In competitive rowing, the following specialized terms are important in the corresponding aspects of the sport:
Boat classes
In competitive rowing events, abbreviations are used for different boat classes.
;Weight:
- L, LWT or Lt: Lightweight rowing
- If not present the crew is open weight
;Age:
- J: Junior(Under 19 years of age)
- B: Senior B (Under 23 years of age)
- Masters: over 27, includes a letter designation for the average age of the crew:
- A – 27 years of age and older
- B – 36 years of age and older
- C – 43 years of age and older
- D – 50 years of age and older
- E – 55 years of age and older
- F – 60 years of age and older
- G – 65 years of age and older
- H – 70 years of age and older
- I – 75 years of age and older
- J – 80 years of age and older
- If none of these abbreviations are present the crew is Senior A
- These age categories are effectively common to both FISA (Bye-Law to Rule 27) and USRowing (Rule 4–104) rules. USRowing also designates a AA category for ages 21–26, and defines Masters as over 21 rather than 27.
- There are no age restrictions for coxswains and their age is not factored into the average age of the crew. Also called Power House.
; Hammer: A rower known more for their powerful pulling rather than technical rowing proficiency.
; Heavyweight : A rower who weighs more than the limit for lightweight rowing. Often referred to as Open weight.
; Lightweight : A rower whose weight allows them to be eligible to compete in lightweight rowing events.
; Novices or novicing: Rowers who are rowing for their first year, or (in the UK) a rower who has not won a qualifying regatta.
; Port: (US) A sweep rower who rows with the oar on the port or left side of the boat. This means that the oar blade is placed to the rower's right side.
; Sculler : A rower who rows with two oars, one in each hand.
; Seat number : A rower's position in the boat counting up from the bow. In an eight, the person closest to the bow of the boat is 1 or "bow," the next is 2, followed by 3, 4, 5, 6, 7 and finally 8 or "stroke." In certain countries the seats are numbered the opposite way, from stroke up to bow.
; Starboard : (US) A sweep rower who rows with the oar on the starboard or right side of the boat. This means that the oar blade is placed to the rower's left side.
; Stroke or stroke seat: The rower closest to the stern of the boat, responsible for the stroke rate and rhythm.
; Stroke side : (UK) Any sweep rower who rows with the oar on the stroke side (usually, the left or port side) of the boat.
; Sweep : A style of rowing in which each rower uses one oar.
; Wash: The wake from a motorized boat, disliked by rowers as the wash affects the boat stability and can cause water to flood over the gunwales.
Boats
Sometimes called "shells" in the US
Sweep
In a sweep boat, each rower has one oar.
;Eight (8+) : A shell with 8 rowers. Along with the single scull, it is traditionally considered to be the blue ribbon event. Always with coxswain because of the size, weight and speed of the boat – bow loader eights exist but are banned from most competitions for safety reasons.
;Four (4-) or (4+) : A shell with 4 rowers. Coxless fours (4-) are often referred to as straight fours, and are commonly used by lightweight and elite crews and are raced at the Olympics. In club and school rowing, one more frequently sees a coxed four (4+) which is easier to row, and has a coxswain to steer.
;Pair (2-) or (2+): A shell with 2 rowers. The Coxless pair (2-), often called a straight pair, is a demanding but satisfying boat to master. Coxed pairs (2+) are rarely rowed by most club and school programs. It is no longer an Olympic class event, but it continues to be rowed at the World Rowing Championships.
Sculling
In a sculling boat, each rower has two oars or 'sculls', one on each side of the boat.
;Octuple (8x): A shell having 8 rowers with two oars each. Generally a training boat, but raced by juniors in the UK.
;Quad (4x): A shell having 4 rowers with two oars each. Can be coxed (4x+) but is usually coxless (4x-).
;Triple (3x): A shell for three scullers with two oars each, usually without a coxswain. These boats are considerably rare.
;Double (2x): A shell for two scullers generally without a coxswain.
;Single (1x) : A shell designed for an individual sculler. Very good for skill development, particularly beginners, and a very competitive class at world events, WRC. Extremely rare is the coxed single which is only used as a training boat or for adaptive rowing.
Open-water boat
A shell with positive flotation, self-bailing capacity, a non-binding stretcher, and no forestay so re-entry is easier. These boats are generally shorter and wider at the waterline than boats designed for flat-water racing.
