Coxswain's Guide to Rowing Canada Rules of Racing All Ages 2026

• A coxswain under the minimum weight must carry deadweight to make up the difference.
• Deadweight shall not exceed 15 kg. If more than 15 kg would be needed, the coxswain is still permitted to compete.
• It must be placed as close as possible to the coxswain in the boat, without being attached to the coxswain. Failing to do so is penalized by relegation (placed last in the race).
• Not carrying the deadweight in the boat for the race is penalized by exclusion.
• No article of racing equipment counts as part of the deadweight.
• At any time before or immediately after the race, the Control Commission or the Race Umpire may require the deadweight to be reweighed (rule 2.5).

• Coxswains are weighed wearing their racing uniform on tested scales on the day of their event, at times chosen by the Organizing Committee and published in the Regatta Package. You only need to weigh in once each race day.
• A practice scale must be available during the hours the course is open for training and racing, in addition to the official weigh-in times.
• Scales should show weight to 0.1 kg, and you must be able to see the readout during the official weigh-in. If that is not practicable, weigh-in personnel read out your weight if the rower or coach requests it.
• Your weight is recorded along with the event(s) entered.
• Coxswains who do not complete the weigh-in are reported to the Control Commission at least 30 minutes before the start of their event. If a coxswain fails to weigh in, the crew is excluded (rule 2.6).

• Your crew must be attached to its start platform at least two minutes before the start time. A crew arriving less than two minutes before is late and may be given a Yellow Card by the Starter (rule 10.1). The first 100 metres of the course is the Start Zone, and the Starter assigns your lane when you enter it.
• At "Two minutes" the crew prepares to race: removes extra clothing and checks equipment.
• The Starter then calls the roll of crews in lane order. Once the roll call begins, make sure your boat is straight. Each crew is responsible for being straight and ready to race at the end of the roll call, and the Starter takes no further notice of a crew that then says it is not ready or not straight.
• The Starter says "Attention", raises the Start Flag (or turns the traffic light red), pauses for a clear and variable time, then drops the flag and says "Go" (or the light turns green with an audible signal).
• In a Quick Start there is no roll call: the Starter says "This will be a quick start", then "All Crews", then "Attention" (rules 10.3 to 10.6).

A boat crossing the start line after the Starter has raised the Start Flag (or the red light is shown) but before the start is given has committed a false start. If more than one boat crosses, only the crew or crews the Judge at the Start decides actually caused it are penalized. The Starter stops the race with a horn or audible device and a waving red flag, and when the crew has returned to its starting position awards a Yellow Card: "(Name of Crew), False Start, Yellow Card." The Yellow Card stays in effect until the race has been rowed, including after a postponement or re-row. A crew with two Yellow Cards is excluded from the race, and the Starter tells it when and how to leave the start area (rule 10.7).

The rowers are responsible for their own steering. A coxswain's primary functions are, at a minimum, to steer the boat and to provide instruction and encouragement to the crew (rule 2.4). Each crew has a lane reserved for its own use and must remain completely within that lane, including its oars or sculls, throughout the race. A crew that leaves its lane does so at its own risk, and if it impedes or interferes with an opponent or gains any advantage by doing so, it may be penalized (rule 10.9). The Race Umpire alone decides whether a crew is in its lane or interfering (rule 10.10). Coaching through electric, electronic or other technical or mechanical devices from outside the boat during a race is prohibited (rule 10.11).

• If a crew is about to interfere with another, the Race Umpire should, if practical, raise the white flag, call the name of the crew at fault and show the required change of direction by lowering the flag to that side. In principle the Race Umpire may not steer a crew by verbal direction unless there is an obstruction in its lane (rule 10.10.1).
• To protect safety or prevent damage to boats and equipment, the Race Umpire may raise the white flag, name the crew and call "Stop" (rule 10.10.2).
• The Race Umpire may stop the whole race by raising and waving the red flag and sounding an audible signal (rule 10.10.5).
• If your crew interfered and affected another crew's finishing position, the Race Umpire may exclude it. After a collision of boats or oars, the Race Umpire may exclude the crew causing it even without a prior warning (rule 10.10). The Race Umpire cannot alter a placing.

• During the race: if you think another crew is interfering and you are suffering a disadvantage, a member of your crew should, if possible, draw the Race Umpire's attention at the time, to indicate you intend to object (rule 10.10.3).
• At the finish: raise an arm while still in the finish area. The Race Umpire verifies you intend to object, holds up a red flag, and may allow the objection, not allow it, or seek further information (rule 10.13). The official result is not announced until a final decision is made.
• Protest: if the objection is not allowed and you want to protest, you must do so in writing to the Chief Umpire within one hour of the Race Umpire communicating the ruling, with a deposit of $150.00 CAD. The deposit is refunded if the protest is allowed (rule 10.14).
• The Board of the Jury decides, before the next round of the event and in any case no later than two hours after the last race of the day.
• Appeal: a Board of the Jury decision can be appealed in writing to the RCA CEO within 72 hours, with $500.00 Canadian, refunded if the appeal is upheld (rule 10.18).

• Yellow Card (warning): given to a rower, crew or coach by a member of the Jury for a rule infraction. It is announced as "name of crew/club/coach, offense, Yellow Card". A Yellow Card given after a race applies to the next round the crew competes in. A crew with two Yellow Cards that apply to the same race automatically receives a Red Card and is excluded from the event.
• Red Card: excludes the crew from all rounds of the event. Causes include interference with another crew, disorderly conduct, unfair play or unsporting behaviour, and a Red Card may be issued without two Yellow Cards first. An excluded crew is not ranked.
• Disqualification is more serious: it removes a crew from all events in the regatta (serious or repeated infractions, serious safety violations, intentional cheating and similar).
• Relegation places a crew last in the race and is used only where the rules provide for it, for example deadweight not placed close to the coxswain.
  (Rule 10.17)

• A crew has finished when the bow of its boat has crossed the finish line.
• The race is valid even if the crew is incomplete, but a crew of a coxed boat crossing the finish line without its coxswain is not placed (rules 10.12 and 11.20).
• A crew that has capsized may get back into the shell during a race, with or without assistance, complete the race, be placed and be eligible to advance, unless the Regatta Package states otherwise (rule 9.7).
• After the finish the Race Umpire checks that no crew is objecting and then shows a white flag to the crews to indicate the race was in order. A crew that wants to object must raise an arm while still in the finish area (rule 10.13).

• Traffic patterns: every rower, coach and club representative must read and follow the published training and racing traffic patterns (rule 8.7). While warming up or cooling down, crews must not cross the finish line (in any direction) while boats from another race are finishing, and must stop when racing crews approach their position.
• Hazards: serious hazards must be reported promptly to an Umpire or a member of the Organizing Committee (rule 8.1).
• Chief Umpire's instructions: crews must comply with the instructions of the Chief Umpire, the Jury and the Organizing Committee on any safety matter. The Chief Umpire may close the course if conditions are unsafe.
• PFDs (Coastal Endurance racing): all boats must carry a personal flotation device for every crew member, and coxswains must always wear a PFD in the boat (rule 13.2.3).
• Capsize drill: for Coastal Endurance, crews should regularly practise their capsize drill (rule 13.2.7.9).

In a boat with an enclosed bow coxswain's position, the opening must be at least 70 cm long and as wide as the boat for at least 50 cm. The inner surface of the enclosed part must be smooth, and no structure of any sort may restrict the inner width of the coxswain's section. The rule is there to avoid accidents arising from capsizing (RCA Rules of Racing, rule 3.6).