Safety Rowing Resources

Review USRowing's SafeSport Policy Summary and FAQs HERE. If you have further questions, reach out to our Safeguarding Team directly at safeguarding@usrowing.org

All USRowing Relevant Adult Participants are required to take the 90-minute SafeSport Trained course. 30-minute Refresher courses are available as parts of this series after the initial training has been completed.? 

• Any employee, board member, committee member, coach, or administrator of USRowing or one of its Member Organizations? 
• Any USRowing licensed Referee 
• Any current or potential National Team athlete with the goal to participate in National Team selection such as development camp, trials, or selection camp 
• Any person(s) authorized, approved, or appointed by USRowing or its Member Organizations to have Regular Contact with or authority over Minor Athletes. This may include coaches, volunteers, medical staff, trainers, chaperones, monitors, contract personnel, bus/van drivers, or officials who have Regular Contact* with a Minor Athlete, staff, board members, and any other individual who meets the Adult Participant definition
• An adult athlete who has Regular Contact* with any Minor Athlete 
• Individuals in a position of power, including but not limited to coaches, staff, chaperones and board members, are required to take SafeSport training regardless of the total number of instances they have with minors. This includes positions of power held over adults only. 

*Regular Contact Is defined as ongoing interaction where an Adult Participant is in a role of direct and active engagement with any amateur athlete who is a minor.?USRowing defines ongoing interactions as five (5) or more instances of In-Program Contact during a 12-month period.?For purposes of this definition, a competition is considered a single instance of In-Program Contact regardless of duration.

The 90-minute SafeSport Trained Core course is the initial training requirement and is valid for one year from date of completion. After the first year, Adult Participants who remain subject to training requirements take a 30-minute Refresher course annually for the next three years, after which they must re-take the SafeSport Trained Core course. Medical providers who are subject to the training requirements may take the Health Professionals: Your Role in Preventing Abuse in Sport?course instead of the SafeSport Trained Core course. 

Yes. USRowing recommends the following SafeSport courses available through the USRowing membership portal: SafeSport Training for Adult Athletes, to cover safe and positive sport environments, power imbalances, consent, bystander intervention, and reporting responsibilities; SafeSport Parents Guide to Misconduct in Sport, to inform parents of Minor Athletes about types of abuse and misconduct in sport; SafeSport for Volunteers, to give adult volunteers who only have incidental and observable contact;  Creating Safe and Inclusive Environments for Athletes with Disabilities, to help coaches and program administrators create inclusive sports environments for athletes and inclusive organizational policies; and  SafeSport for Youth Athletes, to educate youth athletes about preventing bullying and hazing, fostering positive online interactions, and reporting sexual abuse and misconduct.

Note: Minor Athletes who want to take SafeSport for Youth Athletes must receive permission from a parent or guardian.

All reports of sexual misconduct must be reported directly to the U.S. Center for SafeSport at https://uscenterforsafesport.org/report-a-concern/ or 833-5US-SAFE (587-7233)

As a reminder, reporting to the Center may not fulfill an individual's mandatory reporting responsibilities to law enforcement or other entities. 

Non-sexual misconduct includes reports of Bullying, Harassment, Hazing, Emotional Misconduct, Physical Misconduct, and Aiding and Abetting. While Misconduct Related to Reporting, Misconduct Related to the Center’s Process, Other Inappropriate Conduct, and/or Violation of the Minor Athlete Abuse Prevention Policies (MAAPP) may be reported directly to the Center, USRowing encourages initial reporting of such matters to your relevant Member Organization using the Member Organization’ internal reporting processes. 

If, following review by the Member Organization, the issue remains unresolved or is not susceptible to resolution at the Member Organization level, it may be reported to USRowing using the USRowing reporting form found here.

Thank you for submitting your report. USRowing will review it and take one of the following actions: forwarding your report to the U.S. Center for SafeSport, address the report directly, or initiate a case investigation as necessary.

SafeSport investigations are confidential, and the U.S. Center for SafeSport will not share case-specific information and updates with those who are not a party to the case. If you are a party to the case and have questions, you can contact the Center’s Resource and Process Advisors at 720-531-9024. The U.S. Center for SafeSport will notify USRowing, the respondent(s), and any participating claimant(s) of the investigation’s outcome.

All USRowing members are bound to the rules in the Safe Sport Policy. Violating the USRowing Safe Sport Policy or the SafeSport Code can result in disciplinary actions, including suspension, expulsion, or banning from participating in USRowing sanctioned events and programs. Consequences may vary depending on the severity of the violation and the outcome of any investigations. If the U.S. Center for SafeSport institutes disciplinary actions on an individual, USRowing will adopt the measures as it's own. 

We acknowledge that it is important all rowers be able to swim, a swim test is site and conditions- dependent. Standards we suggest are: swimming a distance, (depending on likely need at your location) float or tread water for a relevant period of time, and be able to put on a life jacket while in the water. We prefer to have a lifeguard administer the test while the coach observes, to note which athletes might need assistance more than others.  

If you cannot swim, wear a life jacket/ flotation device in the boat at all times.

The bow ball ensures that your bow doesn’t pierce another boat or hurt a human during a collision. Check your bow ball before every race. If it’s loose, secure it with electrical tape or better, replace it with a new one. If it is flimsy, you may not be allowed to race.  

