Section 5: Rules of Play
5.1 Sprint Racing Rules
- Start: All boats held in the alignment system. On the start signal (electronic tone after "Ready... Set..."), boats are released simultaneously. Standing start (no rolling start).
- Lane discipline: Each boat must remain within its 9 m lane for the entire race. Crossing into another lane results in disqualification unless the offending crew was clearly not gaining an advantage and not interfering with another crew.
- Drafting: Not explicitly prohibited, but lane rules and 9 m lane width make it impractical. Wake effects between lanes are considered a natural part of the race.
- Capsizing: If a crew capsizes, they are out of the race. No restart is granted. Safety boats assist with recovery.
- Finish: The bow of the boat must cross the finish line. Photo finish determines the order. If the margin is less than 5/1000ths of a second, a dead heat may be declared.
5.2 Sprint False Start Rules
- A false start occurs when a boat moves before the start signal while in the alignment system
- First false start: Warning issued to the offending crew. All boats return to the alignment system for a restart.
- Second false start (by any crew): The crew that committed the second false start is excluded from the race. Under current ICF rules, the "one warning per race" system means any crew committing a false start after the general warning is excluded.
- Electronic detection systems record boat movement in the alignment cradles to objectively determine false starts
5.3 Slalom Racing Rules
- Gate negotiation: The paddler's head must pass between the two poles of the gate in the correct direction (downstream for green gates, upstream for red gates). The entire head must cross the gate line.
- Gate sequence: Gates must be negotiated in numerical order. Skipping a gate or negotiating out of sequence results in a 50-second penalty for the missed gate(s).
- Gate touches: 2-second penalty for touching one or both poles of a gate with the body, paddle, or boat. Only one 2-second penalty is assessed per gate regardless of how many touches occur at that gate.
- Missed gate: 50-second penalty if the paddler fails to negotiate the gate correctly (not passing the head between the poles in the correct direction). A deliberately skipped gate also receives 50 seconds.
- Intentional displacement: If a paddler intentionally pushes a gate pole aside to create more space, a 50-second penalty is assessed
5.4 Kayak Cross Racing Rules
- Start: 4 athletes launch simultaneously from a start ramp into the water on the signal. Lane selection is based on seeding (fastest time trial gets first lane choice).
- Contact: Incidental boat-to-boat contact is permitted and expected. Deliberate blocking, holding, or grabbing another athlete's boat or paddle is prohibited and results in disqualification from the heat.
- Eskimo roll: Athletes must perform a complete capsize and roll at the designated roll gate. Failure to complete the roll (exiting the boat) results in a time penalty or disqualification from the heat.
- Advancement: The first 2 athletes to cross the finish line advance to the next round. Rounds continue until the 4-person final, where 1st = gold, 2nd = silver. A small final determines bronze.
- Protests: Protests may be filed within 5 minutes of the heat finishing. Video review is used to determine deliberate obstruction.