RowingTerminology
Heyguys,soacoupleofyourequestedalistofrowingtermswithadescription,ifthereisanything
thatIhavemissedorifthereisanythingthatneedsmoreexplanationpleaseletmeknowandIwill
trytosortit.Asyouwillseetherearealotofterms,sotomakethingsalittleeasierIhave
highlightedthetermsthatIwillbeusingatthisstage.Thesetermsaretakenfromand/oradjusted
fromBritishRowing’sLevel2CoachingCourseTechnicalHandbook.
Thanks.
RowingTerm
Arms/Armsaway
BackDown
Description
Arms/Armsawayisactionorpositionwherethearmsareextendingor
extendedoutstraight.Thispositionshouldbeperformedasthelegsare
lockedoutflatandthetorsoisatthe“11O’Clock”anglefromthehips.
Thepositiontherower’s“lean
back”shouldbefrom
“backstops”to“arms-way”
Reverserowingusedtomanoeuvretheboatbackwardsandforturning,
wheninacrewboatitisbeneficialforthestroke/strokepair/stroke
three/strokefourtobackdownandthebow/bowpair/bowthree/
bowfourtotakestrokesasitprovidesthemostleverage.
Backing
down
Strokes
Whenbackingdownisperformedthespoonshouldbereversesquared.
Backstay
Backstops
Blade
BoatPositions
Squared
Reversesquared
Thebackofarigger,closesttothebowsthatlocksthepininposition.
Thepositionatwhichtherowersitswiththeirlegsstraightandblade
handletotheirchest.
Anothertermfor“oar”.
Positionsintheboat;eachseathasanumber,bowis“1”andeachseat
infrontofthebowgoesupbyone,thebowandstrokehaveimportant
rolesinmanoeuvring(see“BackingDown”).Ifthecox,bowmanorcoach
instructsbowpair(bowand“2”)orbow([anynumber]),thismeansthat
alltheseatsfrombowtotheseatnumbersaidshouldrow.Itistheexact
sameprinciplefromstroke:
Stroke(2)
Bow(1)
Bow(1)
Bowpair
2
3
Strokepair
Stroke(4)
BowThree
StrokeThree
Stroke(8)
Strokepair
StrokeThree
Strokefour
7
6
5
4
Bowfour
3
BowThree
BowPair
2
Bow(1)
Bodyswing
Bow
BowBall
Theswingofthetorsopivotingfromthehips.
i).Frontoftheboat
ii).Thenamegiventotherowerthatsitsnearestthefrontoftheboat
Asafetyplasticcaponthefrontoftheboat.
BowLoader
BumShoving
Aboatwherethecoxsitsatthefrontoftheboat.
Theactionofengagingthelegsandpushingofftheshoesfrom
frontstopswithoutusingtheresistanceofthewater.
Shouldersandarmsremainatthecatch
Whilstthebumisengagedand
goesbackwithoutthebody.
Button
Canvas
Catch
Clever
Thediscshapedpartonthecollarofthebladethatpushingagainstthe
insideofthegate.
Thehulloftheboatontheendsoftheboat
Thepointofworkwherethebladeisinserted.
Spoontype.
Collar
“ComeForward”
Cox
Coxless
Crab
Easyoar/off
Ergometer/Ergo/Erg
Extraction/Finish
Feather
Fin
Firm
FixedSeat
FISA
Four
Frontstop/s
Plasticsleevefixedtothebladethatthebuttoncircles.Buttoncanbe
movedalongthecollartoadjustbladegearing.
Instructiongivenbythecoxorcoachtocometothefrontstopsposition
Thepersonontheendoftheboatthatsteerstheboataswellasgive
motivationalandinstructionalcalls.
Boatwithoutacox
Whenthebladebecomescaughtinthewateratthemomentof
extraction.Whenthishappensthephraseis“tocatchacrab”.
Verbalinstructiongivenbycox,coachorrowerforcrewtostoprowing.
RowingMachine.
