Coxswains
1
Regattas: W Sprints, NIRC, M Sprints, IRA
Women’s Sprints, NIRC, Men’s Sprints weigh-in procedure:
Minimum weight of coxswains for heavyweight and lightweight men is 125lbs.
Minimum weight of coxswains for openweight women is 121lbs.
Minimum weight of coxswains for lightweight women is 110lbs.
All coxswains are to weigh-in within the designated time frame noted in the respective regatta’s packet. Under extenuating circumstances when a coxswain cannot weigh in during the designated window they must make an appointment with the chief referee to schedule their weigh in.
A practice or test scale is not available for coxswain weigh-ins.
Coxswains must weigh in wearing either their team unisuit or a school issued racing shirt and shorts
Coxswains will step on the official scale once. Coxswains whose body weight (while wearing either of the above uniform) is less than the prescribed minimum weight will be required to carry external weight in order to achieve the minimum standard during the course of their race.
It is suggested and encouraged that all coxswains who know that they will require external weight provide their own form of weight. This applies especially to those who will require external weight in excess of 2 pounds.
All weights, whether provided by the regatta or not, must be attached together in one package and marked for specific individuals at the time the coxswains weigh in by the race official at the scales.
Coxswains will be responsible for their external weight throughout the course of the regatta.
On race day, it will be the coxswain’s responsibility to bring their external weight with them in the boat. This weight must be carried at the coxswain’s seat as close to the torso of the coxswain as possible during the course of the race. Coxswains are also advised that they must display their external weight to the referee if/when requested.
IRA weigh-in procedure:
Minimum weight of coxswains for heavyweight and lightweight men is 125lbs.
Minimum weight of coxswains for lightweight women is 110lbs.
All coxswains are to weigh-in within the designated time frame noted in the regatta packet. Subsequent weigh-in for the events will not be required for races on Friday or Saturday.
The Regatta Committee reserves the right to re-weigh coxswains advancing to the Grand Finals of the Heavyweight, Men’s Lightweight, and Women’s Lightweight Varsity Eight events. If a subsequent re-weigh will occur, the time and place will be communicated to coaches via WhatsApp.
A practice or test scale is not available for coxswain weigh-ins.
Coxswains must weigh in wearing either their team unisuit or a school issued racing shirt and shorts
Coxswains will step on the official scale once. Coxswains whose body weight (while wearing either of the above uniform) is less than the prescribed minimum weight will be required to carry external weight in order to achieve the minimum standard during the course of their race.
It is suggested and encouraged that all coxswains who know that they will require external weight provide their own form of weight. This applies especially to those who will require external weight in excess of 2 pounds.
All weights, whether provided by the regatta or not, must be attached together in one package and marked for specific individuals at the time the coxswains weigh in by the race official at the scales.
Coxswains will be responsible for their external weight throughout the course of the regatta.
On race day, it will be the coxswain’s responsibility to bring their external weight with them in the boat. This weight must be carried at the coxswain’s seat as close to the torso of the coxswain as possible during the course of the race. Coxswains are also advised that they must display their external weight to the referee if/when requested.
Lightweight men
2
Regattas: M Sprints, IRA
Regular season weigh-in procedure:
To ensure parity among the league, the coaches agreed in 2022 that all athletes must weigh in five times throughout the regular season, prior to the Eastern Sprints, unless they receive a medical exemption from a trainer due to illness or injury preventing them from racing.
If a team does not have five lightweight competitions requiring weigh-ins scheduled for the season, a coach may schedule an additional weigh-in before a scrimmage or team practice.
For weigh-ins prior to a scrimmage, crews must still average 155.0lbs. For weigh-ins occurring during practice athletes must weigh no more than 160.0lbs.
Weigh-in takes place at 5:00 PM the night before the race.
