Jostle rule

[Rick C]

Can someone explain rule "34.2. When the contact to the opponent’s kayak would be defined as a kayak-tackle."

Both a jostle and a kayak tackle are defined as "is a player manoeuvring their kayak against an opponent’s kayak"

This seems to me to make any jostle illegal.

Perhaps this is a misprint and the intention of the rule is to say "... defined as an ILLEGAL kayak tackle."

But perhaps I am reading this all wrong.

[Simon Reid]

You are right to be confused, the rules don't define a kayak tackle very well.

As I understand it, a kayak tackle is when a player tackles an an opponent who has possession with his(her) kayak. This can include striking the opponents kayak (within the rules, i.e. at an angle away from the cockpit area). The ultimate kayak tackle, quite difficult to achieve, is to push an opponent over with sustained force.

So, jostling occurs when neither player has possession, for example when a corner throw has been called. The gist of the rule is you can try and move yourself by pushing opponents but can't deliberately unsettle them.