PRCA

Section 1: Introduction

This rulebook summarizes professional rodeo as governed by the Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association (PRCA), based on the PRCA Articles of Incorporation, Bylaws and Rules (2026 Rule Book, revised October 1, 2025). Rule numbers below (for example R9.4.7) refer to the Official Rodeo Rules in that document, principally Part 9 (Riding Events) and Part 10 (Timed Events).

The PRCA was incorporated on January 18, 1954 (Articles of Incorporation, Article IV). Its stated purposes include securing competent, honest judges and officials, protecting against unfairness, and preserving the historical integrity of professional rodeo (Article III).

Events covered in Parts 9 and 10 of the rules:

• Riding events: bareback riding (R9.4), saddle bronc riding (R9.5) and bull riding (R9.6).
• Timed events: tie-down roping (R10.6), steer wrestling (R10.7), team roping, which the rules call "dally team roping" (R10.8), and steer roping (R10.9).

Barrel racing is not covered by the sections summarized here. This summary does not cover it.

Section 2: Equipment

Riding events

• Bareback rigging (R9.4.1): riding is done with one-handed rigging. Standard rigging is leather, not more than 10 inches (25 cm) wide at the hand-hold and not over 6 inches (15 cm) wide at the "D" ring (R9.4.1.1). No fiberglass or metal is allowed in riggings or hand-holds apart from the "D" rings, flat-head rivets, screws and "t" nuts (R9.4.1.3). Cinches are mohair or neoprene, at least 8 inches (20 cm) wide at the center, and latigos are leather only (R9.4.1.4). No quick trips are allowed (R9.4.1.5).
• Bareback pad (R9.4.2): the required pad completely covers the underside of the rigging and extends a full 2 inches (5 cm) behind it. It is leather-covered on both sides over a high-density foam pad at least 3/4 inch (about 1.9 cm) thick. A leather piece at least 3/16 inch thick and 4 inches (10 cm) square is also attached (R9.4.2.1, R9.4.2.2).
• Rider's glove (R9.4.4): a plain glove with no flaps, rolls or wedges.
• Saddle (R9.5.1): saddle bronc riding is done with a PRCA-specification saddle built on a PRCA-approved tree. The "D" ring may not exceed 5-3/4 inches (14.6 cm) outside width, the swell undercut is no more than 3 inches, and the gullet is not less than 4 inches wide at the center of the fork (R9.5.1.1–R9.5.1.3). Bronc saddle cinches are mohair, at least 8 inches wide at the center, with leather latigos (R9.5.1.5).
• Halter and rein (R9.5.2, R9.5.3): the stock contractor furnishes a standard halter with adjustable noseband, and the rider uses it, subject to the judges' approval. The riding rein is attached to the bottom of the halter noseband unless the contestant and contractor agree otherwise.
• Bull rope (R9.6.1): bull riding is done with one hand and a loose rope, with or without a hand-hold. The rope must have a bell, which sits under the bull's belly when the rider leaves (R9.6.1.3). No knots or hitches may prevent the rope from falling off the bull (R9.6.1.2), and no hooks or posts are allowed (R9.6.1.4).
• Spurs (R9.4.8): spur rowels must have five or more points. Bareback, saddle bronc and bull riders may not ride with sharp or locked rowels (R9.4.7, R9.5.5, R9.6.6).
• Horse: bareback and saddle bronc riders compete on bucking horses supplied by the stock contractor.

Timed events

• Rope: in tie-down roping each contestant carries up to two ropes. Neck ropes on the stock are tied with string, with no metal snaps, elastics or hardware (R10.3.17). In team roping each contestant is allowed to carry only one rope (R10.8.1).
• Horse: timed-event contestants rope and work from horseback. In steer wrestling the contestant furnishes their own hazer and horses (R10.7.4).
• Barrier: the barrier in timed events is a side-pull barrier with a pulley and neck rope, with the barrier flag on the barrier (R10.1.1.3, R10.1.1.4).

Section 3: Playing Area

Part 10 specifies the following for timed-event equipment and layout. The rulebook sections summarized here do not set an overall arena dimension.