Equipment, parts of the boat
Rigging is how the boat is outfitted, including all of the apparatuses (oars, outriggers, oarlocks, sliding seats, etcetera) attached to a boat that allow the rower to propel the boat through the water. The term comes from an old Old English wrigan or wrihan, which means "to clothe." It literally means to outfit or clothe a boat. Rigging also refers to the configuration of the boat and settings of the apparatuses. The following terms are often associated with a boat's rigging, along with other often used terms for equipment used in rowing.
thumb|The inside of a double scull. Shows the seat, slides, backstops, footplate, shoes and riggers.
; Backstay : A brace which is part of the rigger of sweep rowing boats, which extends toward the bow from the top of the pin.
; Backstop : The stop mechanism on the seat slides which prevents the rower's seat from falling off the sliding tracks at the back end (towards the boat's bow) of the slide tracks. Also, in the UK, the sliding seat position closest to the boat's bow. As a command, it instructs the crew to adopt this position. (The US calls this seat position the "back end").
; Blade : The spoon or hatchet/cleaver shaped end of the oar. Also used to refer to the entire oar.
; Bowloader / bowcox / bow steered : A shell in which the coxswain seat is near the bow of the boat rather than its stern. The seat in a bow loader partially enclosed and is designed so that the coxswain is virtually lying down, in order to reduce wind resistance and distribute the coxswain's weight so as to create a lower center of gravity.
; Bow : The front section of a shell; the first section of the shell to cross the finish line.
; Bow ball : A soft, colored ball no smaller than 4 cm diameter securely attached to a rowing or sculling boat's bow. Primarily intended for safety (preventing the tip of the bow from hitting other things), but also used in deciding which boat crossed the finish line first in very close races.
; Bow number : A card displaying the lane number assigned to the boat for a race.
; Bow rigged: (UK) The person stroking the boat has their oar on the bowside (starboard or right) rather than the usual strokeside of the boat.
; Bowside : (UK) The [starboard] or right side of a boat. Derives from the tradition of having the bow rower's oar be on the starboard or right side of the boat.
; Bucket rigged: a way of rigging a boat so that a pair of rowers both row on the same side of the boat, contrary to rigging on alternate sides. In eights, double and triple buckets are possible (variants also known as German rigged, Italian rigged or tandem-rigged).
; Cleaver blade : Modern oar blades that have a more rectangular hatchet-shape. (also hatchet blade)
; Collar / Button : A wide plastic ring placed around the sleeve of an oar. The button stops the oar from slipping through the oarlock.
; Cox box: Portable voice amplifier; may also optionally incorporate digital readouts displaying stroke rate, boat speed and times.
; Coxmate: A portable amplification device, similar to a coxbox, incorporating a digital readout. Higher-end models may also have a built in radio and speed sensor.
; Empacher slot : A UK term for the clip at the on the top of the bow for holding racing number plates.
; Ergometer (also ergo or erg) : An indoor rowing machine.
; Foot stretcher : An adjustable footplate, to which a pair of shoes is typically attached, which allows the rower to easily adjust their physical position relative to the slide and the oarlock. The footplate can be moved (or "stretched") either closer to or farther away from the slide frontstops. (also "Footplate", "Footchock", "Footstop", or "Stretcher")
thumb|Two sculling oars. The "blades" are at the top of the picture and the handles are at the bottom of the picture. These blades are "hatchet blades."
; Frontstop : The stop mechanism on the seat slides which prevents the rower's seat from falling off the sliding tracks at the front end (towards the boat's stern) of the slide tracks. Also, in the UK, the sliding seat position closest to the boat's stern. As a command, it instructs the crew to adopt this position. (The US calls this seat position the "front end")
; Gate : (UK) Bar across the top of rowlock, secured with a nut, which prevents the oar from coming out of the rowlock. Also historically used to refer to the oarlock or rowlock. Swivel (US)
; Gunwales : (pronounced: gunnels) The top rail of the shell (also called Saxboard)
; Handle : The part of the oar that the rowers hold and pull with during the stroke.
; Hatchet blade : Modern oar blades that have a more rectangular hatchet-shape and which are not symmetrical. (also cleaver blade)
; Hull : The actual body of the shell.
; Inboard : The length of the oar shaft measured from the button (or from the pin) to the handle.
; Keelson : A structure timber resembling the keel, but on the inside of the shell.
; Launch: A motorboat used by rowing instructors, coaches or umpires. Referred to as a "coach boat" in Canada.
; Leather/sleeve : A thick piece of leather (plastic on modern oars) around the oar to keep the oar lock from wearing out the shaft of the oar (typically wood or carbon fiber).
; Lines : The ropes held by the coxswain to control the rudder.
; Loom : The part of the oar between the blade and the handle.
