Editing Speed skating (section)

==Rules==

===Short track===

Races are run counter-clockwise on a 111-meter track. Short track races are almost always run in a mass start format in which two to six skaters may race at once. Skaters may be disqualified for false starts, impeding, and cutting inside the track. False starts occur when a skater moves before the gun goes off at the start of a race. Skaters are disqualified for impeding when one skater cuts in front of another skater and causes the first skater to stand up to avoid collision or fall. Cutting inside the track occurs when a skater's skates goes inside the blocks which mark the track on the ice. If disqualified the skater will be given last place in their heat or final.<ref>{{Cite web|title = New ContentWithLeftNav|url = https://www.usspeedskating.org/athletes/rules-and-regulations/short-track|website = Team USA|access-date = 27 October 2015}}</ref>

===Long track===
Races are run counter-clockwise on a 400-meter oval. In all individual competition forms, only two skaters are allowed to race at once. Skaters must change lanes every lap. The skater changing from the outside lane to the inside has right-of-way. Skaters may be disqualified for false starts, impeding, and cutting inside the track. If a skater misses their race or falls they have the option to race their distance again. There are no heats or finals in long track, all rankings are by time.

The starting procedure in long-track speed skating consists of three parts. First, the referee tells the athletes to "''Go to the start''". Second, the referee cues the athletes to get "Ready", and waits until the skaters have stopped moving. Finally, the referee waits for a random duration between 1 and 1.5 seconds, and then fires the starting shot.<ref>{{cite web|last1=International Skating Union|title=Special Regulations & Technical Rules|url=http://www.isu.org/en/about-isu/isu-statues-constitution-and-regulations|access-date=29 November 2015}}</ref> Some argue that this inherent timing variability could disadvantage athletes that start after longer pauses, due to the [[Attention|alerting effect]].<ref>{{cite journal|last1=Dalmaijer|first1=E.S.|last2=Nijenhuis|first2=B.G.|last3=Van der Stigchel|first3=S.|title=Life is unfair, and so are racing sports: some athletes can randomly benefit from alerting effects due to inconsistent starting procedures|journal=Frontiers in Psychology|date=2015|volume=6|issue=1618|pages=1618|doi=10.3389/fpsyg.2015.01618|pmid=26579009|pmc=4623299|doi-access=free}}</ref><ref>{{cite journal|last1=Dalmaijer|first1=E.S.|last2=Nijenhuis|first2=B.G.|last3=Van der Stigchel|first3=S.|title=Commentary: Life is unfair, and so are racing sports: some athletes can randomly benefit from alerting effects due to inconsistent starting procedures|journal=Frontiers in Psychology|volume=7|date=2016|issue=7|page=119|doi=10.3389/fpsyg.2016.00119|pmid=26903923|pmc=4746233|doi-access=free}}</ref>

In the only non-individual competition form, the [[Long track speed skating#Team pursuit|team pursuit]], two teams of each three to four 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. If four skaters are racing one skater is allowed to drop off and stop racing. The clock stops when the third skater crosses the finish line.

===Team pursuit===
[[File:PyeongChang 2018 5156 (40538330421).jpg|thumb|Sven Kramer, Jan Blokhuijsen and Koen Verweij (NED) in team pursuit at the 2018 Winter Olympics.]]
The team pursuit is a team event in speed skating and is skated by teams of three skaters. Races resemble the [[team pursuit]] event in [[track cycling]].<ref>{{cite web |url=http://content.usatoday.com/sports/olympics/vancouver/medals/Speed-Skating |title=Olympic Medal Winners for Speed Skating|work=[[USA Today]]|access-date=25 March 2013}}</ref> Two teams race at a time, starting at a line in the middle of the straightaway. One team starts on each side of the track. Only the inner lane is used. The distance is eight laps for men and six for women. The team's time is the third skater to cross the finish line.

There are several formats for the team pursuit. The Olympic format is unusual in that it is a cup format, with several rounds of exclusion between two teams. In the World Cup and World Championships, one race is skated and the teams are ranked by their finishing time. In the Olympic format, a team that overtakes the other has automatically won the race and the remaining distance is not skated. In practice, the distance is so short that this rarely happens unless one team has a fall.

The team pursuit is a new event in major international competitions.  The event was introduced at international level at the world junior championships around the turn of the millennium, and to the [[speed skating World Cup|World Cup]] in 2003, but it was not considered an official ISU event until around 2004, and eventually introduced at the Olympics in 2006.