The operator cannot become a visual signal
FIM circuit standards require the person operating the starting gate and the mechanism itself to be completely out of sight of the riders. The purpose is competitive equality: no rider should gain an advantage by reading a hand movement, body position or mechanical cue before the gate drops.
Every position has its own moving gate
The gate must use an individually folding or dropping design. If a rider tries to launch before release, the construction must block the front wheel. A limiting device must also prevent the gate from rising more than 80 degrees from horizontal.
The permitted height is a two-centimetre window
The starting gate must stand at least 50cm and no more than 52cm high. The concrete base used for the starting grid cannot exceed 60cm in width. Those dimensions standardise the physical barrier and the area directly beneath each front wheel.
World championship starts need at least 40 metres
For MXGP, MX2, WMX, Junior Motocross and the Motocross of Nations, the starting gate must be at least 40m wide. SidecarCross, QuadCross and their Nations event use a separate 30m minimum. The rule sets total gate width; it does not promise an identical soil surface at every venue.
Even advertising must not change the launch
Advertising is allowed on the gate only when it does not interfere with the mechanism or riders’ traction. Any covering facing the rider must be rolled around and securely fixed to each gate. The start therefore remains a controlled piece of circuit equipment, not just a branded backdrop.
Facts are frozen to the verification date shown above. Any later correction will be added visibly.
Primary source checked internally: FIM 2026 Standards for Motocross and SuperMoto circuits, article 4.7.
