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In sports (particularly racing sports like swimming, track, or motor sports), a false start is committed by a competitor who starts before being signaled to do so. In some instances, a false start can immediately disqualify an athlete from further competition, but more often a single warning is given. False starts are looked for in sprint races especially, where the fractions of a second gained could make the difference between winning and losing.

In sprints, sensors on the starting blocks of each athlete's lane are used to detect false starts. Since 2003, IAAF rules state that after any false start committed, all athletes are warned.^[1] Any subsequent false start by any athlete leads to immediate disqualification. Previously disqualification occurred only after the same athlete false-started twice.^[2]

In swimming, any swimmer who starts before the starting signal is given is automatically disqualified, according to the USA Swimming rules.^[3] The same is true at high school levels.

In American football, a false start is movement by an offensive player after they have taken a set position. For offensive linemen, this movement might be as minute as a couple of centimeters. A false start brings a penalty of five yards.

At the end of the 2005-2006 NFL season, owners complained regarding false start penalties on players whose flinches have little effect upon the start of the play, such as wide receivers. In response, the NFL competition committee has said that they plan to inflict fewer false start penalties on players who line up behind the line of scrimmage.^[4]

On television broadcasts, usually those that are live, a false start is an intro to a song that is quickly cut short to another song. One famous example is Elvis Costello playing "Radio Radio" on Saturday Night Live.