Changes to FISA bye-laws

The Rowing Service
Published in the FISA no. 4 Circular of 2002
Changes to the Bye-Laws of Racing, 22nd July 2002

(Only changes noted)

Bye-Law to Rule 27 ­ Boats and Equipment

2. Requirements for racing boats:
2.1 The bows of all boats shall be fitted with a white ball, minimum diameter 4 cm, in rubber or similar material fitted in a safe manner unless the bow of the boat is so constructed as to afford equivalent protection and availability.

Bye-Laws to Rules 28 to 30 ­ Regulations for International Regatta Courses

3.3.4 Timing and Results Systems
Times shall be shown to 1/100th of a second on the Results Sheets and on the Scoreboard.
In the case of close finishes the order of finish must be determined by means of special equipment such as a photo-finish camera, capable of measuring time differences to at least 1/100th of a second.
For World Championships, a full back up of the timing/results/photo-finish systems shall be provided. The timing/results/photo-finish systems must comply with the specifications and descriptions given in the latest edition of "The FISA Manual for Rowing Championships".

Bye-Law to Rule 68 ­ At the Start

4. False Start
When the race has begun, the starter looks towards the judge at the start to satisfy himself that it was a good start. Should this not be so, he rings his bell and then waves his red flag, indicating that the race has been stopped. If the traffic lights start system includes both visual and audible signals to indicate a false start then these shall be used (instead of the bell and the red flag) by flashing the red light and sounding the audible signal repeatedly.

Bye-Laws to Rule 72 ­ Duties of the Umpire

Change 13. and 14. as follows:-
13. The race was in order
A race is over only when the last crew has crossed the finish line. Even if he is satisfied that the race has been properly run, the umpire must check to be sure that no crew is making an objection under Rule 77 before indicating to the judges at the finish, by raising his white flag, that the race was in order.
Before leaving the finish area, he shall make sure that the judges at the finish have acknowledged his signal
14. The race was not in order
If the umpire considers that the race has not been properly run he shall raise his red flag. If appropriate he shall speak to one or more of the affected crews. He shall then go to the judges at the finish in order to inform them of his decision and to give any necessary explanations. The judges at the finish, in such cases, must not announce the official result of the race until the umpire has given his decision.
15. Objection If a crew considers that the race was not properly run a member of the crew must raise his arm to indicate that they are making an objection. In this case the umpire shall not raise any flag but he shall consult with the objecting crew and consider their objection. The umpire may then decide upon one of a number of alternative actions
e.g.:-
a. He may over-rule the crew's objection and raise a white flag to signify that he has decided that the race was in order.
b. He may accept the crew's objection and raise a red flag to signify that he has decided that the race was not in order. In this case he must go to the judges at the finish in order to give them his decision and any necessary explanations. The judges at the finish, in such cases, must not announce the official result of the race until the umpire has given his decision.
c. He may decide to seek further information regarding the objection. In this case he will raise a red flag and then take any necessary further steps to resolve the issues relating to the objection e.g. consult with other officials, consult with other persons, consult with the President of the Jury etc. The judges at the finish, in such cases, must not announce the official result of the race until the umpire has given his decision.
If there is likely to be a long delay in resolving the objection the judges at the finish may announce an "unofficial" result of the race but with the clear statement "Subject to an Objection".

Bye-Laws to Rule 75 ­ Duties of the Judge at the Finish

3. Timing
Intermediate times and finish times shall be recorded to 1/100th of a second. If the order of finish can be clearly determined by the naked eye, times taken by handoperated timing equipment may be used.
In the case of a photo-finish the times shown on the result sheets and on the scoreboard must be taken from the photo-finish picture for all the crews in the race. The necessary equipment shall be operated by specialists who do not form part of the team of Judges at the finish.
4. Photo-finish
In the case of a close finish the judge at the finish shall determine the order of finish by viewing the picture produced by the photo-finish camera.
If the judge at the finish is not able to determine the order of finish between two or more crews then the result will be declared as a dead-heat between the crews involved.
The necessary equipment shall be operated by specialists who do not form part of the team of Judges at the finish.
Video systems using less than 100 frames per second as well as ordinary polaroid cameras are not suitable for determining the order of finish. Organisers must provide themselves with equipment specially designed for the purpose.

Rule 77 ­ Objections (a new Bye-Law) Bye-Law to Rule 77 ­ Objections

If a crew wishes to make an objection a member of the crew must immediately raise his arm clearly into the air and keep it raised until the Umpire acknowledges that the crew is making an objection.

Bye-Law 24 to Rule 81 ­ Approved Use of a Prohibited Substance in Exceptional Circumstances

a. Emergency Condition
i. An acute event;
ii. Immediate notification by team physician or manager;
iii. Determination of necessity by the FISA Doctor.
b. Chronic Condition
i. The request for authorisation must be exceptional and its examination must be carried out respecting the athlete's right to privacy;
ii. All requests of this type must be made at least two months before the start of the competitive season to allow time for the commission to study the case and ask for further information, if necessary;
iii. All requests must be fully medically justified;
iv. The Commission's role is to ensure that the use of medication is consistent with current medical knowledge and treatment, and that no other alternative treatment is possible;
v. Authorisation should never put the athlete at risk of worsening his health condition
vi. Authorisation can be time limited
c. Languages ­ All requests must be submitted in English or French, including all medical justifications.