by Jeffrey Ober

Created on: January 12, 2010

The rules for International Bobsleigh are contained in a 69-page booklet produced by the Fédération Internationale de Bobsleigh et de Tobogganing (FIBT). This is an internationally neutral organization that administers the rules of both bobsleigh and skeleton. They were formed in Paris, France, in 1923 and currently have their headquarters in Lausanne, Switzerland. These official rules spell out who is allowed to complete in the international sport, including in the Olympics, as well as how to determine teams, costs, and the number of athletes.

One of the most critical parts of the competition is the sleigh itself, or the bob. There are numerous rules related to the technical specifications of the bob. There are ten pages of drawings describing the limits and details required for the body of the bob, the frame, and the runners. Each part of the bob must meet these exacting strict requirements or the team will be disqualified.

The total weight of the bob and the passengers is also limited. For faster speeds, each team desires to be as close to the maximum weight as possible without going over. For men's 2-man bobsleigh, the maximum weight is 390kg total combined weight of the bob and the men. For men's 4-man, the maximum is 630kg. For women's, the maximum is 340kg.

The clothing and equipment used by athletes is also clearly defined. The athletes must have an approved helmet, shoes with spikes, and must wear long sleeve and long pants training suits with no additional aerodynamic items attached to the clothing.

Each track is designed following the guidelines in the same document. Each track must, for example, be between 1,200 and 1,650 meters long. 1,200 meters of that track must be downhill. The track must also be designed so that the bobs can reach a speed between 80 and 100 km/hr after the first 250 meters. The tracks must also ensure that at no point will the sled receive centrifugal forces of more than 5 Gs.

To start the race, the athletes push the bobsleigh along the first section of track. All members of the team must enter the bobsleigh before the disqualification line. The bob must then proceed down the track with the driver steering the vehicle to the bottom of the track. Once the bob reaches the end of the track, the brakeman stops the bob. The team with the fastest time to the bottom of the track is the winning team.

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