What changes the result
The rules behind the moments commentators get excited about. They build on the beginner rules.
I · Intermediate · 9 rules · Step 2 of 4The event and the start
- What counts as a false start, and what is the penalty?An athlete who begins their start before the gun has made a false start and is disqualified by the starter.
- Who counts the laps, and may a runner be paced or handed a drink?Officials count the laps and show the number remaining at the finish line, and a bell marks each runner's last lap.
Running and finishing
- What happens if a runner steps on or inside the kerb?On a bend, a runner may not step on or inside the kerb or line marking the inside of the track.
- What happens when one athlete impedes another?An athlete who jostles or obstructs another so as to impede their progress is liable to disqualification.
- Can an athlete step off the track and carry on?An athlete who leaves the track voluntarily may not continue and is recorded as not finishing.
- How are races timed, and how exact are the times?Times are official when taken by a fully automatic system started by the gun and read from the photo finish image.
- What happens when two athletes cannot be separated?If the judges or the photo finish judge cannot separate two athletes at the finish, it is a tie and it stays a tie.