Weigh ins will proceed in the following order:
Visiting team weighs in first, followed by the home team
1st Varsity, 2nd Varsity, 3rd Varsity, 4th Varsity crews in order from bow to stern in their weigh-in attire
Athletes must announce their name and seat before stepping on the scale
Athletes should only step on the scale once it is zeroed out
Athletes step off the scale only after a coach has read their weight aloud and recorded it
After the entire crew has weighed in, a coach will verify that the crew averages 155lbs and no individual athlete weighs over 160lbs.
If the crew does not average 155lbs they must re-weigh in. Not all crew members are required to re-weigh in. If an individual exceeds 160lbs, but the crew still averages 155lbs with that athlete’s weight hypothetically set at 160lbs the remaining members do not need to re-weigh in. However, the individual over 160lbs must weigh in.
If the athlete does not make weight within the hour they are not allowed to race and the crew must make a substitution that still averages 155lbs.
Re-weigh in rules:
An athlete who misses weight has one hour to reweigh-in
They may attempt as many times as needed within that hour
If an athlete does not weigh in at 160.0bs or less within the hour time limit…
They are not allowed to race
The crew must make a substitution under 160lbs
The crew must still average 155lbs
In cases where logistical challenges or a day trip prevents an in-person weigh in, coaches may agree to conduct a virtual weigh-in. The same weigh-in rules apply.
A camera must clearly show:
The athlete announcing their name and seat
The athlete stepping on the scale
The weight displayed on the scale
The hosting team is responsible for conducting the weigh-in.
Results must be recorded in a Google Sheet
Coaches should timestamp when an athlete misses weight
The sheet must be shared with the designated lightweight coordinator.
In the event of an injury or other medical exemption, an athlete may obtain a letter from a trainer certifying that the athlete is fit to make weight if they missed a weigh-in due to injury or illness.
Competition procedure:
Competitors must remain in unisuit or rowing shorts and t-shirt when in any area that’s viewable by the general public.
Lightweight oarsmen competing at the Eastern Sprints or in the IRA National Championship regatta have an individual maximum weight limit of 160.0lbs. The maximum average weight of all competitors in the boat is 155.0lbs.
A lightweight rower must enter the weigh-in area wearing a team unisuit or athletic shorts and a team t-shirt. The athlete may, but is not required to, remove his t-shirt prior to stepping on the scale.
All members of an individual crew (1V, 2V, etc.) must weigh in together.
At the assigned time of a crew’s formal weigh-in, the coach of that crew must present a copy of the official IRA final entry/weigh-in form to the Lightweight Coordinator. The weigh-in form must be completely filled out and signed by the coach with the full names, typed or clearly printed, of the members of the crew, in order from bow to stroke, including the coxswain, and alternates. The coordinator will then distribute the weigh-in form to the appropriate “volunteer overseer” at the scale assigned to that crew.
The overseer will record on the form the start time of the crew’s initial weigh-in, the designation of the assigned weigh-in scale (A, B, etc.), and the names of the volunteers running that scale. The overseer will also confirm the name of the school and the names of the rowers and coxswain of the crew.
All weigh-in forms will be kept by the respective volunteer overseers at each of the assigned scales until that volunteer overseer confirms that a crew has “made weight” within its proscribed 60-minute time allotment, and the crew is “qualified” to compete in the regatta. The overseer will then sign the form and return it to the Coordinator. The Coordinator will deliver all completed and signed forms to the Chief Referee at the completion of the weigh-in.
A crew that is not present when called for its initially assigned weigh-in time, or a crew that fails to satisfy the “average” boat weight requirement during its initial weigh-in, will be re-assigned a new weigh-in time, at its assigned scale, after all other crews at its assigned scale have been weighed in. Once a crew is assigned to a scale, it cannot be weighed in on a different scale.
A crew that fails to satisfy the weight average at the time of its initial weigh-in shall have a maximum of 60 minutes from the start of its initial weigh-in time to satisfy this requirement. During the 60-minute time period, the crew may identify selected members of the crew to weigh-in again in order to satisfy the weight average requirement. The remainder of the crew may be considered "weighed-in", and are exempt from having their weight re-checked.
