Which rules govern my child's high school rowing regattas?

Q: Which rules govern my child's high school rowing regattas?

Any regatta in the United States that is registered with USRowing runs under the USRowing Rules of Rowing, 2026 Edition (Rule 1-104). The answers in this FAQ are based on that edition, on the USRowing Safety Guidelines and Heat Safety Guidelines, and on the USRowing Abuse Prevention and Response Policy (effective September 1, 2026). A regatta can vary the rules only if it describes the changes to USRowing when it registers, puts them in writing and gives them to every competing team. If it registers no changes, the Rules of Rowing are binding. Head races, where crews start one at a time and finish in order of elapsed time, follow Article VIII on top of the general rules. Crews are responsible for everything in the regatta packet and the pre-regatta meeting, including traffic patterns, warm-up areas and hazards (2-202, 2-203). In situations the rules don't cover, race officials can make whatever decisions are needed to keep racing safe and fair. Some scholastic leagues and state associations run their own championships under their own rules, so these answers apply fully only at USRowing-registered regattas.

Question

Accepted Answer

Any regatta in the United States that is registered with USRowing runs under the USRowing Rules of Rowing, 2026 Edition (Rule 1-104). The answers in this FAQ are based on that edition, on the USRowing Safety Guidelines and Heat Safety Guidelines, and on the USRowing Abuse Prevention and Response Policy (effective September 1, 2026).

A regatta can vary the rules only if it describes the changes to USRowing when it registers, puts them in writing and gives them to every competing team. If it registers no changes, the Rules of Rowing are binding.
Head races, where crews start one at a time and finish in order of elapsed time, follow Article VIII on top of the general rules.
Crews are responsible for everything in the regatta packet and the pre-regatta meeting, including traffic patterns, warm-up areas and hazards (2-202, 2-203).
In situations the rules don't cover, race officials can make whatever decisions are needed to keep racing safe and fair.

Some scholastic leagues and state associations run their own championships under their own rules, so these answers apply fully only at USRowing-registered regattas.