• Barrier height (R10.1.1.1): 32 to 36 inches (81–91 cm), measured at the center of the box. Once set for a rodeo, the height remains the same for the entire rodeo.
• Chutes (R10.1.2): every timed-event chute has an automatic trip gate with horizontal bars, and no hydraulic gate openers are allowed. The chute needs at least 28 inches (71 cm) of clearance inside and at the gate for steer wrestling, team roping and steer roping.
• Timed-event box (R10.1.4): at least 16 feet (4.9 m) long unless the Director of Rodeo Administration approves otherwise, and all boxes must be the same length.
• Box lining (R10.1.5): the back and side opposite the chute are lined from at least 4 inches below ground to at least 3 feet (0.9 m) high with solid panel, with box pads required for each box. The fine for failure is $250 per performance or section of slack.
• Scorelines (R10.5): scoreline lengths are set by the judges and arena director per the Official Rodeo Rules. Any scoreline of 18 feet (5.5 m) or more must be approved at rodeo approval (R10.3.1, R10.5.1).
  • Tie-down roping: box length minus 3 feet at indoor rodeos, and no less than box length minus 2 feet at outdoor rodeos (R10.5.2).
  • Steer wrestling: no longer than the box length minus 5-1/2 feet for boxes of 18 feet or less, or minus 6 feet for boxes over 18 feet (R10.5.3).
  • Team roping: one foot under the barrier length at indoor rodeos (R10.5.4).
  • Steer roping: one foot less than the box (R10.5.5).
• Boxes by event (R10.3.20): in tie-down roping the right box must be used. In team roping the header starts from the left box and the heeler from the right box. In steer wrestling the steer wrestler starts from the left box and the hazer from the right box.

Section 4: Players & Officials

Contestants

Contestants compete as PRCA members. Under the Bylaws (B1.2.4), members acknowledge that rodeo is inherently dangerous and assume the associated risks. Team roping uses a header and a heeler. Header championship points go to the contestant who entered as header and heeler points to the one who entered as heeler (R10.8.1). Steer wrestlers furnish one hazer, who must be an Active PRCA Member (R10.7.4).

Officials and arena personnel

• Judges (R9.1.3): judges in the riding events submit their markings to the Arena Secretary immediately after each performance. These become the official markings once posted or verified and cannot be changed once submitted.
• Timers and flag judges (R10.3.19): there are at least two timers, a barrier judge and a field flag judge, and time is determined between two flags.
• Barrier judge (R10.2): changes the barrier string when it may have weakened, records and adjusts the barrier neck rope length, and inspects barrier equipment before each timed event.
• Field/flag judge (R10.2.6): positioned for the event: at the end of the arena for tie-down roping, and on the right-hand side of the box when facing the chutes for steer wrestling and team roping.
• Labor crew (R10.4.1): stock contractors must provide a labor crew of at least five people for the timed events.
• Pickup men: assist riders after the ride. A bareback rider unable to free their hand after a qualified ride is fined $100 (R9.4.9).

Section 5: Rules of Play

All riding events (R9.1)

• Eight seconds (R9.1.2): time starts when the animal's inside front shoulder passes the plane of the chute gate. Contestants must complete the eight-second qualification limit to be eligible for a marking.
• Gate (R9.1.7): a contestant who holds the chute gate after indicating they are ready is fined $50 for the first offense, with the fine progressively doubling.

Bareback and saddle bronc (R9.2)

• Spur-out rule (R9.2.1): to qualify for a marking, the rider must have the rowels of the spurs touching the horse above the break of the shoulders when the horse's front feet hit the ground on its initial move out of the chute.
• If a horse stalls, a judge tells the rider to take their feet from the horse's neck and the spur-out rule is waived. A rider who does not follow that instruction is disqualified (R9.2.2). The spur-out rule is also waived if the rider is fouled at the gate (R9.2.3).

Bareback (R9.4)

The rider may use only one hand on the rigging. Touching the animal, equipment or person with the free hand disqualifies the rider (R9.4.7).

Saddle bronc (R9.5)

Horses are saddled in the chute and the rider may cinch their own saddle. Either the stock contractor or the contestant may ask the judges to rule on whether the horse is properly saddled and flanked (R9.5.4). Only rosin may be used on chaps and saddle (R9.5.6).

