What is a false start, and when is a race recalled?

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Accepted Answer

Penalty: a false start means immediate disqualification. The starter is ultimately responsible for fair starts. Definition (2024, Rules 5-7-4c, d Note and 8-4-4 Note 2). It's a false start if a competitor: leaves their mark with a hand or foot after the "set" command, or moves forward before the starting device fires. Extraneous or incidental motion that doesn't make anyone leave their mark is not automatically a false start. If it makes the start unfair, the starter can cancel the start or recall the race. A rolling start (forward motion before the signal that isn't stopped and carries the athlete off the mark at the gun) is still a false start. Distance race recall: if a competitor falls because of contact with another competitor in the first 50 meters, recall the race (Rules 3-6-3, 5-7-6, changed from 100 meters in 2025). Whether a start was fair and legal can't be protested.