Kansas City Dragon Boat Festival

2008 Race Format and Rules

  1. Racing will occur in three rounds of round-robin format. There will be two teams in each heat. Each team will be given the opportunity to draw a number assignment. This number will determine where the team falls in the pairings for round-robin racing.
  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. The four teams with the best win-loss records at the end of the round-robin will race in elimination heats for the overall winner. If at the end of the round-robin teams are tied such that there are not four who clearly should advance to the elimination rounds, then the race officials will make a determination as to which teams will enter a qualifying round for the finals.
  5. Participants are at all times 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 provide 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 when the gong sounds.
  14. Each boat must completely pass the turn-around buoy before returning to the start-finish line. A turn-around buoy judge will be the sole judge of whether this requirement has been met.
  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 at all times; 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.