Heel ties are a required part of your equipment, attaching the heels of shoes to the footboard. Without them, you cannot launch at a regatta but more important, they keep you safe.

Heel ties on all shoes cannot be longer than three inches from the footboard.

Securing the heels of the shoes in this manner is for the safety of the rowers, should a boat capsize. By having the heels tied down, rowers will be able to pull out of the shoes in the event of an accident or capsize.

Fog can be one of the most dangerous conditions to row in, as you cannot see where you are going and sense of direction can be muddled. Sound is distorted, making it difficult to determine where another craft might be. If you cannot see 100 yards from the dock, do not launch. If fog comes upon you, go slowly back to the dock and use a loud sound-making device to make others aware of your presence. Having lights on your boat can help you be seen.

As many as you can rescue. Carry PFDs for all rowers you supervise, and ideally be able to fit athletes on to the launch. We state, “If I can’t see you, I can’t save you.” Limit the number of boats to those you can keep in sight, do not send out a flotilla of novice singles.

On cold water and in cold weather, we recommend four oars on the water, for stability. That means an eight, a four, a quad, or a double.

Whenever conditions are not safe: high wind, fog, thunder and lightning, strong current, lots of debris, high waves, extreme cold, extreme heat. Assess the situation and always err on the side of caution.

USRowing Referees are tasked with ensuring the safety and fairness of regattas around the country. This means that Referees oversee making sure athletes are warming up and racing safely as well as paying attention to the weather. Too make sure that racing is fair, Referees apply the rules of rowing to the events they are working to make sure that all participants can compete to their potential. 

Yes, there are three ranks for Referees; Candidates, are people interested in becoming a Referee. Assistant Referees, are licensed referees, they can be part of a Jury and officiate at any station, but cannot act as a depuity or chief Referee. Referees are fully qualified, like an Assistant Referee, but can also act as a Chief or Deputy Chief for a regatta.  

There are also Clinicians required to be full Referees and voted on by the Committee. 

First, please fill out the Referee Application here!

Once that’s done, you’ll need to make sure that you have a USRowing membership, be up-to-date with your SafeSport training, and complete a background check. From there, you’ll need to be enrolled in the College for the Candidate training modules. You’ll also have to complete 6 observations. Once you’ve completed the online training and observations, you’ll be ready to sit for your Assistant Referee exam.  

You’ll need to observe 6 positions: Start Marshall, Chief Judge, Starter, Aligner/Judge at the Start, Chief Judge, Referee, and Control Commission.

• Once you’ve passed your Assistant Referee exam, you’ll still have to work a specific number of times for each position.
  • Marshal twice
  • Starter 5 times
  • Judge at the Start, 5 times
  • Referee 10 times
  • Chief Judge 5 times
  • Control Commission twice
• After completing the work requirements as an Assistant, you are eligible to sit for your full license exam. The exam is two parts, the first is a written section which is open book, but in essay form. Once passing the written section of the exam you’ll also have to sit for an in-person practical exam that will be administered by clinicians in your region.

The Julian Wolf School for Referees, is the educational arm for the Referee Corps. They are in charge of developing all the educational content for Candidates, as well as develop the annual clinic.

Yes, which USRowing will provide. Notify USRowing HERE of your current referee status (candidate, assistant, full referee) and the amount of time you've been in this status for them to process your complimentary membership.

Every USRowing licensed must have a current SafeSport certification, that needs to be updated every year. 

Yes, you’ll need to pass a background check to begin your process, and to maintain a license, a background check is required every two years. To request your background check, email hugh.mcadam@usrowing.org. This will be issued via email. From the time of receiving the background check link, you will have 14 days to complete your background check before the link expires.

A Referee will need to work a minimum of 4 regatta days a year, attend the Annual Clinic, maintain a current SafeSport certification annually, and have a background check every two years.

RefCorps is the platform that all Referees use to track all regattas worked, attendance to the annual clinic. It’s also where Referees can see which regattas are available, and express interest in which regattas they would like to work.

Candidates can upload regattas worked and which position they worked. Assistant and full Referees can also track which regattas they worked, positions worked, the dates for SafeSport Certifications and background checks.

Data Call happens at the end of the year, where all Referees need to have all information added to stay certified.

You must have both an active USRowing membership and electronically signed membership agreement to be covered under USRowing’s insurance program for general liability coverage.

There are 6 regions for Referees. They are the: Mid-Atlantic (Delaware, Maryland, Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Washington D.C, West Virginia, and Verginia)

• Midwest (Ohio, Michigan, Wisconsin, Minnesota, North Dekota, South Dekota, Nebraska, Kansas, Oklahoma, Arkansas, Kansas, Iowa, Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, Tennessee),
• Northeast (New York, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Vermont, Maine, Rhode Island, Connecticut)
• Northwest (Washington, Oregon, Idaho, Montana, Wyoming)
• Southeast (Florida, Georgia, South Carolina, North Carolina, Alabama, Mississippi, Louisiana, Texas)
• Southwest (Arizona, California, New Mexico, Colorado, Utah, Nevada).

The Regional Coordinator is the point person for their region, in charge of naming clinicians, helping recruit candidates and administering full license exams.