What happens to a decathlete who is disqualified in one event?
I · Intermediate · How the events differ · 7 of 7It depends on why. An athlete disqualified for breaking a technical rule in one event, such as running out of lane, loses that performance and scores nothing for the event, but carries on. An athlete excluded for conduct is out of the whole competition. In both cases the marks from earlier events stay valid.
How it works
- A technical breach: an athlete disqualified for breaking a technical rule loses the performance in that round of that event. They may still take part in further events.
- In a combined event: that means no time, height or distance to score for the one event. The athlete went to the start, so they have not abandoned the competition.
- Conduct: an athlete who is shown a red card for unsporting or improper conduct is disqualified from that event and from all further events in the competition.
- Earlier events: performances in the individual events already completed remain valid.
- Yellow cards: a second yellow card in the same competition means a red, and a combined event is one competition.
- The lane-line allowance: the rule that lets an athlete touch the inside line once without penalty is counted race by race. The commentary says it does not carry forward between the races of a combined event.
- Protests: made in the usual way and within the usual 30 minutes of the result of the event concerned.
- In the results: DQ with the number of the rule.
Disqualification from one event is the usual meaning of the word in a combined event result.
Tricky cases
A decathlete knocks a hurdle over with their hand and is disqualified from the 110 m hurdles. Can they throw the discus?
Yes. They score nothing for the hurdles and continue.
A heptathlete is excluded for misconduct during the javelin. Does she keep her total from the first five events?
No. She is out of the competition and is not placed. Her marks in those five individual events remain valid as performances.
A decathlete stepped on the inside line once in the 400 m. Does that count against them in the 1500 m the next day?
No. The allowance is not carried forward between the races of a combined event.
Why the rule exists
The same split is used across athletics. A technical breach spoils one performance, and the penalty is to lose it. Misconduct concerns the athlete, so the penalty follows the athlete. In a combined event the first kind costs a column of points and the second ends the two days.
Where it differs
| Where | What changes | Source |
|---|---|---|
| World Athletics rules | As above | TR 7.2; TR 7.3; TR 39.10 |
| Individual events with rounds | A lane-line touch is carried forward to later rounds of the same event | TR 17.3 and commentary |
| False starts | One warning for the race before anyone is disqualified | TR 39.8.3 |
From the rule book
World Athletics, Competition and Technical Rules, 2026 Edition, Technical Rules 7, 8.2, 17.3 and 39.10 with the commentary printed under them, and Competition Rule 25.5. Checked 14 October 2026. Official document: World Athletics Competition and Technical Rules 2026 (PDF).