SportsMaze

What changes the result

The rules behind the moments commentators get excited about. They build on the beginner rules.

I · Intermediate · 8 rules · Step 2 of 4

The event and the start

  1. 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.

Running and finishing

  1. 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.
  2. What happens when one athlete impedes another?An athlete who jostles or obstructs another so as to impede their progress is liable to disqualification.
  3. 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.
  4. 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.
  5. 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.

Rounds, penalties and kit

  1. Who decides which heat and which start position an athlete gets?Athletes are ranked on recent performances and spread across the heats so that the best are kept apart.
  2. What do the yellow and red cards mean in athletics?There are two kinds of disqualification.
A · Advanced · 3 rulesNext: advanced rules