What happens if a breaker is injured, late or cannot finish a battle?
A · Advanced · Judging and penalties · 3 of 4A breaker who cannot finish a battle loses it. In the round robin the opponent is given the round with all its votes. In the knock-out the opponent advances. A breaker who is late or absent may be disqualified by the Chair after a grace period of one minute.
How it works
- Late or absent: "After a grace period of 1 minute, the athlete or crew may be disqualified by the Chair."
- Cannot finish a round in the round robin: the opponent "automatically wins the respective Round with all the related votes".
- No opponent in the round robin: the breaker present wins one round with all its votes, and the battle ends after that round.
- Cannot finish in the knock-out: "The opponent automatically advances. Missing Rounds and votes are ignored."
- Withdrawal before the top 8 starts: the place may go to the next breaker from the same round robin group.
- Once the knock-out has begun: no replacements. The breaker present wins the battle with one round and all votes.
- A short group: groups of three dance three-round battles, and groups of two dance four rounds.
- A long interruption: if it lasts more than 24 hours, the competition starts again from the beginning unless the Chair decides to resume it.
- A stoppage mid-round: the whole battle is started again.
The glossary has the late arrival entry, the Chair and the round robin.
Tricky cases
A breaker is hurt in the first round of a group battle. Does the opponent get both rounds?
No. The opponent wins that round with all its votes, and the battle is finished after one round.
Can an injured semi-finalist be replaced?
No. Once the knock-out phase has begun, there are no replacements.
Is there a medical time-out?
It depends on a part of the manual that was not read. The glossary lists "MTO" as medical time out. The procedure was not found in the sections read for this page.
The power fails during a battle and comes back after ten minutes. What is replayed?
The entire battle that was interrupted, not only the round.
Why the rule exists
Results in the groups are built from rounds and votes, so a battle that is not finished still has to produce numbers for the table. The contingency plan gives them to the breaker who was ready to dance, and it gives the Chair the judgement calls.
Where it differs
| Where | What changes | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Round robin | Rounds and votes are awarded to the opponent | BRRM Appendix I |
| Knock-out | The opponent advances and missing rounds are ignored | BRRM Appendix I |
| Before the event | A breaker who does not travel may be replaced by the next eligible in the ranking | BRRM Appendix I |
From the rule book
World DanceSport Federation, Breaking Rules and Regulations Manual, version 4 (January 2023), section 5.1.4, the glossary in section 8 and Appendix I (contingency plan). Checked 14 October 2026. This version has been superseded; check the current manual. Official document: WDSF Breaking Rules and Regulations Manual (PDF).