What happens when a skater falls, or when time runs out mid-trick?
I · Intermediate · The formats · 3 of 3A trick that is not landed is a bail and earns nothing. In a run a fall also counts against consistency, and in some formats it ends the run. At the end of the time, a trick that had plainly begun before the horn is still judged, whether or not it is landed.
How it works
- Make or bail: "The HJ is the final decision maker (authority) in identifying made tricks versus bailed tricks." HJ is the head judge.
- A bailed single trick: scores zero.
- A fall in a run: counts as a lack of consistency, and where the format is time-until-the-fall the run ends.
- Street runs: the timekeeper does not stop the clock unless the athlete stops the performance.
- The start: athletes begin only after the course manager's signal, and have "a 5-second limit to begin".
- Too slow: an athlete who intentionally fails to start in time may lose the chance to be scored.
- The clock starts: "when the athlete places both feet on the board".
- The horn: a trick is within time only if it has begun, beyond doubt, before the signal horn.
- On flat ground: the athlete must have popped the tail or nose of the board before the horn.
- On a slope or transition: all four wheels must be on the sloped surface before the horn.
- Then it counts: a trick within time is scored "regardless of whether the trick is successfully landed (make) or not (bail)".
The glossary has the bail, the stuck entry, the trick within time entry, the start limit, the consistency entry and the head judge.
Tricky cases
The horn sounds while the skater is rolling towards the rail but before they have popped. Does the trick count?
No. On flat ground the trick must be initiated by the pop before the horn.
The skater pops a moment before the horn and lands after it. Is the trick scored?
Yes. It was in progress before the horn, so it is counted as part of the run.
A skater lands a trick but puts a hand down. Is that a make?
The rules do not define it. The head judge is the final authority on makes and bails, and the quality of the landing is judged under execution.
A skater waits for the crowd to settle and takes eight seconds to start. What can happen?
If the delay is judged intentional, the head judge may mark the performance as not started and move on.
Why the rule exists
A skater near the end of a run is usually setting up their biggest trick, so the horn needs a clear test. Using the pop, or the wheels reaching the slope, gives the head judge something visible to go by. Judging the trick even if it is bailed keeps the rule the same for everyone.
Where it differs
| Where | What changes | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Park, time-until-the-fall | The clock stops and the run ends at a fall | WSK Rules, Timekeeping |
| Street | The clock runs on unless the athlete stops | WSK Rules, Timekeeping |
| Flat ground | The pop must come before the horn | WSK Rules, Timekeeping |
| Transition | Four wheels on the slope before the horn | WSK Rules, Timekeeping |
From the rule book
World Skate, Street & Park Competition Rules (April 2025), Timekeeping, Scoring Process Regulations and Competition Related Situations. Checked 14 October 2026. Official documents: Skateboarding Street & Park Competition Rules and Skateboarding Judging Criteria (PDF).