How do I lose priority, and what is the blocking rule?

Q: How do I lose priority, and what is the blocking rule?

Under the SSA Rulebook 2025 (Section 4, Priority Rules): You lose priority when you: ride a wave, or make a committed paddle for a wave and miss it. In heats of more than two, you don't lose priority for a missed wave if you were paddling alongside a higher-priority surfer who caught it, or were blocked by a higher-priority surfer. The surfer in the last priority position who paddles and misses keeps that position unless their hands left the rails as they tried to stand, or they paddled outside the primary take-off zone. Any interference penalty also costs you priority. Blocking with priority: you lose priority if you paddle in front of a non-priority surfer to stop them catching a wave, sit in the take-off zone to stop someone catching one, or use your priority to block when you had no intention to score. Deliberately blocking a lower-priority surfer outside the take-off zone in an unsporting way can bring Penalty 2. Blocking without priority (events with a Priority Judge): a surfer with inside position who makes a committed paddle and blocks another, or sits in the take-off zone blocking someone, drops to lowest priority. Other cases: leave the primary take-off zone and your priority is suspended until you return (if you don't return, you lose it). Ride a wave before the heat starts and you start on lowest priority. If your board breaks or a set washes you out, the Priority Judge can suspend and later restore your priority. All priority ends when the heat ends.

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Accepted Answer

Under the SSA Rulebook 2025 (Section 4, Priority Rules):

You lose priority when you:

ride a wave, or
make a committed paddle for a wave and miss it.

In heats of more than two, you don't lose priority for a missed wave if you were paddling alongside a higher-priority surfer who caught it, or were blocked by a higher-priority surfer. The surfer in the last priority position who paddles and misses keeps that position unless their hands left the rails as they tried to stand, or they paddled outside the primary take-off zone. Any interference penalty also costs you priority.

Blocking with priority: you lose priority if you paddle in front of a non-priority surfer to stop them catching a wave, sit in the take-off zone to stop someone catching one, or use your priority to block when you had no intention to score. Deliberately blocking a lower-priority surfer outside the take-off zone in an unsporting way can bring Penalty 2.

Blocking without priority (events with a Priority Judge): a surfer with inside position who makes a committed paddle and blocks another, or sits in the take-off zone blocking someone, drops to lowest priority.

Other cases: leave the primary take-off zone and your priority is suspended until you return (if you don't return, you lose it). Ride a wave before the heat starts and you start on lowest priority. If your board breaks or a set washes you out, the Priority Judge can suspend and later restore your priority. All priority ends when the heat ends.