Kansas City Dragon Boat Festival Training Video

Race Format and Rules

1. Racing will occur in a double elimination format. There will be two teams matched in each race. All boats are fiberglass and are evenly matched for performance.
2. Where necessary one team in each round may be given a “bye”. Determination of the “bye” will be by luck of the draw.
3. Each race pairing (heat) will be for finish order rather than for time.
4. For each race, the winning team will move forward in the bracket. The losing team, if their first lost will drop to the loser’s bracket. If it is their second loss, then they are out of the competition. All teams will continue to race until each team has two losses. The last team with only one loss will be declared the winner.
5. Participants are always expected to practice the principles of good sportsmanship. Any crew or competitor who attempts to win a race by other than honorable means, or who deliberately breaks the rules, or who disregards the honorable nature of the rules shall face disqualification of the whole team from the competition.
6. All teams entered in the race must attend their assigned practice and instruction session.
7. Only the paddles, drums, steering oars, and boats provided by the organizing committee may be used in the race.
8. All team members must wear a personal flotation device. They may wear the PFD provided by the organizing committee or one they provide themselves.
9. Crews must paddle their boats from the start-finish line past the turn-around buoy and return to cross the start-finish line.
10. All paddlers must remain seated for the duration of the race. Kneeling or standing will result in forfeiture of that heat.
11. Any team that is judged to have deliberately rammed or swamped another boat or their own boat may be disqualified at the sole discretion of the race officials. It is the responsibility of the steerer to give instructions to the crew as necessary to avoid collision.
12. At the starting line, teams shall endeavor to cooperate with the instructions of the starter to line up their boats for a fair start by either moving forward or backward as instructed. Teams who fail to cooperate with a fair alignment at the beginning of the race or who are judged to have committed a false start may be docked at the end of the race, at the discretion of the judges.
13. Each heat will start at the sound of the whistle.
14. Each boat must completely pass the turn-around buoy before returning to the start-finish line. A turnaround buoy judge will be the sole judge of whether this requirement has been met. The first boat to the turn-around buoy has the right of way for the turn.
15. Each drummer is required to employ a drum beat for the cadence of their team throughout the race.
16. When one boat is in a position to overtake another boat during a race, it is the duty of the boat overtaking to keep clear of the boat being overtaken. Similarly, the boat being overtaken must not alter course to make difficulties for the overtaking boat.
17. The Finish Line Judge shall determine the official order of finish results for each boat that properly crosses over the Finish Line. The decision of the Finish Line Judge is final. Unsolicited videos, photos or verbal accounts pertaining to any disputed finish(es), course fouls or other matters have no official status or bearing on the adjudication.
18. Once the boat passes the finish line into the run-out area, crews shall bring the boat around and dock it with reasonable expediency so that the next crew can take the boat.