# What's not allowed at HYROX: banned items, penalties and how to avoid them

HYROX is simple to understand and surprisingly easy to get penalised in. Most penalties aren't for bad form. They come from going through the wrong arch, bringing your own chalk, or a friend passing you a drink over the barrier. This guide sums up the 26/27 rulebook in plain English: what you can't bring, what you can't do, and what each mistake costs.

## The golden rule: if it's not on the list, it's not allowed

The rulebook names exactly seven things you may use or wear during the race:

- **Knee sleeves**
- **Gloves** (but not grips)
- **A weightlifting belt**
- **Wristbands**
- **A hydration pack**
- **Asthma inhalers** or similar prescribed medication
- **Prescribed respiratory devices**

Anything not on that list is prohibited unless the Race Director gives you written permission before your start. Banned items are confiscated, and you can collect them at the customer service desk after you finish.

Whatever permitted item you start with, you finish with. Handing it to someone mid-race, or taking anything from them, counts as outside assistance.

## Strictly forbidden items

These are banned on the race floor at all times:

- **Headphones and earbuds**
- **Mobile phones.** If you need one for a medical device, get approval from the Race Director through customer support before race day.
- **Ear plugs**
- **VR headsets**
- **GoPros and other body cameras**
- **Smart or AI glasses,** and any eyewear with a camera, audio recording, live streaming or augmented reality
- **Helmets, breathing apparatus and compressed air cylinders,** for safety, even as part of a charity costume. Uniforms and weight vests are fine if they don't get in other racers' way.

### Grey areas worth checking

- **Sports watches** aren't on the permitted list. The default rule says anything unlisted is prohibited, so if you want to race with one, ask your event's customer service before race day.
- **Grips** (the gymnastics kind) are out, even though gloves are in.

## Chalk rules

Chalk catches out more people than any other rule.

- Only use chalk **provided by HYROX**, and only at the **sled pull** and the **farmers carry**.
- Don't bring your own, and don't carry event chalk to another station.
- **No chalk at the wall balls.**
- Each infringement is a **2-minute penalty**.

## Food, drink and outside help

- **Water** is available at least once on every pass through the Roxzone, sometimes with a sports drink.
- If you want to eat during the race, **carry your nutrition from the start**.
- **Nobody can hand you anything.** Not your coach, your partner in the crowd or a friend at the barrier. Taking food, drink or kit from anyone except the official aid stations is outside assistance, a **2-minute penalty** each time.
- **Aid station water is for drinking only.** Pouring it over your head or body to cool down is a 2-minute penalty, because wet floors are a slip hazard.
- **Wrappers and cups go in the bins.** Littering is a 2-minute penalty.

## Behaviour on the course

- **No spitting or clearing your nose onto the floor.** That's 2 minutes, or disqualification at the Race Director's discretion.
- **No poor sportsmanship.** Abusing judges, staff, volunteers, spectators or other racers, trying to deceive judges, or obstructing other athletes can lead to penalties, disqualification, a lifetime ban, and penalties applied after the race.
- **Use the equipment you're assigned.** Using a different lane, sled or wall ball target than the one a judge gives you is a 2-minute penalty.

## Shoes

You must wear **closed-toe shoes** for the whole race. The one exception is the wall balls: you can take your shoes off once you reach your target, leave them under the rig, and must carry them with you to the finish. You can't go back for them later.

## Start time and timing chip

- **Start in your own wave.** Starting earlier or later than your assigned time without approval is a **disqualification**.
- **Wear your chip on your ankle the whole race.** Without it you're recorded as **Did Not Start**.
- **Keep your start time visible on your arm.**
- **Don't step onto the course or into the Roxzone before your start,** or you might trigger your chip and spoil your time.
- **Don't hang around in the start tunnel** after your wave goes: up to a 1-minute penalty.

## The penalties that cost the most time

| Mistake | Penalty |
|---|---|
| Missing a run lap | 3 to 7 minutes per lap depending on the venue's lap layout (DQ on a 1-lap course) |
| Skipping a whole run or station | Disqualification |
| Doing stations in the wrong order | 3 minutes the first time, then disqualification |
| Going through the wrong Roxzone arch | 2 minutes each time |
| Leaving a station by the "IN" arch | 2 minutes |
| Leaving the SkiErg, rower or wall balls before you finish | Disqualification |
| Missing a sled lane or a farmers carry lap | Disqualification |
| Wrong weight on the farmers carry or lunges | Disqualification |
| Kettlebells not put back properly | 30 seconds |
| Burpee broad jump or lunge standard broken | 15 seconds each, after a warning |

You also count your own laps. Lap screens at the venue are only a guide, and extra laps don't earn you any time back.

## Movement standards in one paragraph

Judges give you **one warning per station** (stations 1–7) for movement standards. The second infringement makes the rep invalid and adds the station's penalty, and anything after that adds more. Wall balls are rep or no rep, with no warnings: the ball has to hit the target and your hips must go below your knees. Any unusual technique that gains you time is treated as a no rep.

## FAQ

### Can I listen to music during HYROX?

No. Headphones, earbuds and phones are all banned on the race floor.

### Can I use my own chalk at HYROX?

No. Only HYROX-provided chalk at the sled pull and farmers carry is allowed. Your own chalk, or chalk at the wall balls, is a 2-minute penalty.

### Are gloves allowed at HYROX?

Yes, gloves are on the permitted list. Gymnastics grips are not.

### Can my coach or a friend give me water during the race?

No. Taking anything from anyone except the official aid stations is outside assistance and costs 2 minutes each time.

### Can I wear a smartwatch at HYROX?

Watches aren't on the rulebook's permitted list, and unlisted items are prohibited by default. Ask your event's customer service before race day if you want to race with one.

### What happens if I miss a run lap?

You get a time penalty of 3 to 7 minutes per missed lap, depending on how many laps make up each 1 km at that venue. On a single-lap course, a missed lap means missing the whole run, which is a disqualification.

## Next steps

Pack with our [HYROX race-day packing list](/guides/hyrox-race-day-packing-list), check the [station weights for your division](/guides/hyrox-stations-weights), and read [your first HYROX race](/guides/first-hyrox-race) for the full race-day walkthrough. Rules change between seasons, so read the current rulebook for your event before race day.

Source: https://roxskin.io/guides/hyrox-rules-what-is-not-allowed