; Macon blade : Traditional U-shaped oar blade. (also spoon blade and tulip)
; Oar : A slender pole which is attached to a boat at the Oarlock. One end of the pole, called the "handle," is gripped by the rower, the other end has a "blade," which is placed in the water during the propulsive phase of the stroke.
; Oarlock : The rectangular lock at the end of the rigger which physically attaches the oar to the boat. The oarlock also allows the rower to rotate the oar blade between the "square" and "feather" positions. Also historically called 'Rowing Gate' by some manufacturers.
; Outboard : The length of the oar shaft measured from the button to the tip of the blade.
; Outrigger : (See Rigger)
; Pin : The vertical metal rod on which the rowlock rotates.
; Pogies/poagies :A type of glove covering only the hand leaving the fingers exposed. These allow the rower to grip the oar while also warming the hands, used frequently by rowers in colder climates.
; Port or portside: (US) The left side of the boat when facing toward the bow (strokeside in UK).
thumb|An oarlock attached to a rigger
; Ribs : The name given to the curved parts of the boat to which the skin of the hull is attached. They are typically made of wood, aluminum or composite materials and provide structural integrity. (see also shoulder).
; Rigger : Rowing slang name for an outrigger. It is a projection from the side (gunwale) of a racing shell.outrigger The oarlock is attached to the far end of the rigger away from the boat. The rigger allows the racing shell to be narrow thereby decreasing drag, while at the same time placing the oarlock at a point that optimizes leverage of the oar. There are several styles of riggers, typically attached either to the side of the hull or to the top of the gunwales. The most common is the triangle frame or Euro rigger (USA), with two points attached to the boat (and almost always with a backstay in addition), and the third point being where the oarlock (gate) is placed. Rigging refers to whether a boat is stroked by a port or starboard (i.e. port-rigged, starboard-rigged). With sweep rowing, riggers typically alternate sides, though it is not uncommon to see two adjacent seats rigged on the same side of the boat. (see bucket rigged)
; Rollers : The wheels upon which the seat travels along its track.
; Rowlock : Often used in the UK to for an Oarlock (see above). Also historically called 'Rowing Gate' by some manufacturers.
; Rudder : Adjacent to the skeg and used by the coxswain (or in some coxless boats, by a rower using a "toe" or foot steering mechanism) to steer the boat via attached cables. Extra-large rudders are used on narrower and/or bendier rivers.
; Saxboard : The sides and top edge of a boat, to which the riggers attach – see also Gunwales
; Scull : (a) An oar made to be used in a sculling boat where each rower has two oars, one per hand (b) A boat (shell) that is propelled using sculling oars, e.g., a "single scull," is a one-person boat where the rower has two oars.
; Seat : Molded seat mounted on wheels, single action or double action. Single action is fixed bearing wheel, double action is wheel on axle that rolls on track and rolls on horns of seat. A secondary meaning of location in the shell, the bow seat is one, and is numbered upward to the stroke seat (8, in an 8-man shell). Thirdly can mean a competitive advantage in a race, to lead a competitor by a seat is to be in front of them by the length of a single rower's section of a shell.
; Seating : Seating positions in a racing shell are generally numbered from the bow to the stern in English-speaking countries, unlike many non-English-speaking countries which count from the Stroke forward. Generally the forwardmost rower is called the "Bow" and the aftmost rower the "Stroke", regardless of the number of rowers in the boat, with all other seats simply being numbered. So for instance the crew of an eight (with coxswain) would number off from the bow: "Bow", "Two", "Three", "Four", "Five", "Six", "Seven", "Stroke", whereas a four (with or without coxswain) or a quad would number off: "Bow", "Two", "Three", "Stroke".
; Shell : The boat used for rowing.
; Shoulder : Load bearing supports that mount rigger and attach to keel of boat. (also knee)
; Skeg (or fin) : Thin piece of flat metal or plastic that helps stabilize the shell in the water, and is often positioned so that it protects the rudder. Some crews use wooden breakaway skegs to protect the hull in case of impact with debris.
; Slides (or tracks) : Hollow rails upon which a rower or sculler's sliding seat will roll. Older shells had double wheels rolling on convex rails.
; Slings : Folding, portable temporary boat holders. Two are required to hold a boat.
; Smoothie :A blade design developed by Concept2 in which the face of the oar blade is smooth, without the traditional central spine. Later designs called Smoothie Vortex, Fat Smoothie.
; Speed coach :A device mounted on the keel that determines the boat's speed based on the speed of a small propeller and transmits this information to the coxbox.
Commands
; "Let it/her fly" or "Let it run": Command when everyone in the shell lifts their oar out of the water and balance the shell to make the shell glide on the water.
;"(#) At the catch" : Command to tell the rowers to put their oars in water in preparation to start rowing.
