> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://docs.time2.bike/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# Dual slalom

> Two lanes, head to head, one button per volunteer.

Dual slalom and 4X need both lanes timed independently and accurately. Your
finish-line volunteers get exactly one button, because they're watching a rider
come down a hill at speed rather than reading a screen.

<img src="https://mintcdn.com/time2bike/gd86sIECJkXq3-wr/images/timing/dual-salom.png?fit=max&auto=format&n=gd86sIECJkXq3-wr&q=85&s=e1533af6a2aa65522fa0394df520e800" alt="Dual slalom" width="2498" height="1662" data-path="images/timing/dual-salom.png" />

A race gets this screen automatically when its format is set to **dual slalom
bracket** on the [Races](/organizers/races/races-list) page. Nothing to switch on
in timing.

<Note>
  Running a whole slalom event — qualifying several categories together, seeding
  the brackets, publishing? Start with
  [Running a dual slalom event](/timing/formats/dual-slalom-event). This page is
  the operator screen itself.
</Note>

## One device per job

| Device                   | Where it stands         | What that person does                            |
| ------------------------ | ----------------------- | ------------------------------------------------ |
| **Starter**              | Top of the course       | Stages both riders, presses **Start both lanes** |
| **Finisher — red**       | Bottom of the red lane  | Presses **Finish red** as their rider crosses    |
| **Finisher — blue**      | Bottom of the blue lane | Presses **Finish blue**                          |
| **Marshal** *(optional)* | Anywhere                | Corrections, DNFs, disqualifications             |

Three devices is normal, four if you want a marshal.

## A run, start to finish

<Steps>
  <Step title="Stage both riders">
    The starter types each rider's plate into the red and blue slots. When a
    bracket is running, this is filled in already.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Start both lanes">
    One press opens the clock for both riders.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Each finisher presses their lane">
    Once both lanes are in, the run is complete and the next pair can stage.
  </Step>
</Steps>

## Pressed too early?

**Clear last finish** on that lane. It removes the bad time cleanly and the lane
goes live again.

Always use Clear rather than trying to re-finish over the top of a wrong time.

## Lane swapping

In a bracket, riders swap lanes between legs — rider A starts red on the first
leg and blue on the second — so both riders run both courses. The screen handles
which lane each rider is in; you just stage and start.

## With an RFID pad

If you're running RFID, the reads turn themselves into lane finishes: while a run
is in flight, a read for a plate that started in the red lane records a red-lane
finish. Reads for plates that aren't currently on course are ignored.

A **Listening for plates** panel shows exactly which two bibs the watcher is
waiting for, so you can see at a glance whether it's going to work.

→ [RFID](/timing/hardware/rfid)

## Settings worth getting right

Under **Timer setup → How I am timing**:

| Setting                 | For slalom                                                      |
| ----------------------- | --------------------------------------------------------------- |
| **Displayed precision** | Hundredths — slalom margins are smaller than a second           |
| **Pause behaviour**     | Freeze the clock, so a course hold doesn't count against anyone |

Set the pause behaviour before you record anything; it locks once the first entry
lands.

## Running a full bracket

Seeding, rounds, and a final all happen on this screen.

→ [Brackets](/timing/formats/brackets)