Bull riding (R9.6)

One hand is used on a loose rope. A rider who touches the bull, the equipment or the ground with the free hand is disqualified (R9.6.6). A rider who makes a qualified ride with any part of the rope in the riding hand is marked (R9.6.2).

Rerides (R9.3)

Rerides are at the discretion of a judge. Reasons include an animal that stops or fouls the rider, failure of the stock contractor's equipment, inferior animal performance, or an improperly flanked animal (R9.3.3.1). If a reride is given, the judge informs the contestant of their marking and the option of a reride, and the contestant may refuse the reride and take the marking (R9.3.2). Contestants may not influence the judges by asking for a reride (R9.3.1).

Timed events: general (R10.3)

• Barrier (R10.3.2, R10.3.3): contestants start from behind the barrier. A 10-second penalty is added for breaking or beating the barrier.
• Escaped animal (R10.3.10): if an animal escapes the arena, the field judge drops the flag and all watches stop. The contestant receives the original animal with a lap-and-tap start.

Tie-down roping (R10.6)

• The contestant ropes the calf, dismounts, throws it by hand and crosses and ties any three legs, with at least one wrap around all three legs and a half-hitch (R10.6.1).
• The three legs must stay crossed and tied for six seconds, timed from when the roper's horse takes its first step forward after the roper has remounted.
• Two loops are permitted, catch-as-catch-can (R10.6.2). There is a 25-second elapsed time limit (R10.6.3).

Steer wrestling (R10.7)

• After catching the steer, the wrestler must change direction or bring the steer to a stop and twist it down. The steer is down only when lying flat on its side or back with all four feet and head facing the same direction (R10.7.1).
• There is a 60-second elapsed time limit (R10.7.9).

Team roping (R10.8)

• Each team is allowed three throws if there are more than two go-rounds, and only two loops per team at one go-round and two go-round rodeos (R10.8.1).
• The flag drops when the steer is roped by head and heels, both horses are facing the steer in line with ropes dallied and tight, and the horses' front feet are on the ground (R10.8.2).
• Legal head catches are around both horns, half a head, or around the neck (R10.8.6). The heel rope cannot touch the steer's legs until the header has control of the steer's head and the steer's hips have changed direction with forward motion (R10.8.3).
• There is a 30-second elapsed time limit (R10.8.10).

Steer roping (R10.9)

• The steer must be tripped by the horse. The contestant must cross and tie three legs, with the steer remaining tied for six seconds and at least one wrap around all three legs and a half-hitch (R10.9.1).
• Only a slick-around-both-horns catch is legal (R10.9.2). For a legal trip, the rope must go over and below the hip of the steer on the side opposite the direction the horse is turning (R10.9.3.1).
• There is a 30-second elapsed time limit (R10.9.6).

Section 6: Scoring

Riding events (R9.1.1)

• The ride and the animal are marked separately. The ride is marked according to how much the rider spurs the animal.
• Each judge's figures range from zero to 25 for the bucking animal and from zero to 25 for the rider. Using the full spread, the total may reach a maximum of 100 points.
• Markings are submitted to the Arena Secretary as the official markings and may not be changed once submitted (R9.1.3).

Timed events

• Timed events are scored by elapsed time. Official time requires the barrier flag to operate (R10.3.4).
• If the flag fails to work but the time is recorded correctly, the contestant or team receives that time. The barrier penalty is waived unless the barrier is obviously beaten (R10.3.5).
• Penalty seconds are added to the recorded time: 10 seconds for breaking the barrier (R10.3.3) and 5 seconds for a heel catch of one hind foot in team roping (R10.8.8.2).
• A contestant who fails to meet the requirements of a legal catch or tie, or exceeds the time limit, receives "no time" (R10.6.1, R10.6.3, R10.7.9, R10.8.10).

Championship points (R10.8.1)

In team roping, Championship Points in the header category go only to the contestant who entered as header, and in the heeler category only to the one who entered as heeler. Points and standings are covered in Part 12 (Points & PRCA Standings) of the rulebook.

