Can a wushu taolu athlete start their routine again?
A · Advanced · Results and disputes · 6 of 6Only when something outside the athlete's control interrupts the routine, such as a power cut or a fault in the scoring system. The athlete asks the head judge, and with the chief referee's approval performs again with no extra deduction. An athlete who forgets the routine cannot restart and loses 0.1 point.
How it works
- Restart: for "unforeseen circumstances", with the head judge's permission and the chief referee's approval.
- No penalty: a permitted restart carries no additional deduction.
- When: the athlete may be placed after the last competitor of the event.
- Forgetting: a lapse of memory with a pause or confused movements costs 0.1.
- Forfeit: an athlete who fails to attend a roll-call has forfeited.
- Salute: the palm-and-fist salute to the head judge on being called, on finishing and when the final score is shown.
- How to salute: standing upright, the left palm against the right fist, 20 to 30 cm in front of the chest.
- With a weapon: each weapon has its own form of salute.
- Bib: the athlete shows the competition bib to the head judge before stepping on the mat.
The glossary has the palm-and-fist salute, the head judge deductions, the routine, the weapon events, the appeal and taolu.
Tricky cases
The music stops halfway because the sound system fails. Can the athlete restart?
Yes, if the head judge and chief referee agree that it was an unforeseen circumstance outside the athlete's control.
An athlete blanks, stops and asks to begin again. Allowed?
No. That is forgetting, which costs 0.1 point. The restart rule covers outside interruptions.
An athlete's sword breaks mid-routine. Is that a restart?
No. A broken weapon is a listed error and costs 0.2 point. The athlete's own equipment is the athlete's responsibility.
An athlete forgets to salute at the end. Is there a set deduction?
The rule book requires the salute and lists no deduction for missing it.
Why the rule exists
A routine is scored as one unbroken performance, so a free second attempt would be a large advantage. Restarts are kept for failures that are no fault of the athlete. The salutes carry over the courtesy of the training hall into competition.
Where it differs
| Where | What changes | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Outside interruption | Restart with no deduction | Taolu Rules Art. 26 (3) |
| Forgetting | 0.1 deduction, no restart | Judging Methods Table 10-1-6 (79) |
| Missed roll-call | Forfeit | Taolu Rules Art. 7 |
| Sanda | The salute is made to the coaches, the opponent and the platform judge | See the sanda set |
From the rule book
International Wushu Federation, Wushu Taolu Competition Rules and Judging Methods (2024), Articles 6 to 8, 15, 26, 39 and 40, and the Judging Methods, Table 10-1-6. Checked 14 October 2026. Official document: Wushu Taolu Competition Rules and Judging Methods (2024) (PDF, Chinese and English).