What happens if two rowing crews finish level?
A · Advanced · Racing and winning · 1 of 12A dead heat is declared when the finish between crews is too close for any difference to be found. In a final the crews share the place and both get medals if it is a medal place. In an earlier round the tie is broken only if the crews cannot all go through.
How it works
What follows depends on the round.
- In a heat: if the tied crews cannot all go on to the same level of the next round, they race again in a re-row. If they all go through anyway there is no re-row, and a draw decides their positions for the next round.
- In a quarterfinal or semifinal: if the tied crews cannot all go through, the crew with the higher ranking in the round before goes through. If they were level there too, the round before that is used. If the results are still identical, the tied crews re-row.
- In a final: the crews get equal ranking and the next place or places are left empty. If the tie is for a medal place, the organisers provide extra medals.
- The re-row: a re-row after a dead heat is over the full course distance.
Tricky cases
Do tied crews always race again?
No. They re-row only when the tie decides who goes through, and in a quarterfinal or semifinal only after the earlier rounds have failed to separate them.
Two crews tie for second in a final. Who gets bronze?
Nobody. Both crews are ranked second and the next ranking is left vacant, so there is no third place.
Crews in different heats set the same time for a place that goes on time. Is that a dead heat?
Yes. Where progression is decided by comparing times across races in the same round, those crews are treated as being in one race, and identical times make a dead heat.
Why the rule exists
A tie in a final harms nobody, so both crews keep the place. A tie for the last place in the next round has to be broken, because the lanes are limited. The rules first look at what the crews have already done before asking tired rowers to race again.
Where it differs
| Where | What changes | Source |
|---|---|---|
| World Rowing rules | As above | RR 75 and bye-law |
| Ties on time across races | Treated as one race | RR 65 bye-law (1 e) |
From the rule book
World Rowing Rules of Racing and Related Bye-Laws (Overall and Classic Rowing), Rule 75 and its bye-laws and the bye-laws to Rule 65. Last updated 1 July 2025. Checked 14 October 2026. Official document: World Rowing Rules of Racing (PDF).