; "(#) Fall in/out" : These commands tell the rower(s) either to stop rowing or to start rowing with everyone else. (#) indicates the number of rower(s) who should start or stop – e.g. “Bow pair fall-out, stern pair fall-in in two..”
; "Ahead" or "Look Ahead" : Command shouted by a crew about to be overtaken by another crew, telling the overtaking crew of their presence.
; "(#) hit it" or "(#) row on" : Tells the rowers to row until told to stop –e.g. “Two, hit it...”
; "Back it down" : To have the rowers place their blades at the release position, squared, and push the oar handle towards the stern of the boat. This motion causes the shell to move backwards.
; "Blades Down" or "Drop" : Used to tell the rowers to place their blades back on the water after performing an easy-all.
; "Blades in (side)" : Tell the rowers on one side to pull their blades in, in order to prevent hitting an object or another boat in the water, or to let another crew pass on a narrow river.: "Blades Down" or "Drop": Used to tell the rowers to place their blades back on the water after performing an easy-all.
; "Bow ball!": A coxswain may yell this during a race to signal to the rowers that they have passed through a competing crew's boat and their stern deck is in line with or past the other crew's bow ball.
; "Cant it upriver/downriver" : While carrying the shell, the athletes are commanded to hold the shell in a diagonal position, the high side as stated.
; "Check it/her down" : Square the oars in the water to stop the boat.
; "Count Down" (or "number off") : Tells the crew to call out their seat number, starting at the bow, when ready to row.
; "Down on port/starboard" : Means that the boat is leaning to one side or the other. Rowers on the side that is down must raise their hands, and the other side must lower their hands.
; "Easy" (or "ease up") : (USA) To stop rowing hard.
; "Easy oars" (or "Easy There") (or "Easy-all") : (UK) To stop rowing or paddling.
; "Even it out" (or "even pressure") : This command tells the rowers to pull with even pressure on both sides. This is the complement to ease-up.
; "Firm up" : Tells the rowers to apply more pressure as needed.
; "push for 10" (or "power ten") : Commands the crew to row 10 strokes of special effort. It is frequently given when a crew is attempting to pass another boat.
; "Gunnel!" : A command by the coxswain, where the rowers all hit the gunwales (sides) of the boat with their oar handles. Used in set exercises occasionally.
; "Hands in" : Tells the rowers to grab the ribs on the inside of the boat so that the boat can be rolled from heads. The coach or cox uses this command when the crew is putting the shell in the water.
; "Hands on" : Tells the rowers to grab the boat next to (or opposite) their seats, so that the boat can be carried or moved.
; "Hands out" (or "sit ready to shove") : Tells the rowers to grab the dock in preparation for shoving off.
; "Hard on port/starboard" (or "port/starboard pressure") : The rowers on that side of the boat must row harder (and the opposite side must row slightly easier) in order to facilitate a sharper turn.
; "Heads" or "Heads Up" : Off the water, a shout to alert others to watch out for a boat being carried.
; "to Heads, ready, up" : Tells the rowers to press the boat above their heads.
; "Hold it/her up" : (UK) Stop the boat.
; "Hold it/her hard" : (UK) Emergency stop.
; "Hold Water" : (USA) Emergency stop, also used after the command way enough. It instructs the rowers to square their blades in the water to stop the boat.
; "Icepicks...": A way coxswains may describe making a catch. It is an analogy to how ice climbers hook their icepicks into the ice and pull themselves up or forward; rowers are meant to hook their blades into the water and send the boat forward.
; "In 2...": Most water commands are appended prior to the command to take place after two strokes. For example, "In 2, Power 10" or "In 2, Way-enough."
; “Inside Grip”: A command used when lifting the boat. Grab the boat so that you can lift it over your head. Grab only the gunwale or hull structure – do not lift by the footstop assembly.
; "Lay Hold" (or "hands on") : Command given telling the athletes to go to their stations and grab a hold of the boat.
; "Let it/her run" : To stop rowing after a given piece of on the water rowing length, but to put the handles of the oars either to the gunwales or out in front of the rower, in such a manner that the oar paddles are parallel to the water yet not touching it. This allows the boat to glide for a distance leaving no paddle wake in the water. Similar, but not exactly the same is the command "Gunnel", where rowers push the oars until the handle touches the boat's gunwale.
; "One foot up & out": The command for exiting a team boat.
; "On the square / Square blades rowing": To row without feathering the blades on the recovery.
; "Open water": A coxswain may mention this during a race to signal to the rowers that their boat has pulled out in front of a competitor so much so that there the boats are no longer side-by-side at all, and instead there is a length of water between the two crews.
