# HYROX rule changes for 2026/27: what's new and how it affects your race

The biggest HYROX rule changes for 2026/27 are stricter, not friendlier: any station you don't finish in full now costs you your official result, the lunge and burpee broad jump standards have firm 15-second penalties after one warning, broad jumps have a measurable 5 cm foot-stagger limit, and Doubles partners have to stay much closer together. On the booking side, you can't move your ticket to another event or switch division. This page lists each change as old rule, new rule and what to do differently, and we'll refresh it every season.

**Checked: 16 October 2026** against the official 26/27 Singles and Doubles rulebooks on [hyrox.com](https://hyrox.com/). Third-party summaries disagree on some details, so where they do, we say which version the official rulebook supports.

## The 26/27 changes at a glance

| Change | Before | 26/27 rule | What to do |
|---|---|---|---|
| Incomplete station | Handled case by case | DQ or no official result | Pick a division you can finish |
| Sandbag lunges | Bag down reported as DQ | 15 s per fault after a warning; bag down 15 s each time | Rest standing, bag on |
| Broad jump feet | "Feet together" | Max 5 cm stagger | Line toes up every jump |
| Doubles gap | Run together | Reported 10 s max | Run side by side |
| Tickets | Varied by event | No event transfers or division switches | Buy Flex if unsure |

The rest of this guide goes through each one, then covers the smaller changes and new terms like "Out of Ranking" and "Out of Competition".

## What changed in the 26/27 HYROX rules?

Here's each change in detail. We couldn't get hold of the 25/26 rulebook for a word-for-word comparison, so the "old rule" lines describe how the previous season worked according to coverage from Hybrid Fitness Media, HyroxInsider and Roxfit. The "new rule" lines come straight from the official 26/27 rulebook.

### 1. An incomplete station now means a DQ or no official result

**Old rule:** Coverage of the change says a shortened or abandoned station used to be handled with penalties, and some athletes still left with a finish time.

**New rule:** Every one of the eight stations must be completed in full. If you don't, it's a disqualification marked "Incomplete Station". The penalty table spells out what that covers: leaving the SkiErg, rower or wall balls before you've finished, missing a sled lane, or missing a farmers carry lap. This is separate from missed run laps, which still cost 3 to 7 minutes depending on the lap layout.

There's one nuance worth knowing. If you simply can't finish a station, the rulebook says you get no results data and no ranking, but you may carry on racing without a final time. A Race Director DQ is different: you have to stop.

**What to do differently:**

- Choose your division honestly. Pro weights you can't move on race day now cost you the whole result, not a few minutes. Our [divisions guide](/guides/hyrox-divisions-explained) helps you choose.
- Rehearse the station that scares you most, usually the [sled push](/stations/sled-push) or [wall balls](/stations/wall-balls), at full race weight and full volume before race day.
- On the ergs, keep going until a judge confirms your distance. Stepping off at "999 m" is a DQ.

### 2. Lunge penalties: 15 seconds after one warning, and the sandbag stays on

**Old rule:** Several outlets report that putting the sandbag down used to mean a DQ, or a DQ on the second time.

**New rule:** On the [sandbag lunges](/stations/sandbag-lunges), your first movement-standard fault (trailing knee not touching, not standing tall) gets a formal warning. Every fault after that costs 15 seconds. The sandbag must stay fully supported on both shoulders the whole time. Resting it on the floor, a barrier or your foot is 15 seconds each time. Using the wrong bag weight is still a DQ unless you redo the whole station with the right one, and leaving the bag in the wrong spot afterwards is 30 seconds (unless you fix it before you leave the Roxzone).

**What to do differently:**

- If you need a break, stop standing tall with both feet parallel, which the rulebook allows, and keep the bag on your shoulders.
- Make every knee touch obvious. A judge who can't see it will count it as a fault.
- Check the bag color before you pick it up: 10 kg white, 20 kg grey, 30 kg black.

### 3. Burpee broad jumps: a measurable 5 cm stagger limit

**Old rule:** The standard said both feet take off and land together, with no number attached, so judges had to call it by eye.

