What are the clipping rules in lead climbing?
I · Intermediate · The route and the score · 1 of 2Quickdraws must be clipped in order, and a climber may unclip one only to fix a z-clip. Missing a clip does not end the attempt at once: scoring stops at the last hold from which the clip could be made. The attempt ends if the climber moves past a marked safety hold without clipping.
How it works
- In sequence: the attempt is unsuccessful if the climber "clips a quickdraw out of sequence".
- No unclipping: or "unclips any quickdraw other than to correct a z-clip".
- Last clipping position: the last hold from which the routesetter has ruled a quickdraw can be clipped, or a climber has shown it can.
- Past it unclipped: scoring stops, but the attempt goes on and the climber can still clip.
- Clipped late: scoring resumes from the hold that was the last clipping position.
- Safety hold: a hold marked with a blue cross, with a second cross by its quickdraw.
- Last safe position: having control of a safety hold whose quickdraw is unclipped, without yet moving past it.
- Past that: "any climbing movement past the Last Safe Position" ends the attempt.
- A z-clip: treated as unclipped until it is corrected, by unclipping and reclipping either quickdraw.
- A clip that comes undone: presumed not to have been clipped properly, unless there is compelling evidence otherwise.
- The judge's power: the Jury President or category judge may treat any hold as a last safe position where going on would be unsafe.
The glossary has the clipping rules, the safety hold and last safe position entry, the quickdraw, the lead result, the jury president and the fall.
Tricky cases
A climber climbs three holds past a quickdraw, then reaches down and clips it. What happens to those three holds?
They do not score. Scoring resumes from the last clipping position once the clip is made.
A climber reaches a hold with a blue cross, has not clipped its quickdraw and moves up. What is the result?
The attempt is ruled unsuccessful. No plus can be given.
A climber clips the rope into quickdraw six below quickdraw five's strand, making a z-clip. Is the attempt over?
No. It can be corrected by unclipping and reclipping one of the two. Until then the quickdraw is treated as unclipped.
The rope pops out of a quickdraw as the climber moves on. Whose fault is it taken to be?
The climber's, unless there is compelling evidence that it was properly clipped and came undone for reasons outside their control.
Why the rule exists
The rope protects a climber only as far as the last clip, so a skipped clip means a longer fall. At some points it means a dangerous one. The two-stage rule fits the risk: where the fall is only longer the climber loses scoring, and where it would be unsafe the attempt is stopped.
Where it differs
| Where | What changes | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Any quickdraw | Scoring stops past the last clipping position until it is clipped | WC Competition Rules note 19 |
| Safety hold | Attempt ends on any move past it unclipped | WC Competition Rules 8.2 (C) |
| Low on the route | The rope may be pre-clipped for everyone, or a spotter used | WC Event Regulations, Annex A 3.2 |
| Speed | An auto-belay from above; no clipping | WC Event Regulations, Annex B 1.2 |
From the rule book
World Climbing, Competition Rules (version 3, January 2026), Rules 1.13, 8.2 and 9.2, the glossary and notes 17 to 19; World Climbing, Event Regulations (version 3, January 2026), Annex A section 3. Checked 14 October 2026. Official documents: World Climbing Competition Rules, January 2026 (PDF) and World Climbing Event Regulations, January 2026 (PDF).