rules to play speed skating

After the 1972 season, European long track skaters founded a professional league, International Speedskating League, which included Ard Schenk, three time Olympic gold medallist in 1972, as well as five Norwegians, four other Dutchmen, three Swedes, and a few other skaters. Jonny Nilsson, 1963 world champion and Olympic gold medallist, was the driving force behind the league, which folded in 1974 for economic reasons, and the ISU also excluded tracks hosting professional races from future international championships. The ISU later organised its own World Cup circuit with monetary prizes, and full time professional teams developed in the Netherlands during the 1990s, which led them to a dominance on the mens side only challenged by Japanese 500 m racers and American inline skaters who changed to long tracks to win Olympic gold.

A skater can be disqualified if they cross track another skater by cutting off another skater while changing his or her own lane. After two false starts, the skater is disqualified. A disqualified will be given last place in their heat or final. A skater can be disqualified if he or she deliberately impedes another skaters way to slow the skater down.

Races are run counter clockwise. In all individual competition forms, only two skaters are allowed to race at once, and must remain in their respective lanes. Skaters must change lanes every lap. The skater changing from the outside lane to the inside has right of way. In the only non individual competition form, the team pursuit, two teams of each three skaters are allowed to race at once. Both teams remain in the inner lane for the duration of the race; they start on opposite sides of the rink.

Short Track All short track skaters must have speed skates, a spandex skin suit that is kevlar and cut proof, protective helmet, protective eyewear with strap,hard shin pads, specific skating gloves, knee pads (in suit), neck guard (bib style) and ankle protection. Optional equipment is a kevlar suit to protect against being cut from another skaters blade.

Long Track For long track skaters the same equipment should be worn as short track racers but with the exception of a helmet, shin pads, knee pads, and neck guard which are not required. The suit also does not need to be kevlar. Most long track skaters also wear a hood that is built into the suit.

As chief official in a speed skating competition, the referee oversees the draw for racing pairs, decides when to resurface the ice, monitors the races, and ensures the orderly progression of the competition. Other officials are: the starter, who ensures a fair start for all competitors; the timers, who provide manual backup to the electronic timing system; the judges, who determine the final placings of each pair; and the track stewards, who maintain the lane markers and watch for infractions to the rules. The lap recorder keeps track of the laps remaining in each race, indicates the number to the skaters, and rings a bell to warn of the start of the last lap. The recorder keeps track of race results and compiles the final race standings. Starting commands are simple. The skaters approach the start on the command,

Only one false start per pair is allowed before athletes can be disqualified from the race. They are not allowed to skate inside their individual lane markers. The inside skate may cross the lane line when entering a corner, providing the gliding skate, the one bearing the skaters weight, remains outside. Skaters must cross over on the backstretch of every lap. The skater moving from the outer lane to the inner lane has the right of way when both skaters exit the corner simultaneously.

Coaches work closely with the skaters during races, particularly the longer distances, using pre planned schedules to help the skaters maintain consistent lap times. Before racing, skaters select a time that they feel they can skate, based on the weather, ice conditions, their physical capabilities, and the times the other competitors are skating. The key to a good long track performance is to skate each lap at the same speed. By comparing split times, which are taken each time the skater completes a lap, coaches can let the skaters know how they are doing. Coaches stand at the side of the track near the top of the backstretch and communicate verbally and with hand signals. Sometimes the coach simply calls out the lap time and the more experienced skaters convert it into a final time.

Force is maximized in speed skating by adopting the crouched position which reduces air resistance and which is characteristic of the sport. The lower the crouch, the more the leg can extend to the side during the push, lengthening the time spent applying force to the ice. With conventional, fixed blade speed skates, good technical speed skating is almost soundless except during the start because the push is delivered through the middle of the skate, not the toe. The new clapskate, however, permits skaters to push with their toe, thus utilising their calf muscles more efficiently and generating more speed. Clapskates also prevent the tip of the blade from digging into the ice and more importantly, they let the blade stay in contact longer with the ice.

To avoid collisions, right of way is given to the skater switching from the outer to the inner lane during crossovers. If there is a collision, the skater leaving the inner lane is held responsible, unless the skater in the outer lane obstructs the other competitor.

Skaters are not allowed to cross the inner line of the curve at either end of the oval as defined by movable blocks placed on the ice to shorten the distance of the race. A violation of this rule may result in disqualification.