A crew that fails to satisfy the weight average within the prescribed 60-minute additional time allotment must immediately make the necessary substitutions, using other members from the squad, which will allow it to satisfy the requirement. If there are an insufficient number of substitutions available to fill out all racing crews, then the lowest racing crew must be withdrawn from the competition.
A competitor who fails to satisfy the maximum individual weight limitation at his initial weigh-in will be allowed a maximum of 60 minutes from the beginning of his crew’s initial weigh-in to satisfy that requirement.
A competitor who fails to satisfy the maximum individual weight limitation within the prescribed 60 minute additional time allotment will be excluded from the regatta. A qualified substitute must be named, and weighed-in immediately.
A competitor who, after successfully weighing-in, becomes incapacitated at any time and cannot race, may be replaced by a substitute, provided the crew’s revised line-up will satisfy the average weight requirement, and provided the substitute satisfies the individual oarsman’s maximum weight limit. The substitute’s weight may be recorded at any time prior to the actual race, or by using the weight recorded at his official weigh-in.
Regattas: W Sprints, IRA
3
Lightweight women
Regular season weigh-in procedure:
Weigh-ins should be held prior to any spring race in which a women's collegiate lightweight crew is participating.
A regular season weigh-in is to be held the day before the first day of racing, starting no earlier than 3pm
Each athlete must have photo ID
Athletes must weigh-in in racing attire
The entire crew must weigh in at the same time (bow to stroke).
An athlete at or under 130.0lbs. has met the weigh-in requirements for that race and is not required to weigh-in again for that race.
An athlete over the 130lb maximum weight at the time of weigh-in must be within 2lbs (i.e. 132.0) of weight. Any athlete above 132lbs at the time of weigh-in must be excluded from the race.
An athlete weighing more than 130lbs but less than 132lbs. may weigh-in up to two more times within one hour of the initial weigh-in. If they fail to meet the 130lb maximum weight after the third attempt, the athlete will be excluded from racing.
To participate in the IRA National Championship, each member of a lightweight women's crew entry will be required to submit documentation of a weigh-in on at least five different race dates between April 1st and the IRA entry deadline in that given year.
Weigh-in records, presented as documentation for the IRA entry, must be spaced at least 7 days apart. Where there is a scheduling hardship (i.e. lack of enough April race-dates), a weigh-in record alone for a crew or athlete will suffice.
The accompanying weigh-in cover sheet and records must be submitted with the entry registration for a lightweight collegiate women's crew at the IRA National Championship. Any rower who plans to, or may, represent their institution in the lightweight women's collegiate event at the IRA National Championship must present a record of five weigh-ins, fulfilling the above criteria, in order to participate.
Where possible, weigh-in should be conducted by a professional from the hosting institution's medical, training room, or athletic department staff, or by a race official appointed by a given race committee or regatta organization. In the absence of such a professional or official during regular season racing, coaches may agree to weigh-in each other's crews. The person conducting the weigh-in should be familiar with the weigh-in procedure.
Competition procedure:
Each athlete must bring a photo ID.
Athletes, including the coxswain, will weigh-in wearing the team’s racing uniform.
The entire crew must weigh-in at the same time from bow to stroke. Coxswains will weigh-in with their crews.
Athletes must be within 2lbs of the required 130.0lbs maximum weight on the first try (132.0lbs max) or they will be ineligible to compete in the regatta.
Athletes who exceed 130lbs on the first try but who weigh 132lbs or less can weigh-in a second or third time within one hour of the first attempt. Failure to meet the 130.0lbs maximum by the third try will make that athlete ineligible to compete in the regatta.
No re-weigh is necessary for those athletes who are at 130.0lbs or below on the first try.
The entire crew will receive certification at the same time.