as the coxswain deems necessary. Piece A race simulation, whereby the rowers row a typical racing distance as fast as possible, the purpose is to train the rowers for endurance and anaerobic fitness and generally prepare them for the real race. Pieces are usually acknowledged by the coach: "We will do a piece." Repechage The “second chance” race given to those crews which fail to qualify for the finals from an opening heat. “Rep” qualifiers move onto semi-finals or finals depending on the number of entries. Used in international racing. Sprint The last 500 meters of most races are generally at a much higher rating than the rest of the race, as crews pull to exhaustion. Flutter/shunt In head-to-head races, the coxswain may decide to call a flutter, which is essentially the six-stroke start put into the race close to the end. The flutter may push one boat which is trailing another a few seats ahead, but is extremely demanding on a crew. In many cases, it is used as a desperation move when all other options have been exhausted. Head race A long race in which rowers race a twisting course of about 3 miles. A race for time. The start is staggered. Usually in the fall months. Miscellaneous Betting shirtsIn collegiate competition, crews sometimes "bet" their shirts on the race, and the loser must render a racing shirt with their logo on it to the winner. Traditionally, this was done as the boats were pulled together right after the race ended and shirts were exchanged, but it is now usually done off the water. While there has been questions in regards to the legality of this practice after women's collegiate crew joined the NCAA, the tradition of betting shirts is upheld by the NCAA Operating Bylaws, Section 10.3.1.1. 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 beaterA 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 crewA 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