Florida State Championship Regatta

Rules for Spring 2009

Section 1. Team Eligibility.

The Florida State Championship Regatta of the Florida Scholastic Rowing Association shall be open to Youth Association Members both Scholastic and Club as provided by the FSRA Constitution that are in good standing with the Association.  The team shall be a current member of the Association.  All delinquent fees and dues of a team shall be paid prior to any entry being accepted from that team.

Section 2. Competitor Eligibility.

All competitors shall be bona fide students in regular attendance at day classes in the State of Florida whose scholastic eligibility shall meet the requirements of their respective schools, both athletic and academic.  All competitors shall be in the following academic grade range: 6 - 12. A scholastic team shall be comprised of competitors as defined above who are from the same single secondary school of education.   Each team shall be responsible for the conduct, physical fitness, including the ability to swim, of its competitors.

Section 3. Competing in Multiple Events (Doubling).

Each rower shall be limited in competition to one (1) sweep event and one (1) sculling event.  Coxswains are exempted from this limitation.  No consideration shall be given to scheduling conflicts of rowers and coxswains competing in multiple events.  The coach and competitor shall decide which event shall be their priority.  Coaches should take into consideration that an illness or injury on race day shall require an alternate rower not already seated in an event.

Section 4. Events.

The following events shall be offered for separate boy's and girl's categories.  Scholastic Events shall be raced within and as a subcategory of the same Youth Event.
Youth Events (26 events)   Scholastic Events (22 events)
Varsity (1V) 1V8 and 1V4 Varsity (1V) 1V8 and 1V4
JV (2V) 2V8 and 2V4 JV (2V) 2V8 and 2V4
3rd (3V) 3V8 3rd (3V) 3V8
Lightweight Lt8 and Lt4 Lightweight Lt8 and Lt4
Freshman Fr8 and Fr4 Freshman Fr8 and Fr4
Sculling 4X, 2X and 1X Sculling 2X and 1X
Pair 2-

Section 5. Alternates.

Entry forms for eights (8+) shall contain the names of up to four (4) alternate rowers; for fours (4+) and quads (4X) shall contain the names of up to two (2) alternate rowers.  Alternates shall not violate the doubling limitation rule above.

Section 6. Reporting Substitutions.

Substitutions to the original boatings shall be reported to and sanctioned by the Regatta Committee prior to the starting time of the race.  However, if a substitution is made after a heat has been rowed, only medical related substitutions shall be allowed and these shall be approved by the Regatta Committee and be agreeable to the authorized representatives of the competing teams.

Section 7. Levels of Competition.

Teams shall enter their fastest crews on the varsity level (1V), their second fastest crews on the junior varsity level (2V), and their third fastest crews on the 3rd varsity level (3V).  This applies to same sized boats: a junior varsity 8+ requires a varsity 8+ entry, a 3rd varsity 8+ requires a junior varsity 8+, and a junior varsity 4+ requires a varsity 4+ entry.  When a team's lower class boats record faster times than its same class higher level boats at the same level of progression (heat vs. heat or final vs. final), the regatta committee will investigate and pass any infractions found to the ethics committee for possible boat eliminations.  A team may enter a lightweight event and/or a freshmen event without entries in the other levels.  These two (2) events are distinct and separate categories from the regular levels of competition and are subject to the rules outlined in the following sections.

Section 8. New Teams.

A team in their first two (2) years of competition at a FSRA State Championship Regatta may enter a crew at any level of competition including the two (2) events that follow but all other event and speed requirements stated within these rules shall apply.

Section 9. Lightweight Events.

The FSRA State Championship Regatta shall follow the weight guidelines established by Scholastic Rowing Association of America.  A lightweight boy shall be defined as a rower with a maximum weight of 150 pounds.  A lightweight girl shall be defined as a rower with a maximum weight of 130 pounds.  There shall be no boat averaging.  Rowers shall weigh in wearing racing attire.  No weight allowance shall be given for clothing.  Access to test scales shall be permitted on Friday.  All official weigh in shall occur Saturday morning.  All rowers and alternates for a team entry are to weigh in together.  An adult team representative shall be present during the weigh in.  Each rower shall have only one (1) initial opportunity to weigh in.  Re-weighs will only be allowed if the rower is within one (1) pound of the event maximum and must be done within the weigh in time window.  The Association strongly urges all coaches to refrain from unnatural weight requirements for rowers.

