Beach Sprints Championships the individual rower is responsible.
• Pre-existing conditions: any condition that may incapacitate a rower during competition or training must be notified to the Event Medical Officer before racing.
• Briefing: each club, school or Member Association must have at least one person (competitor, coach, manager, etc.) at the Competitors and Coaches Briefing and pass on the racing and safety information to its rowers and coaches.
• Instructions: rowers and team officials must follow Jury and Organising Committee instructions on safety.
• Jury power: any Jury member may prohibit a crew from going on the water if they consider it a danger to itself or other crews. If there is a dispute, the President of the Jury decides.
• Training hours: training happens only during the official training hours, and all crews must be off the water by the closing time. Crews may be sanctioned for not following this.
• Delays: if a race is delayed, crews must ask a Jury member about changes before getting out of the boat.
• Coaching devices: giving instructions, advice or directions to racing crews from outside the boat with any electric, electronic or other technical device is prohibited (Rule 81).

Sources: Rules 29, 63, 81 and the By-Laws to Rules 22 and 63.