The capability to remain within your own lane through proper steering is one of the technical skills to be mastered by all competitive rowers. Despite the best efforts of the coxswain (or is it due to a lack of attention by the cox?), crews do not always row a straight course from start to finish, and it is not uncommon to observe one or more crossing into another’s lane during a race. The rules do not impose a penalty each time a crew leaves its lane; rather, they state that each crew that remains within “its own water” is entitled to protection by the referee from outside circumstances interfering with their race. The referee is taught to only warn a crew when it is about to cause interference to another who is still within its own lane. Other reasons would be to warn a crew about to gain an unfair advantage by moving into more favorable water (due to either current or wind), or who is at risk of imminent collision or injury. A crew may otherwise leave its own lane without causing any warnings from the referee. The job of the referee is to continuously judge the fair progress of the race and to take appropriate actions so as to maintain the fairness of the race. As long as crews move responsively to a referee’s warning (indicated by the referee pointing a white flag in the direction the crew must move to avoid interference or unfair conditions), then no penalties will be assigned and the outcome of the race will be determined by who crosses the finish ahead of whom.

However, suppose you believe that your race was not fair due to interference from another crew that had encroached into your lane at some point in the race, despite any warnings from the referee. To maintain your opportunity under the rules to have fairness restored, you must inform the referee of your complaint at the completion of the race, while still on the water. Do so by raising a hand to signal the referee’s attention. Be prepared to tell the referee three things: the nature of the interference and where in the race it occurred; how you were adversely affected; and how you would want your complaint to be resolved. This is called “lodging a protest;” it is the required first step in a process intended to restore equal circumstances for all crews in the race.

Any crew is entitled to question the fairness of a race; the referee has the responsibility to judge its overall fairness. Confronted with your protest, the referee must decide whether your final position in the race was, in fact, adversely affected by the claimed interference. We’ll end the discussion on this point, that regardless of the severity of the interference, the referee’s duty is to render judgment as to whether the final outcome of the race was altered because of unfair circumstances. If so, then the referee must attempt to restore the place you would have achieved had the interference not occurred (but in a manner that does not place your crew at an unfair advantage over any others in the race).  If not, then the referee need not take any action. What recourse you have if you disagree with the referee’s decision will be discussed in the next article.