Section 10. Freshmen Events.

A freshman shall be defined as a rower who is in the ninth (9) grade in high school and may include rowers in sixth (6), seventh (7) and eighth (8) grades.  This does not include those students who have been retained due to academic reasons in high school.  Coxswains of freshmen boats shall meet the freshman definition above.

Section 11. Novice Events.

At the 2004 Fall Annual Meeting, FSRA membership voted to end offering novice events at State Championship Regattas.

Section 12. Minimum Coxswain Weight.

The FSRA State Championship Regatta will not impose minimum coxswain weight requirements.

Section 13. Championship Events.

All events held shall be championships events.  They shall follow the heats to finals progression described in sections below.

Section 14. Non-Championship Events.

There shall be no non-championship events.  It is understood this may result in some team members not racing in the FSRA State Championship Regatta.

Section 15. Composite Crews.

Composite crews (rowers and/or coxswains from two or more FSRA Youth Association Member teams in the same boat) shall not be permitted to enter the races.

Section 16. Same Gender Crews.

Boys shall not row in girl's events.  Girls shall not row in boy's events.  Coxswains are exempted from this limitation.

Section 17. Race Distance.

All events shall be raced for a distance of fifteen hundred (1500) meters or as close to this distance as the race venue safely allows.

Section 18. Minimum Event Entries.

Events with less than three (3) teams entered at the registration deadline shall be eliminated and the teams shall be notified in advance of race day.  If race day scratches reduce a race to one (1) entry, the single entry shall row down the course for time.

Section 19. Secondary Team Entries.

Teams shall be allowed to enter multiple crews in any event only as long as the additional crews do not add a seventh lane or additional heats.  Crews not designated as the team's "A" entry shall row as exhibition only and not progress from heats nor win medals or points.  Each team shall designate only one crew per event as it's "A" entry.  Accepted secondary entries shall be notified after the scratch deadline.

Section 20. Heats.

The formula for progression to the final will be as follows:

Section 21. Seeding of Heats.

The Regatta Committee shall draw the heats with the objective to allow for the fastest crews to have a fair opportunity to progress to the finals.  Coaches with varsity entries shall be polled.  The placement of crews in heats at the FSRA State Championship Regatta shall reflect their performance record at Florida spring regattas.  Lane assignments for rep, semi, and final races shall be given using a predetermined formula with the heat, rep, and semi winners receiving the center lanes under normal weather conditions.  In the situation of prevailing strong cross winds, the fastest progression times will receive the windward lanes.

Section 22. Petite Finals.

Petite Finals shall be held for the varsity 8+ (1V8) and varsity 4+ (1V4) events if they have at least 9 entries, with the top 6 competing in the Grand Final and upto the next 6 competing in the Petite Final.  Petite Final events shall be held just prior to the corresponding Grand Final events.  Petite Finals shall determine team point standings for placings from 7th to 12th.  Medals shall not be awarded for Petite Finals.

Section 23. Medals.

First, second, and third place medals shall be awarded.  A crew must not necessarily beat another crew to be awarded medals.

Section 24. Trophies.

Section 24a. Points Table.

The following table defines how points shall be awarded for all events.
 
Place V 8+ V 4+ JV 8+
Light 8+		 JV 4+
Light 4+		 3rd 8+
Fresh 8+
4X		 Fresh 4+
2X
2-		 1X
1st 100 50 75 38 50 25 13
2nd 86 43 65 32 43 22 11
3rd 74 37 56 28 37 19 9
4th 64 32 48 24 32 16 8
5th 56 28 42 21 28 14 7
6th 50 25 38 19 25 13 6
7th 46 23
8th 42 21
9th 38 19
10th 34 17
11th 30 15
12th 26 13

Section 24b. Scholastic Trophies.