Theremovalofthebladefromthewaterbyapplicationofdownward
pressuretothebladehandle.
Bladespoonisparalleltothewater.Thisisthepositionoftheblade
spoonfortherecoverysectionofthestroke.Rowersmustbecarefulto
fullyextractthebladebeforefeathering.
Apieceofmetalorplasticattachedtotheundersideoftheboattowards
thestern.Providesdirectionalstabilitybypreventingsidewaysslippage.
Termusedtosuggestthattherowerisapplyingfullpressuretothe
powerphaseoftheirrowingstroke.
i).Aboatwithoutaslidingseatmechanism.
ii).Arowerrowingarmsand/orbodyonlyandthereforenotmoving
theirseat.
iii).Asportinwhichtherowersaresadlyunawareofthefunthatthey
couldbehavingtravellingattwicethespeedinaslidingseatboat.
TheFederationInternationaledesSocietesd’Avironistheinternational
rowingfederation.Thefederationisresponsibleforallinternational
racingandrules.Organisesaseriesof3WorldCupRegattas,anannual
WorldChampionshipandtheWorldCoastalChampionships.
Boatforfoursweeprowers.
Thepositionatwhichtherowersitswiththeirlegsat90degreesandthe
bladespoonatthefurthestpointtothebows.
*
Gate/Swivel
Gearing
HeadRace
HeelRestraints
Height
‘Holditup’
‘Hips’
Inboard
Launching
*Itshouldbenotedthatifacoachorcoxasksyoutositatfrontstops,
thepositionisexpectedtobereachedwithfeatheredbladesonthe
surfaceofthewater.
Thepartoftheriggerwherethecollarandbuttonsits.
Termusedtodescriberatioofinboardtooutboardonthebladethat
determineshowmuchpowertherowercanapplythroughthewater.
Raceinwhichcrewsaretimedoverasetdistance.Usuallyrunasa
processionalraceratherthansidebyside.
Attachedtothehellsoftheshoesandtothefootplate.Compulsory
safetyfeaturethathelpstherowertoreleasetheirfeetfromthesoein
theeventofacapsize.
Measurementofdistancefromseattopointofworkatthecentreofthe
bottomedgeofthepin.
Verbalinstructionmeaningtobringtheboattoastopquickly.
Verbalinstructiontofocusonactivatingthebodyswingpivotingfrom
thehips.Alsoaverbalinstructiontotherowertopossiblyhavelooser
hips.
Thelengthofthebladefromtheendofthehandletothebuttonatthe
pointwhereitsitsagainstthegate/swivel/pin.
Thedetrimentalactionofleadingwiththebackfirstinthedrivephase.
Launching
Length
Loom
Macon
Novice
Outboard
Overlap
Pair
Pin
Pitch
Pressure
Port
Lengthofstroke–thearcfromthecatchtofinishthattheblademoves
throughinthewater.
Theshaftofthebladefromspoontohandle.
Typeofblade.
Someonewhohasverylittlerowingexperience.
Thelengthofthebladefromthetipofthespoontothebuttonatthe
pointwhereitwillsitagainstthepin/swivel.
Theamountbywhichthescullhandlesoverlapwhenarowerholds
themhorizontallyatrightanglestotheboat.
Boatfortwosweeprowers
Thespindleonwhichtheswivel/gaterotates.
Angleofinclinationofthespoontotheverticalduringthepropulsive
phaseofthestroke.Thisisdictatedbyboththesternandlateralpitch.
Theamountofeffortappliedbytherowertothepowerphaseofthe
stroke.(Usuallylight,½,¾,firmorfull)
Thelefthandsideoftheboatasthecoxsitsortherighthandsideofthe
Posture
PowerPhase
Quad
Rate/rating
Ratio
Recovery
Regatta
boatforarower.Oftenmarkedbyaredstripeontheblade.
Positionofbackandshouldermusclesduringthestrokecycle.
Thepartofthestrokebetweenthecatchandtheextractionwhenthe
bladeisinthewaterandpropellingtheboat.
