What do DNF, REL and DNS mean on a BMX result sheet?
I · Intermediate · Conduct, results and kit · 4 of 4DNF is did not finish, REL is relegated and DNS is did not start. In the motos each costs points: the number of starters for a DNF, and two more than that for a relegation or a DNS. A rider with any of them is placed behind every rider who finished cleanly, in the order DNF, REL, DNS.
How it works
- DNF: the rider started and did not complete the heat. The score is "equal to the number of riders who started the heat". The rider can still go through.
- REL: the rider was relegated by the commissaires' panel. The score is the number of starters plus 2. The rider can still go through.
- DNS: the rider failed to start, whatever the reason. The score is 2 more than the number of riders on the start list.
- Two DNS: a rider scored DNS twice or more in the motos cannot go on to the next phase.
- The order in a heat: clean finishers first, then DNF, then REL, then DNS.
- So the sheet can differ from the line: the manual's own example moves a relegated rider who crossed third to eighth.
- Final and binding: the president of the panel's decision on a mark "is final, and is not open to appeal".
- Other causes of a DNF: starting without a transponder where they are used, losing the helmet during a heat, and kit found not to comply after a heat.
The glossary has the invalid result marks entry, the moto and the commissaires panel.
Tricky cases
A rider crashes in the first moto and does not finish. Are they out?
No. They take the DNF score and race the other two motos. The total decides.
Eight riders start, one is relegated. How many points does that rider get?
Ten: the eight starters plus two.
A rider misses two motos through a mechanical problem. Can they qualify on the third?
No. Two or more DNS marks in the motos make a rider ineligible to transfer.
Is relegation the same as disqualification?
No. A relegated rider is placed behind the riders who finished and can still go through. A disqualified rider is out and is not ranked.
Why the rule exists
Moto results are added together, so every outcome needs a number. Making a relegation cost more than a crash, and as much as not turning up, tells riders that fouling is worse than falling. Letting a DNF or REL rider continue keeps one incident from ending a rider's day.
Where it differs
| Where | What changes | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Motos | The marks carry points | UCI 6.1.034 |
| Qualifiers and final | The marks set the finishing order in the heat | UCI 6.1.035 |
| Time trial | Failing to start is a disqualification | UCI 6.1.016 |
From the rule book
Union Cycliste Internationale, Cycling Regulations, Part 6: BMX Racing (version of 1 January 2026), articles 6.1.033 to 6.1.035, 6.1.039, 6.1.072 and 6.1.081. Checked 14 October 2026. Official document: UCI Cycling Regulations, Part 6 (PDF).