If you keep up with triathlon news, you probably heard about an athlete who was disqualified from an Ironman 70.3, because of a rule violation.

The rule? Drafting in triathlon.

While the disqualification technically came from not serving the penalty, the root issue was a lack of understanding of Ironman drafting rules—something that leads to more penalties than almost anything else on race day.

Drafting in triathlon is one of the most common Ironman penalties.

Now, does that mean triathlon is full of a bunch of cheaters? No.

While there will always be those athletes who toe the line, and sometimes cross it… that’s not the majority.

According to the referees I’ve interviewed over the years, the main reason athletes receive drafting penalties is because they don’t fully understand the rules.

So, today we’re going to break down the Ironman drafting rules, as well as other common triathlon penalties to make sure you don’t make the same mistake at your next race.