What decides a close finish in BMX racing?
B · Beginner · The race · 3 of 3The front tyre. A rider has finished when the tyre of the leading wheel reaches the finish line, and the rider and the bike must cross together.
How it works
- The moment: "when the tire of the leading wheel touches the vertical plane rising from the starting edge of the finish line".
- Together: the bike and the rider have to cross the finish line together.
- Photo finish: equipment that takes at least 1000 frames a second.
- Transponders: used only together with a photo finish. A rider who starts without one, where they are in use, is scored as did not finish.
- Close calls: if two transponder results are within 0.01 of a second, or the system's error range, the timing operator checks the photo.
- Video: a camera in line with the finish and another facing the riders to read their numbers.
- Commissaires: at least five at the line, deciding by simple majority.
- The order of priority: photo finish, transponders with photo finish, video camera, finish-line commissaires.
- Results: posted within ten minutes of the end of a category's heats in a round.
- A final nobody finishes: at least two riders must cross the line. If not, the final is not valid and is restarted with at least three riders within 15 minutes.
The glossary has BMX racing and the invalid result marks entry.
Tricky cases
A rider is thrown over the bars and slides over the line ahead of the bike. Have they finished?
No. The bike and the rider have to cross together, and the finish is taken on the front tyre.
The transponder says rider A, the photo says rider B. Who is ahead?
Rider B. The photo finish has priority over transponder results.
Can a rider carry or push the bike over the line after a crash?
It depends on the commissaires. The rule requires the full distance to be completed without assistance and the rider and bike to cross together. It does not say the rider must be pedalling.
Only one rider stays upright in the final. Is that rider the winner?
No, not yet. With fewer than two finishers the final is not valid and must be restarted.
Why the rule exists
Riders reach the line together and often in the air or sideways. Naming one point on the bike gives the camera something to measure. Ranking the systems in advance settles which one wins when the transponder and the picture disagree.
Where it differs
| Where | What changes | Source |
|---|---|---|
| BMX racing, all phases | Photo, transponders with photo, video, commissaires | UCI 6.1.039bis |
| Time trial | Photo finish or light beams first | UCI 6.1.039bis |
| Gate selection | Transponders with photo finish first | UCI 6.1.039bis |
From the rule book
Union Cycliste Internationale, Cycling Regulations, Part 6: BMX Racing (version of 1 January 2026), articles 6.1.037 to 6.1.040 and 6.1.049. Checked 14 October 2026. Official document: UCI Cycling Regulations, Part 6 (PDF).