U-Turn

The U-Turn is located immediately after a Detour.

The U-Turn was introduced in Season 12. After completing a chosen Detour option, a team may use the U-Turn to force another team to also complete the other Detour option they did not originally choose. Similarly to a Yield, the team placing the U-Turn places a photo of the team they are penalizing along with their own "Courtesy Of" photo on the U-Turn marker stand. As of Season 19, iPads and small tablets were used in place of the photos.

Like the Yield, if the team has lost their "Courtesy Of" photo, they will be unable to use their U-Turn power for the remainder of the Race. This was seen in The Amazing Race Asia 3 in Leg 9, after Ida & Tania decided to U-Turn Geoff & Tisha only to realize they did not have their "Courtesy Of" photo with them.

It is possible for a team to U-Turn another team that has already passed the U-Turn, nullifying its effects. A team can only use their U-Turn power once per Race and only one team may be affected by the same U-Turn during a leg. Teams are warned of an upcoming U-Turn on the Route Marker or after the Detour clue. Season 15 was the first and only season since it's inception not to show a U-Turn. If the Fast Forward and U-Turn appear in the same leg or if there will be Double U-Turn, that leg will have a U-Turn warning in the first clue they receive [usually at the pit stop of the previous leg, or at the virtual pit stop] [e.g: Season 16, Leg 9 (Fast Foward & U-Turn), Season 17, Leg 9 (Double U-Turn), Season 18, Leg 5 & 9 (Double U-Turn)]



Blind U-Turn
Starting in Season 14, teams were met with a variation of the U-Turn called a "Blind U-Turn." If teams use a Blind U-Turn, they do not have to publicly reveal themselves as the perpetrators with their "Courtesy Of" photo.

Double U-Turn
In Season 17, the Double U-Turn was introduced. This addition allowed two individual teams to each U-Turn two other teams. In Leg 9, Jill & Thomas U-Turned Brook & Claire and then Nat & Kat U-Turned Chad & Stephanie. In Season 18, it appeared in leg 5 and Leg 9 (Kent & Vyxsin U-Turned Jaime & Cara and Jaime & Cara U-Turned Flight Time & Big Easy in Leg 5, while in Leg 9, only one of the U-turn slots was used (Flight Time & Big Easy U-Turned Jet & Cord).

As a Penalty
In Season 18 the last team to complete the starting line challenge, Amanda & Kris, was automatically penalized with a U-Turn for the first Detour they encountered.

U-Turn Users
Season 12 (all U-Turns are normal unless otherwise stated)
 * Shana & Jennifer [on Lorena & Jason]
 * Kynt & Vyxsin [on Nicolas & Donald, who was ahead of them]

Season 14
 * Margie & Luke [Blind U-Turn on Amanda & Kris]
 * Tammy & Victor [on Kisha & Jen]

Season 16
 * Louie & Michael [Blind U-Turn on Joe & Heidi]
 * Brent & Caite [on Carol & Brandy]

Season 17
 * Jill & Thomas [Slot #1 of the Double U-Turn on Brook & Claire]
 * Nat & Kat [Slot #2 of the Double U-Turn on Chad & Stephanie]

Season 18 Season 19 Asia Season 3
 * Kynt & Vyxsin [Slot #1 of the Double U-Turn on Jaime & Cara]
 * Jaime & Cara [Slot #2 of the Double U-Turn on Flight Time & Big Easy]
 * Flight Time & Big Easy [Slot #1 of the Double U-Turn on Jet & Cord]
 * Laurence & Zac [Slot #1 of the Double U-Turn on Amani & Marcus, who was ahead of them]
 * Ernie & Cindy [Slot #1 of the Double U-turn on Bill & Cathi]
 * Bill & Cathi [Slot #2 of the Double U-turn on Laurence & Zac]
 * Geoff & Tisha [on A.D. & Fuzzie]

Asia Season 6
 * Michelle & Claire [on Sunaina & Dimple]

Latin America Season 1
 * Ferna & Fran [on Anna & Rodrigo]

Latin America Season 2
 * Aleandra & Marlene [on Vinícius & Guilherme]

HaMerotz LaMillion Season 1
 * Michal & Ran [on Maya & Amichay]
 * Shay & Guy [on Hadas & Inbal]

China Rush Season 1
 * Lisa & Karen [on Deepak & Naresh]

China Rush Season 2
 * Summer & Eachen [on Sun Bin & Hao Fei'er, who was ahead of them]
 * Mary & Cecilia [Slot #1 of the Double U-Turn on Lily & Jan]
 * Sun Bin & Hao Fei'er [Slot #2 of the Double U-Turn on Elena & Tameka]

Australia Season 1
 * Tyler & Nathan [on Richard & Joey]

quote
a U-turn appears at the end of detour usually just one team can use the U-turn to slow down other team forcing them the backtrack perform the other side of detour but the first time the amazing race history teams will encounter Double U-turn now two different teams can each pick a team to perform a extra task potentialy casuing the major shift standings of the race

phil:introduce first Double U-turn in season 17