Canoe slalom rules rules, for watching
Start with the rules you see all the time, then the ones that change results.
Settling an argument? Search all 15 rules
- What is canoe slalom, and what is the difference between a kayak and a canoe?
- What do the green and red poles mean in canoe slalom?
- What counts as going through a gate correctly?
- What happens if a paddler touches a pole?
- What gets a paddler fifty seconds in canoe slalom?
- What happens if a paddler turns over during a run?
- How is a canoe slalom run timed, and how is the result worked out?
- What equipment does canoe slalom require?
- How does a canoe slalom competition narrow the field to a winner?
- How does a team race work in canoe slalom?
- What do DNS, DNF, DSQ and DQB mean? What happens in a tie?
- What gets a paddler disqualified from a run?
- Can a team question a penalty in canoe slalom?
- What is kayak cross, and is contact allowed?
- What are the penalties in kayak cross?
Where these rules come from
| Tag | Document |
|---|---|
| SL plus article number | International Canoe Federation (ICF), Canoe Slalom Competition Rules 2025, in force from 1 January 2025. Read for this set: chapters 2 to 5, 8, 9 (start order and course design), 10, 11, 12 (programme and formats), 16 (kayak cross) and 17 (kayak cross individual) |
| SLA plus appendix number | ICF, 2026 Canoe Slalom Rules Appendices, version 1, January 2026: Appendix 1 (progression) and the opening of Appendix 6 (kayak cross qualification) |
| Kayak Cross Rules Interpretation 2024 | ICF note of 14 May 2024, written for the 2023 to 2024 rules |
| R | "Why the rule exists", or a point reasoned from the rule, not stated in it |
| C | Common usage or general knowledge, not a rule |
All checked on 14 October 2026.
Editions. The rule book is the 2025 edition and the appendices are for 2026. No 2026 edition of the rule book itself is saved. The progression numbers on the format page are the 2026 ones and will change by season.
Not covered: chapter 1 (governance; article 1.12 on serious unsportsmanlike behaviour is cited by its heading only), chapter 6 (entries), chapter 7 (the duties of each official), course design process and training (9.5 to 9.7), chapters 13 to 15 beyond what the format page uses, chapters 18 to 21; the kayak cross qualification tables and brackets in Appendices 6 to 8; wildwater, freestyle and other paddling disciplines.
Not covered: chapter 1 (governance; article 1.12 on serious unsportsmanlike behaviour is cited by its heading only), chapter 6 (entries), chapter 7 (the duties of each official), course design process and training (9.5 to 9.7), chapters 13 to 15 beyond what the format page uses, chapters 18 to 21; the kayak cross qualification tables and brackets in Appendices 6 to 8; wildwater, freestyle and other paddling disciplines.