Event and overall points trophies for first place scholastic teams shall be awarded.  Separate boy and girl point standings shall be ranked according to the sum of the three (3) highest point earning boats from each scholastic team.  The Overall Point Trophy would be awarded to the scholastic team with the highest total of the top three (3) earning boys boats plus the top three (3) girls boats plus a seventh event, the next highest point earning boys or girls event.  In the event of a points tie, the varsity 8+ (1V8) event shall be used as a tie break.  The trophies shall remain in the possession of the winning team for one (1) year and returned at the next Scholastic State Championship Regatta.  Teams failing to return trophies must pay a replacement fee before they will be allowed to compete.

Section 24c. Youth Trophies.

Event and overall points trophies for first place shall be awarded.  The Overall Point Trophy would be awarded to the team with the highest total of points.  In the event of a points tie, the varsity 8+ (1V8) event shall be used as a tie break.  The trophies shall remain in the possession of the winning team for one (1) year and returned at the next Youth State Championship Regatta.  Teams failing to return trophies must pay a replacement fee before they will be allowed to compete.

Section 25. Entry Mailing.

The Association Secretary shall mail entry forms to all member teams at least thirty (30) days prior to the date of the FSRA State Championship Regatta.  Rule changes in entry packages shall supercede these posted rules.

Section 26. Entry Deadline.

Entries shall be received by the Regatta Committee by the date specified on the entry form.  No late entries shall be accepted.

Section 27. Entry Fees and Certification.

Entry forms shall be signed by a representative of the team, and shall be accompanied by an entry fee for each event as specified on the entry form.  The amount of the entry fees shall be established by the Regatta Committee.  The team shall submit a complete roster of competitors, signed by the coach, with race entries.  These rosters shall be available to all teams for review.

Section 28. Scratch Policy.

Each entry scratched after the deadline stated in the entry package shall result in a $25 fee, including any entries that did not start as scheduled on race day(s).  Regatta registration must be informed of medical emergency scratches prior to the start time of the event to avoid a scratch fee.  Scratches of higher level boats prior to the start of the regatta will result in lower class boats being moved up levels.  Scratches or did not start of higher level boats after the start of the regatta will result in an ethics committee review for possible boat eliminations.

Section 29. Payments of Fees.

All of the team's entry and scratch fees shall be paid in full prior to launching any of the team's boats.  Non-payment of fees shall carry forward to following years until paid in full.  Teams failing to return trophies must pay a replacement fee before they will be allowed to compete.

Section 30. Objection to Entries.

Objection to any entry shall be made in writing to the Regatta Committee before the day of the FSRA State Championship Regatta, or to the Chief Referee before the start of the race.

Section 31. Boat Safety.

All boats shall be equipped with a protective bow ball and quick release shoes.  Bow coxed boats shall have openings sized in accordance with the Rules of Rowing of the United States Rowing Association.  Boats not so equipped shall be barred from launching.

Section 32. Bow Numbers.

All competing boats shall carry a bow number of their assigned race lane for identification, said numbers containing numerals at least seven (7) inches high and four (4) inches wide on a background of a contrasting color, such as black numerals on a white background.  The team shall be responsible to provide its bow number.

Section 33. Race Day Communication Channels.

Regatta Officials shall announce or post their official radio communication channel(s) at the start of the race day.  All teams and their guests are prohibited from using these radio channel(s). Teams violating the use of restricted channel(s) shall be subject to disqualification.

Section 34. Additional Regatta Rules.

The balance of the FSRA State Championship Regatta Rules of the Florida Scholastic Rowing Association shall be the Rules of Rowing of the United States Rowing Association as enforced by USRowing Judge-Referees.

Section 35. Responsibility of the Ethics Committee and the Representatives.

All questions of eligibility, qualifications, or interpretations of the rules shall be referred to the Ethics Committee, whose decision shall be final.  All questions not specifically provided for in these FSRA State Championship Regatta Rules shall be decided by the representatives at the next Annual Meeting.

Section 36. Amendments to the Regatta Rules.

Amendments to the FSRA State Championship Regatta Rules shall be made at the Annual Meeting by a majority vote of the representatives attending.

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