Boatforfourscullers.
Numberofstrokesrowedinaminute.
Theratioofthetimetakenforthepowerphasetothatoftherecovery
phaseofthestroke.Ideallytimetakenfortherecoverywillbeabout
threetimesthatofthepowerphase.1:3.
Thepartofthestrokephasebetweentheextractionandthebeginning
(orcatch)whenthebladeisoutofthewater.
Acompetitionwitheventsfordifferentboattypesandstatusrowers
usuallyinvolvingheats,semi-finalsandfinalsforeachevent.Boats
competesidebysideformastandingstart.
Reversesquare/
reversesquaring
alsosee“backdown”.
Rhythm
Riggers
Rigging
Riggerjigger
Ruckover
Rudder
RunningStart/Rolling
start
Saxboard
Scull
Sculling
Shell
Sleeve
Optimumratio.
Metaloutriggersattachedtotheoutershelloftheboatnexttoeach
seatthatsupporttheswivelandthepin.Therearecurrentlyseveral
differentdesignsofriggerfromtwoorthreestaymetalorcarbontubing
tometalorcarbonwings.
Thewayinwhichtheriggers,slides,swivel,pins,footplate,bladesand
scullscanbeadjustedtooptimiserowercomfortandefficiency.
Aspanner(usually10mmor13mm)usedforattaching/detachingand
adjustingriggers.
Bodyleanfromhipstowardsthesternoftheboat.Ideallyfinishingatan
angleof1O’Clock.
Thedeviceundertheboatwhichwhenmovedcauseschangeof
direction.Linkedtothesteeringmechanism.
Aracingstartundertakenwiththeboatalreadymoving.
Thesidesoftheboatabovethewaterlinemadetostrengthentheboat
wheretheriggersattach.
Smallerversionofthebladeusedforsculling.
Rowingwithtwoblades,oneoneithersideoftheboat.
Thesmoothhulloftheboat.Sometimesmadefromwoodbutmore
commonlynowfromasyntheticmaterial.
Thepartofthebladethatfitsinsidethegateandisthepointatwhich
thereistheseparationofoutboardandinboard.
Slide/runner
Span
SpinTurn
Spoon
SquareorSquaring
StandingStart
Stakeboat
Starboard
Stern
SternLoader
SternPitch
Stroke
Stretcher
Sweep
Twometalrunnersonwhichtheseattravels.
Thedistancebetweenthecentresofthestarboardsideandportside
swivelonascullingboat.
Termusedtodescribeturningtheboatonitsaxis.
Theendofthebladewhichentersthewater.Usuallypaintedinthe
coloursoftheclubrepresentedbytherower.
Toturnthebladesothatthespoonisat90degreestothewater.This
actionshouldbedoneearlyduringtherecoverytoensurefood
preparationforthecatch.
Aracingstartfromstationary.
Ananchoredboatofpontoonfromwhichrowingboatsareheldpriorto
aracestarting.
Therighthandsideoftheboatasthecoxsitsorthelefthandsideofthe
boatforarower.Oftenmarkedbyagreenstripeontheblade.
Thebackoftheboat.
Aboatwherethecoxsitsattheback(stern)oftheboat.
Sternwardsangleofinclinationofthepintothevertical.
i).Onecycleoftheblade.
ii).Therowerwhositsclosesttothesternoftheboatinfrontofallthe
othersandisresponsiblefortheratingandrhythmoftheboat.
Ametallicorcarbonplateinsidetheboattowhichtheshoesare
attached.Securedwithadjustablescrews.
Rowingwithonebladeononesideoftheboat.
Tapdown
Tapturn
Trestles
Tolowerthehandsattheendofthestroketoremovethespoonfrom
thewater.
Amethodofturningtheboatwhereeachrowerusesaforwardsor
backwardsrowingactionwiththeirarmsonly.
Portablestandsusedtosupportaboatforrigging,washing,admiring
etc.