What must a BMX racer wear?
Officials' detail · Conduct, results and kit · 3 of 3A full-face helmet with a visor at least 10 centimetres long, a long-sleeved jersey, long protective pants or shorts with full knee and shin guards, and gloves that cover the fingertips. A rider whose helmet comes off during a heat is scored as did not finish.
How it works
- Helmet: "of full face construction", with a visor of at least 10 centimetres. Open-face helmets are not allowed.
- When: strapped on whenever the rider is practising, racing or inside the track boundaries.
- If it comes off: from the start to the finish line, a rider whose helmet is removed "for any reason" is treated as having abandoned and is scored DNF.
- Jersey: long sleeves down to the wrists, of a BMX, motocross or downhill type. Road jerseys, skinsuits and one-piece suits are not permitted.
- Pants: long, one-piece and tear-resistant, reaching the top of the shoe. Or shorts of the same kind with guards covering the whole knee and shin.
- Not accepted: tight stretch material by itself, because it is not counted as tear-resistant.
- Gloves: "whose fingers completely cover the rider's finger tips".
- Recommended: back, elbow, knee and shoulder protectors and neck protection.
- Not permitted: added aerodynamic accessories, radios and, unless the UCI allows one for television, cameras.
- Not complying: the rider is kept off the track until it is put right.
The glossary has BMX racing and the invalid result marks entry.
Tricky cases
Can a rider wear an ordinary cycling helmet?
No. The helmet must be full face. Open-face helmets are not allowed.
A rider's helmet strap breaks and the helmet falls off in a jump. They finish third. What is the result?
Did not finish. Losing the helmet for any reason during the heat counts as abandoning it.
Are shorts allowed?
Yes, if they are protective shorts worn with guards that cover the entire knee and shin. Knee-only guards are not accepted.
Can a rider mount a camera on the helmet for their own video?
No. Cameras are not permitted in practice or competition, except where the UCI allows one for the television production.
Why the rule exists
Riders fall on hard-packed dirt and asphalt at speed, face first as often as not. The kit list covers the parts that hit the ground: face, hands, arms and legs. Banning skinsuits keeps protective clothing from being traded for a few hundredths of a second.
Where it differs
| Where | What changes | Source |
|---|---|---|
| UCI regulations | As above | UCI 6.1.081 to 6.1.089 |
| World and continental championships | A national team jersey must be worn | UCI 6.1.083 |
| Kit found wrong after a heat | The rider may be scored DNF for that heat | UCI 6.1.072 |
From the rule book
Union Cycliste Internationale, Cycling Regulations, Part 6: BMX Racing (version of 1 January 2026), articles 6.1.072 and 6.1.081 to 6.1.089. Checked 14 October 2026. Official document: UCI Cycling Regulations, Part 6 (PDF).