What happens to the score if a BMX freestyle rider falls or puts a foot down?
B · Beginner · The run · 4 of 4The judges take points off, by how serious the error is and how much it hurt the run. The regulations sort errors into three sizes. A light touch of the foot or a flat landing is minor, a full stop or a heavy foot touch is medium and a crash or throwing the bike away is major.
How it works
- What an error is: "interruptions in a run or losses of control".
- The deduction: each judge "may deduct a number of points". How many "depends on the quantity and severity of the errors, and their overall impact on the rider's performance".
- Park, minor: flat landings, deck landings, sliding, light foot touches and other instabilities.
- Park, medium: stopping in full, or heavy foot touches.
- Park, major: throwing away the bike, or crashing.
- Flatland, minor: a tyre or the handlebar touching the floor during a trick, or a light foot touch.
- Flatland, medium: landing the bike sideways, or heavy foot touches.
- Flatland, major: throwing away the bike, crashing or touching the floor with both feet.
- No fixed tariff: the rules give no number of points for each size of error.
- After a fall: the clock keeps running. The rider may get up and carry on in the time left.
The glossary has the errors and deductions entry and the run.
Tricky cases
Does a crash mean a score of zero?
No. A crash is a major error and costs points. The rest of the run is still scored.
A rider touches a toe down on a landing and rides on. Is that an error?
Yes, a minor one. A light foot touch is on the list.
Does the run stop when a rider falls?
No. The time keeps running, and the rider may continue until it ends.
In flatland, is putting both feet down worse than one?
Yes. Touching the riding surface with both feet is listed as a major error. A foot touch is minor or medium.
Why the rule exists
A trick is only worth what it looks like when it lands. Grading mistakes lets the judges separate a rider who wobbled from one who hit the floor, and leaving the size of the deduction to them fits a score that is already an overall impression.
Where it differs
| Where | What changes | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Park | Landings and stops define the errors | UCI 6bis.6.028 |
| Flatland | Touches of tyre, bar or feet define the errors | UCI 6bis.6.028 |
| Final phases | A bad run can be dropped, since the better run counts | UCI 6bis.6.011 |
From the rule book
Union Cycliste Internationale, Cycling Regulations, Part 6bis: BMX Freestyle Competitions (JCF edition 2025, amendments to 1 January 2026), articles 6bis.6.011, 6bis.6.027, 6bis.6.028 and 6bis.6.032. Checked 14 October 2026. Official document: UCI Cycling Regulations, Part 6bis (PDF).