Race Walk

Race Walking rules

There are two major walking rules-

• One foot must be in contact with the ground all the times and
• the supporting leg must be straight, not bent at the knee, from the moment the foot touches the ground until the supporting leg passes below the body.

Disqualifications

Three red cards from three different judges, i.e., three violations of the rules lead to an athlete’s disqualification from the race.  

Red Card

It is given by a judge if he/she believes that the athlete is breaking the rules, either the knee rule or the contact rule. No judge may submit more than one card for each athlete. A scoreboard placed on the course shows the violation status of the athletes.

Red Paddle

It is shown by the chief judge to an athlete as a sign of disqualification if he/she believes that the athlete is breaking the rules in the last 100m of the competition, regardless of the number of red cards.

Yellow Paddle

It is shown to the athlete when a judge is not satisfied that he/she is walking within the rules. It is a warning sign and does not contribute to an athlete’s disqualification. 

Chief Judge

Coordinate the work of all the judges and have the authority to disqualify an athlete by showing the red paddle (not a red card).