Glossary of Rowing Jargon
Like any other sport, rowing has its own language. These are some common terms and their definitions.
8+ and 4+: eights (8+) and fours (4+) are the most common collegiate competitions and the two events held at the NCAA Championships. The plus indicates a coxswain on board.
Blade: the end of the oar which pulls the boat through the water. Bow: the forward end of the boat which crosses the finish line first; the rower in the seat nearest the forward end of a shell, who typically has a quick catch, stable technique and a shorter arc.
Bowball: The white ball on the back end of the boat that protects the shell and provides an easy way for the coxswain to see who's ahead.
Bowmarker: The number identifying the lane in which that boat is racing during sprint races.
"Catching a Crab": A phrase used to describe what happens when a rower's oar enters the water at an angle rather than perpendicular. At an angle, the oar gets caught under the surface of the water and, depending on the severity of the situation, can cause a boat to lose ground in a race.
Course: Spring races are contested on a 2,000-meter (about 1 - ¼ mile) course. Fall races are typically 4,000 - 6,000 meters.
Coxswain (cox): person who steers the shell from a seat located in the stern of an 8+ or a lying position in the bow of a 4+
Ergs: short for ergometer; individualized rowing simulators that help strength and conditioning.
Footstretchers: Apparatus used to bolt a rower's shoes into the footrest to secure positioning.
Head Race: The traditional fall regatta, in which boats cross the starting line at full speed in roughly 15-second intervals. The course usually involves navigating three miles of river, around bends and under bridges.
Lightweight: a crew on which each athlete weighs under a specific amount (130 pounds for women).
Novice: a rower in the first year of collegiate competition. Port: A rower's right side when they are in the boat.
Power 10: A call for rowers to do 10 of their most powerful strokes to pull ahead of the competitor.
Racing Categories: There are several different events at regattas Typically the Varsity Eight event is the most elite, consisting of a team's best eight rowers. A program's overall speed is usually measured by how well its top 8+ finishes at races.
Regatta: the name of rowing events in which several crews compete.
Repechage: a second chance race for those crews which did not automatically advance to the finals of an event.
Rigger: the metal brace which attaches an oar to the shell.
Run: the distance the shell moves during one stroke. The more run a boat gets, the faster it is going.
Sculling: type of rowing where each rower uses two oars. Sculling is not as prevalent as sweep rowing at the collegiate level.
Shell: boat used in the rowing races. It seats nine people for an Eight (eight rowers + a coxswain) and five people for a Four (four rowers + a coxswain), and ranges in length from 45 feet for a Four to 58 feet for an Eight.
Sliding Seat: Where athletes sit. It is on rollers, allowing the athletes to use the entire body, including the legs, on each stroke.
Sprints: used in collegiate competition, this type of race features a course which is 2000 meters long, usually with four to six unmarked or buoyed lanes and a floating or staked start.
Starboard: A rower's left side when they are in the boat.
Stern: the back of the boat; the end the rowers face during competitions.
Stroke: a complete cycle of moving the shell through the water; the rower who sits closest to the stern, looks directly and the coxswain in a stern-coxed boat and sets the rhythm for the shell.
Sweeping: type of rowing where each rower uses one oar. This is the typical rowing style for collegiate events.
USRowing: The national body that governs rowing in the United States.
Varsity: the collegiate rower who competes beyond the novice level.