Section 7: Violations & Penalties

Disqualification: riding events

• Bareback (R9.4.7): riding with rowels too sharp or locked; being bucked off; touching animal, equipment or person with the free hand; rigging coming off the horse; violating the spur-out rule; finger tucks, wraps or finger tape; failing to be above the animal with glove on when advised they are next to go.
• Saddle bronc (R9.5.5): changing hands on the rein; losing or dropping the rein before the pre-designated time; wrapping the rein around the hand; losing a stirrup; being bucked off; touching with the free hand; locked or undulled rowels; violating the spur-out rule.
• Bull riding (R9.6.6): being bucked off; touching the animal, equipment, ground or person with the free hand; sharp spurs or placing spurs or chaps under the rope when it is being tightened; not having a bell on the rope; not being above the animal when advised next to go; intentionally leaving the chute with spurs hooked in the rope loop(s).

Fines and penalties: riding events

• Holding the chute gate: $50 for the first offense, doubling progressively (R9.1.7).
• Throwing chaps at an animal: possible $100 fine (R9.1.9).
• Bareback rider unable to free their hand: $100 (R9.4.9).
• Spur rowels with fewer than five points: a warning for the first reported offense, then an immediate 15-day ineligibility for each offense thereafter (R9.4.8).
• Excessive rosin or other foreign substance on chaps and saddle: $250 first offense, $500 second, $1,000 third, and a 30-day suspension plus a $1,000 fine for the fourth and subsequent offenses in a rodeo year (R9.5.6).
• Saddle specification violations: $250, $500, $1,000, then a 30-day suspension and $1,000 fine for fourth and subsequent offenses in a rodeo year (R9.5.1).

Penalties: timed events

• 10 seconds for breaking or beating the barrier (R10.3.3).
• Dragging an animal: $25 for unintentionally dragging five feet but less than 10 feet, $100 for 10 feet or more, and $250 per offense plus possible disqualification for intentional dragging (R10.6.4).
• Roping a calf after the 25-second whistle in tie-down roping is a Class III offense for mistreatment of animals (R10.6.3).
• A contestant who intentionally trips a steer with an illegal catch in steer roping is flagged out and fined $250 (R10.9.3.2). Jerking a steer down without a trip is $100, or $250 if the steer is injured (R10.9.3.4).
• Rattling the chute: $25 fine to the contestant and/or person rattling it (R10.3.15.2).
• Hazer assistance to a steer wrestler beyond the rules disqualifies the contestant (R10.7.5).

Section 8: Safety Considerations

• Assumption of risk (B1.2.4): PRCA membership includes a release of liability. Members acknowledge that participating in a PRCA-sanctioned event exposes them to substantial and serious hazards, including personal injury and death.
• Prods (R9.1.6): use of prods in bareback and saddle bronc is prohibited except for a chute-stalling horse, by agreement of the contestant, stock contractor and judge before the ride begins, and on the neck or shoulder only. In bull riding, use of the standard livestock prod is strictly prohibited once the bull is loaded in the bucking chute, except where needed for the safety of livestock, contestant or personnel as determined by a judge.
• Pickup and rider release: a rider unable to free their hand is assisted by pickup men and stock contractors (R9.4.9).
• Animal welfare in riding events: an animal that becomes sick or injured before it is competed on may be replaced after judge approval (R9.1.5). Horse flanks and/or draw flanks are not allowed in bull riding (R9.6.1.7). Bull horns must be dulled and reduced to specification (R9.6.5).
• Animal welfare in timed events: a sick or injured animal is removed from the draw and must be declared immediately if the injury is detected after the run starts (R10.3.9). Steer roping cattle injured during competition are condemned and removed from the herd (R10.9.12). Tie-down calves may not have horns exceeding 2 inches (R10.6.6).
• Box and chute: boxes are lined to protect the contestant's horse (R10.1.5), and chutes require at least 28 inches clearance (R10.1.2.2). No more than two men may be on the chute to pull a bull rope (R9.6.4), and a timed-event contestant may dismiss or have up to three persons in the box for assistance (R10.3.15).
• Interference: if arena personnel interfere with a timed event, the contestant may, at the judge's discretion, receive a rerun (R10.4.2).