What happens when two athletes cannot be separated?
I · Intermediate · Running and finishing · 5 of 7If the judges or the photo finish judge cannot separate two athletes at the finish, it is a tie and it stays a tie. When a tie matters for getting into the next round, the tied athletes both go through if there is room. If there is not, times are compared to a thousandth of a second and then lots are drawn.
How it works
- A tie in a final: "it shall be determined to be a tie and the tie shall remain". The athletes share the place.
- A tie for the last place that qualifies by position: if lanes or positions are available, the tied athletes are all placed in the next round. If that is not practicable, lots are drawn.
- A tie for the last place that qualifies by time: the photo finish judge looks at the actual times to 0.001 second. If they are still equal it is a tie, and the athletes go through if there is room. If not, lots are drawn.
- Place and time together: when a tie for a qualifying position puts an extra athlete through, one fewer qualifies on time.
- A tie that affects seeding: for ranking athletes into the next round, times to 0.001 second are compared and, if they are equal, lots are drawn.
Tricky cases
Two athletes cannot be separated for first place in a final. Is there a run-off?
No. The tie remains and they share the place.
Two athletes tie for the last qualifying place and there is a spare lane. What happens?
Both go into the next round.
Are thousandths of a second used to decide every close finish?
No. The image is read to decide the order. Times to a thousandth are named in the rule only for ties that affect who goes through or how they are ranked for the next round.
Two athletes tie on time for the last place and there is no spare lane. How is it settled?
By comparing their times to 0.001 second. If those are equal too, lots are drawn.
Why the rule exists
A photo finish can split athletes more finely than the recorded hundredths, and the rules use that only where a decision is forced: one lane left for the next round. Where nothing forces a decision, a tie is accepted as the true result.
Where it differs
| Where | What changes | Source |
|---|---|---|
| World Athletics rules | As above | TR 21 |
| Field events | Ties are broken by different rules based on earlier trials | TR 25.22 |
| Combined events | Ties on points have their own rule | TR 39 |
From the rule book
World Athletics, Competition and Technical Rules, 2026 Edition, Technical Rules 18.2, 20.3.2 and 21. Checked 14 October 2026. Official document: World Athletics Competition and Technical Rules 2026 (PDF).