**New rule:** On the [burpee broad jump](/stations/burpee-broad-jump), the fronts of your two feet can be no more than 5 cm apart on take-off and on landing. Extra steps or shuffles aren't allowed at any time. The first fault is a warning, then each one costs 15 seconds. The other standards stay: chest (nipple line) clearly on the floor, hands no more than 30 cm in front of your front foot, and feet not landing past your fingertips when you come out of the burpee.

**What to do differently:**

- Square your toes up before every jump, not just the first few. Fatigue is when the stagger creeps in.
- Stepping out of the burpee is fine, but bring both feet level before you jump.
- If you land split, don't shuffle to fix it. That's another fault. Do your next burpee and fix your setup on the next jump.

Our [burpee broad jump guide](/guides/hyrox-burpee-broad-jumps) covers technique and pacing in more detail.

### 4. Doubles: partners must stay together, with a reported 10-second limit

This one gets its own section below, because it's the change Doubles teams ask about most.

### 5. No ticket transfers and no division switches

**Old rule:** Transfer rules varied between events, and we couldn't confirm last season's exact wording.

**New rule:** The official HYROX FAQ says you can't transfer to another event, with or without the Flex add-on, and that division changes are strictly prohibited. With Flex or Lite Flex, bought at checkout, you can still make one name change up to the morning before your race day. Doubles and Relay teams are locked in too: the rulebook says partners can't be changed once established without a valid medical note, and World Championship registrations can't be transferred or refunded.

**What to do differently:**

- Decide on division, day and partner before you buy.
- If there's any chance your plans will change, add Flex at checkout. You can't add it later.
- Our [ticket guide](/guides/hyrox-tickets-cost) covers prices and refund windows, and the [race cost calculator](/tools/hyrox-race-cost-calculator) adds up travel too.

### 6. "Out of Ranking" and "Out of Competition"

These two labels are new in the 26/27 rulebook, and they mean different things.

- **Out of Competition** is about you. If you need movement or weight modifications because of an injury or another physical limitation, you contact HYROX before race day. You'll still race and get a finish time, but your result is left out of the rankings and qualification. The same label applies to a Doubles team that collects more than three penalties for not staying together.
- **Out of Ranking** is about the event. HYROX can declare a whole event, day or part of a day "Out of Ranking" for World Championship and Elite qualification if conditions like wet turf, unsafe surfaces or extreme weather materially affect performance or safety. The decision can come before, during or after the race.

**What to do differently:** If you're carrying an injury, ask about modifications early instead of hoping to grind through and risk a DQ. If you're chasing a Worlds slot, have a backup race in mind in case your event is declared Out of Ranking.

## Doubles: how far apart can partners be?

Stay close enough that you could talk to each other. The official Doubles rulebook says you must run every 1,000 m together, with a 1-minute penalty if one partner runs ahead. Some third-party 26/27 rule summaries also report a 10-second maximum gap at the Roxzone timing mats; that figure isn't in the rulebook, so treat it as unconfirmed, but staying side by side keeps you safe either way.

Here's what the official Doubles rulebook itself says, as of 16 October 2026:

- Both partners must run together for the full 1,000 m between every station.
- If one of you runs ahead, it's a **1-minute penalty**.
- You must enter each station together, you can't start the workout until both of you are there, and you must leave together once the work is done.
- If a team picks up **more than 3 penalties** for not staying together, it's marked **Out of Competition** and gets no ranking.

The 10-second figure doesn't appear in the rulebook PDF text we checked, so it may come from judging guidance or a later update. Either way, the safe reading is the same: a gap of even a few seconds can be judged as running ahead, and with chip timing at every Roxzone arch, it's easy to measure.

**What to do differently:**

- **Run side by side,** or with one partner a stride ahead at most. The faster runner sets the pace by staying with the slower one, not by waiting at the arch.
- **Walk into the Roxzone together.** Don't sprint ahead to grab the next station.
- **Plan the hand-offs so you finish stations together.** The resting partner should be ready at the exit, not still drinking.
- **Talk about pace before the race.** Agree what you'll do if one of you is struggling on the run.

The [Doubles strategy guide](/guides/hyrox-doubles-strategy) covers splitting the stations and choosing a partner.

