DEFINITION
A Correction is a visible, reactive input the driver makes to save a drift that was going wrong: a sharp counter-steer change, a sudden throttle lift, or a brake stab to stop a spin. Judges deduct points for every visible correction because it shows the driver was reacting rather than executing a planned line.
Small mid-drift adjustments to maintain line are not corrections — those are normal driver inputs. The distinguishing factor is that a correction is reactive and unplanned.
HISTORY & ORIGIN
Correction-deduction has been part of drift judging since the very first Japanese competitions. The principle is simple: drift is meant to look intentional, not improvised.
TECHNIQUE BREAKDOWN
The cure for corrections is preparation, not skill: a clean entry speed and angle make corrections unnecessary. If you find yourself correcting through a clipping point, the fix is in your entry, not in the middle of the corner.
PRO TIPS & COMMON MISTAKES
• A correction visible to the crowd is automatically visible to the judges.
• If you must correct, do it as smoothly as possible — sudden inputs cost more points than gradual ones.
• Rewatch your runs frame-by-frame and count corrections — that's the cheapest training tool you have.
He spun the wheel halfway through the second clip — judges marked it as a correction.