Bouldering rules have a specific place in the climbing gym, but there are also rules to follow outdoors! Beginner climbers: Do you want to make sure your send counts?
Whether or not you abide by these bouldering rules, please practice good climbing ethics. Ultimately, rules are arbitrary and only genuinely matter in competitive climbing. From local gym comps to International Federation of Sport Climbing (IFSC) events to even the Olympics! These are when the rules matter. You should understand the rules if you plan to enter or watch any competitions!
If you’re new to indoor climbing, you’ve likely seen some people pause at the last hold on a boulder. You’ve also likely watched climbers grab specific holds to start when they easily could’ve reached higher ones. These are part of the bouldering rules I will explain to help you make sure your send counts.
Indoor climbing gyms
Rock climbing has skyrocketed in popularity in the last decade, and indoor climbing gyms have sprouted up all over the world. When I was a kid, there was one gym within a 200km radius. Now, there are at least four!
I used to climb on a small wall in a recreation center until my hometown got a nice gym. Once I got a job there, I lived in that facility. If I wasn’t working, I was there climbing!
I, too, didn’t understand the bouldering rules. The center I climbed at didn’t have the most knowledgeable staff, and I was one of them. When I moved to the new modern climbing gym, I ate, slept, and breathed climbing. This is when I was introduced to the different bouldering rules and when they matter.
Indoor bouldering rules
Climbing gyms have specific rules that you should follow to make your send count. However, nobody really cares unless you boast about the grades you can climb. If you do this, you could get called out for not following the proper bouldering rules!
Start holds
Every boulder problem has ‘start’ holds. They are labeled with tags or tape and denote the beginning of a problem. If you don’t use the start holds, you technically didn’t send the boulder.
You may also find start holds for your feet, which, as you can guess, are where your feet start. In competitive climbing, every boulder has start holds for your hands and feet.
When starting a boulder, you must use the designated holds with control. You cannot simply touch the tap the start holds and move to the next. This is called a “flying start or French start” and doesn’t technically count. The term, “French start” comes from the worldly popular climbing area in Fontainebleau, France, where many boulder problems require this type of jump start.
Starting footholds are a little different, though. If you have trouble using the starting feet, there’s a trick you can do. First, you must control yourself with your hands. Then, you can tap the starting footholds with your feet and move them where you want.
Here is a good example of how to start a boulder problem with different points of contact: 2020 Youth Qualifying Series:

Finish holds
Some gyms do this differently, so check with the staff to find out their guidelines. You may also find the bouldering rules posted somewhere throughout the building.
Finish holds are the last hold of a boulder problem. What if you’re in a gym that labels their finish holds and don’t see one? This means the top of the wall is where you should finish.
When finishing a boulder, you must hold/touch the last hold with both hands (match) with control. There is not a specific number of seconds you spend on the last hold. For myself, I always count to two or three when I finish a boulder to confirm my control.
The official IFSC bouldering rules just state that you must maintain control. ‘Control’ means that your body isn’t swinging and you’re in a stable position. You don’t need to physically grab each hold with your hands; they just need to touch it with control.
The issue is that ‘control’ can be a little arbitrary. Some competition climbers have been awarded tops when, in my opinion, they didn’t have complete control. I think the IFSC should change their ruling to a specific number of seconds the climber holds the top. We’ll see if the Paris Olympics adds any changes to this rule!
You may find a gym with a ‘top out’ bouldering wall. I love these because they emulate outdoor climbing. The idea is that instead of a finish hold, you must climb on top of the wall.
Here is an example of Janja Garnbret finishing a boulder at the during the IFSC World Cup series in Keqiao, you can see her look back to the judges for confirmation of control:

Bolt holes
Check with your local gym regarding this rule because they can be different. However, I’ll explain the official IFSC rules regarding bolt holes.
The official rules state that you can grab the holes on climbing holds but not on the wall. If the setters truly didn’t want you to use them, they would be blocked.
Bolt holes on the wall, though, are not to be grabbed. This stems from a safety issue of getting metal splinters or fingers stuck. Interestingly, you’re allowed to use the holes in the wall for your feet!
I don’t use the bolt holes in climbing holds because it always feels like cheating. If my partner climbs a boulder without using them, I feel like I didn’t ‘send’ it if I used them. I also don’t use the holes in the wall, but that may be because I’m not brave enough.
Here is a different take on this topic: if you were bouldering outdoors, you would find anything to stand/grab onto. This is the same idea as using bolt holes or holes in the wall. The controversy comes from the idea that using these isn’t the intended beta. But not every boulder is climbed the same way!
Here is a video of Brooke Rabatou standing in a bolt hole during the Koper 2022 lead climbing finals:

Dabbing
If your friends are like any of mine, they’ll let you know when you dab! As frustrating as it is, I’m thankful when they tell me because it means I didn’t actually send.
‘Dabbing’ occurs when your foot touches the ground or a hold that is not on the problem you’re climbing. This rule applies because you didn’t adhere to using only the correct holds.
Dabbing can also help you stay on the wall. Who is really to stay you would’ve sent it without dabbing? I understand that it can be annoying, but those are the rules!
For a more in-depth look at what dab is, check out this video here:

Volumes
Climbing volumes are shapes screwed onto a climbing wall to create a different surface area. They can add more variation in a gym instead of just climbing a flat wall. You can use volumes as holds and holds can be screwed onto them, making them a great addition to climbing gyms.
So, when can you use volumes?
This will ultimately depend on the gym’s rules. Some places allow you to use volumes for any route, while others only let you use them for specific climbs. Consult the gym staff about their volume-use policy to know for sure.
When it comes down to it, these rules don’t really matter if you’re climbing for yourself. As a beginner, focus on having fun and pushing your body. If you didn’t send something with the official rules, who cares? The rules only truly matter when you’re competing.
As you progress and start climbing harder, though, I recommend following the bouldering rules. You’ll start cheating yourself when you claim ascents that you didn’t technically climb correctly. You won’t know what climbs to seek out because you’ll have an inflated sense of your ability. Following the rules as you progress makes finding more climbs in your skill range easier.
Unspoken bouldering rules
There are a few unspoken bouldering rules that you should be aware of. Things like beta spraying, brushing tick marks, or being in the fall zone. To learn more about proper bouldering etiquette, check out our guide on the topic here.
Outdoor bouldering rules
As I’m sure you can imagine, outdoor bouldering is a little different from gym climbing. The problems aren’t colour-coded, the ground isn’t padded, plus there isn’t a retail shop! To boulder outdoors, you’ll need to learn a few basic rules to make your send count.
SDS or SS
SDS stands for ‘sit down start’ or ‘sit start.’ Before climbing a boulder, you’ll want to follow the guidebook or beta from UK Climbing or Mountain Project. Some problems start while sitting, while others have different variations if you add a sit start. Typically, a sit start makes the problem harder.
Topping out or not
In most cases, you’ll top out each boulder outside for the send. Rarely will you find problems that end with a match that you drop off after. They’re typically found in unbolted caves or on problems where the holds entirely disappear.
Do you need to follow these bouldering rules?
In short, no!
You don’t need to follow any of these bouldering rules. The only rules you SHOULD follow when climbing pertain to safety. Follow safety rules, seriously! You can find those included in our article here on bouldering etiquette. You can also find them posted in your local gym or ask a staff member.
Who cares if somebody at the gym gets upset that you didn’t match the top of a boulder? You’re not climbing for them! We each have our own journey with climbing, and they definitely don’t all look the same.
You only need to follow these bouldering rules when you’re competing. Bouldering rules are established to keep competitions fair for all climbers. If you don’t plan on competing, just have fun however you climb!
As I mentioned, though, as you start to climb harder, I recommend following the intended rules. Don’t cheat yourself so you can find the appropriately challenging climbs!
Have you heard of any bouldering rules other than these? Leave us a comment below; we’d love to know!
0 Comments