## Other 26/27 rules worth knowing

These aren't all brand new, but third-party coverage flagged them as changed or clarified this season, and the 26/27 rulebook confirms each one:

- **Rower:** stay seated until you've rowed 1,000 m and a judge confirms it. You can stop and rest, but standing up early is not allowed. The damper starts at 6 and the footplate at position 4, and you can adjust both.
- **SkiErg:** jumping and dynamic technique are allowed. Your feet can leave the base plate, but they must land back on it. Touching the floor is a fault, then 15 seconds each time after the warning.
- **Overtaking:** on lunges, burpee broad jumps and the farmers carry, faster racers can pass when it's safe. Grid lines are only a guide.
- **Chalk:** only event chalk, only at the sled pull and farmers carry. Anything else is 2 minutes.
- **Water:** aid-station fluids are for drinking only. Pouring them over yourself is 2 minutes.
- **Start tunnel:** move off with your wave. Hanging around can cost up to 1 minute.
- **Age groups:** five-year bands up to 85–89. Racers 60 and over can race and podium in Pro, but they qualify for Worlds through Open only.
- **Elite pathway:** a new points system over a rolling 365 days, an Athlete Licence to earn points, and a new Challenger Division for athletes ranked 16 to 30. Our [Worlds qualification guide](/guides/hyrox-world-championships-qualification) explains slots and rolldowns.

The full list of banned items and penalties is in [what's not allowed at HYROX](/guides/hyrox-rules-what-is-not-allowed).

## How to prepare for the new rules

You don't need to change your training much. You do need to rehearse the standards:

1. **Read the rulebook for your format** (Singles or Doubles) once, properly, in the week before your race.
2. **Practice to the standard, not just the distance.** Film a set of burpee broad jumps and lunges and check your feet and knees.
3. **Do one full simulation at race weight** so you know you can finish every station.
4. **Doubles teams: do your runs together in training,** at the slower partner's pace.
5. **Watch the athlete briefing** on race day. Local judging notes are announced there.

New to racing? Start with [your first HYROX race](/guides/first-hyrox-race) for the full race-day walkthrough.

## FAQ

### What changed in the 26/27 HYROX rules?

The main changes: failing to complete any station in full is now a DQ or no official result; lunge and burpee broad jump faults cost 15 seconds each after one warning, and taking the sandbag off your shoulders costs 15 seconds every time; broad jumps allow at most 5 cm of foot stagger; Doubles partners must stay together, with a reported 10-second limit; and you can't transfer tickets or switch division.

### Doubles: how far apart can partners be?

Very close. The official Doubles rulebook says you must run every 1,000 m together, with a 1-minute penalty if one partner runs ahead, and more than three such penalties makes your team Out of Competition. Rule summaries report a 10-second maximum gap measured at the Roxzone timing mats, so stay side by side.

### What happens if I can't finish a HYROX station?

Under the 26/27 rules you get no official result or ranking for that race. If a Race Director disqualifies you, you must stop. If you just can't complete a station, you may carry on racing, but without a final time.

### Is the sandbag lunge drop still a DQ?

No. Under the 26/27 rulebook, taking the sandbag off your shoulders, whether it's onto the floor, a barrier or your foot, costs 15 seconds each time. Using the wrong bag weight is still a DQ unless you redo the whole station with the right bag.

### What is the 5 cm rule in burpee broad jumps?

The fronts of your two feet can be no more than 5 cm apart when you take off and when you land. A bigger stagger, or a shuffle to fix your feet, is a fault: a warning first, then 15 seconds each time.

### What does Out of Ranking mean at HYROX?

It means HYROX has excluded an event, day or part of a day from World Championship and Elite qualification because conditions such as wet turf or extreme heat affected the race. Out of Competition is different: it applies to an individual racer or team, for example after injury modifications.

## Next steps

Check the [race calendar](/races) for your next event, then read [what's not allowed at HYROX](/guides/hyrox-rules-what-is-not-allowed) and the [Doubles strategy guide](/guides/hyrox-doubles-strategy) before race day. We'll update this page when the 27/28 rulebook comes out.

Source: https://roxskin.io/guides/hyrox-rule-changes-2026-27