How does skeleton work?
B · Beginner · The race · 1 of 4A skeleton athlete sprints pushing a small sled, dives onto it head first and lies on their stomach down an iced track. There are no handles and the athlete must not lose contact with the sled after the start. Times are taken to a hundredth of a second, and the lowest total over two or four heats wins.
How it works
- Position: head first, lying on the stomach.
- Propulsion: only the athlete's push at the start and gravity.
- No handles: the arms must stay outside the saddle.
- Contact: after the 50 m start timing, the athlete must not lose contact with the sled.
- Heats: four at the Olympics and World Championships; two at most other races.
- Result: the lowest total time.
- Ties: equal times to the hundredth share the rank.
- Same athlete, same sled: for all heats.
The glossary has the skeleton, the head-first position, the push start, the total time, the number of heats and the sled.
Tricky cases
What is the difference between skeleton and luge?
Skeleton athletes lie head first on their stomachs; luge athletes lie feet first on their backs.
Can a skeleton slider hold onto the sled?
They grip the sled, but the rules allow no handles of any kind, and the arms must be outside the saddle.
Can two athletes share a sled?
No. Each heat must be slid by the same athlete, and they keep the same sled unless it is damaged beyond repair.
Do men and women race together?
Only in the skeleton mixed team, where one of each forms a team.
Why the rule exists
Banning handles and requiring contact keep skeleton a contest of steering by body weight. Gravity alone after the push means the start and the line decide the race.
Where it differs
| Where | What changes | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Olympics, World Championships | Four heats | IBSF 10.6.1 |
| Other races | Two heats | IBSF 10.6.1 |
| Mixed team | One heat each, man and woman | IBSF 10.6.1 |
From the rule book
IBSF, International Rules Skeleton (September 2026), articles 2, 10.6.1, 10.6.5 and 12.1. Checked 14 October 2026. Official document: the IBSF International Rules, issued each season.