; "Paddle" : Tells a crew to row with just enough pressure to move the boat. The paddle command is also used to bring a crew down from full pressure at the end of a workout piece or race. Also, "paddle firm", "paddle light".
; “Pick it / Picking” : A rapid stroke where rowers use only their arms and use minimal pressure. An effective and impressive way to turn a boat when done right.
; "Power 10" (or "10 firm" ): The command to take 10 strokes at the maximum amount of pressure possible. Used for passing and gaining speed in a race. (sometimes "Power 5", "Power 20", or "Power 30")
; "Ready all, Row" (or "Ready all, Paddle"): Begin rowing or paddling.
; "Roll it" : Tells the crew to flip the boat over, in unison, from above their heads.
; "Set it up" : Reminds the rowers to keep the boat on keel.
; "Settle" : A command and a part of the race. This tells the rowers that the crew is going to bring the stroke rate down for the body of the race, but still maintain the pressure. This usually occurs in the middle of the race.
; "Ship Oars" : Act of removing the oars from the oar locks and allowing them to float alongside the boat.
; "Shoulders, ready, up" : Tells the crew to lift the boat from any position below their shoulders, up to shoulder height. Can be reversed to lower the boat from heads to shoulders, i.e., “Shoulders, ready, down!” This is the best position for carrying a shell.
; "Sit in" : Tells the crew to get into the boat.
; "Sit ready" : Commands the crew to move to the catch blades buried, and be ready to start the race.
; "Scull" : A command used if the stern is held by a stake boat. "Port scull" usually means Two seat takes Bow's oar in front of them and rows lightly with it. Likewise, "Starboard scull" means Three seat takes Two seat's oar and does the same. This is easier than having one seat take a stroke since it can move the boat in a more parallel direction.
; "Swing it" : A command used when carrying a boat to start turning either bow or stern.
; "Take the run off" : To stop rowing and hold the blades at a 45 degree angle in the water to slow the boat down.
; "Throw the boat, ready, up - and down" : lift the boat above heads, and bring it down with the rowers all on one side to place it in the water; or the inverse operation.
; “Touch it / Tap it” : A stroke where rowers use only their arms and back. Used mostly for warm-up or to turn a boat.
; "Waist, ready, up" : Tells the crew to lift the shell to their waist.
; "Watch your blades (side)" : Tells one side to look out at their blades, and take action to prevent them possibly hitting something.
; "Run your blades" : (USA) Tells rowers to fully extend their blades away from the boat or pull their oars towards the boat, depending on context. Typically used on docks.
; "Way enough" : The command to stop rowing or, in some cases, whatever the rower is doing, whether it be walking with the boat overhead or rowing. ("Way" is a nautical term for the movement of a boat through water (as in headway and right-of-way). So the command "way enough", literally means enough moving the boat). Often pronounced way-nuf, wane-up or wane-off in the United States.
Stroke
; Air/Ghost stroke:To take a stroke without the blade having been placed in the water, resulting in a complete lack of power. The term can refer to either the practice or the shirt itself; some crews have shirts made specifically for betting so as to keep their racing jerseys should they lose a race.
; Egg beater:A race where the crews are drawn randomly from a hat, so that boats are made up of members from different teams and often the lineups include coxswains as rowers and vice versa. Also known as scratch race.
; Scratch crew:A crew which has not rowed with each other before.
; Open water race: Competition on unsheltered water exposed to current, tide, wind and requiring navigation skills as well as strength, endurance, and technique. Generally uses a mass start and includes a mix of human-powered boats. Typical race distances are 6 to 26 miles.
; Pot :A tankard awarded as a prize to each member of a winning crew.
; Rowing Suit: A sleeveless, short-legged garment (Also known as a "zoot suit", "zootie" [Australia and New Zealand], "all-in-one" or "AIO" [UK], "trou" [US], "unisuit" or "uni") usually made from lycra, commonly worn by rowers to allow a full range of movement and to reduce the risk of loose clothes catching or being caught in moving parts. Often clubs, schools, and teams will have custom rowing suits adorned with a crest or in their team's colours. Rowing suits largely replace two-piece uniforms that consisted of a tight shirt and shorts.
; Seat race : A method to compare two rowers in fours or eights. Two boats race against each other once. One rower from each boat switch positions, and the two boats race again. Relative performance in the two races is used to compare the abilities of the two rowers.
thumb|41 foot aluminium trailer with various types of rowing boats
; Trailer: A specially made trailer designed to transport boats for the sport of rowing. The trailers are typically made of steel or aluminium and come in a variety of sizes and configurations.