Fall factor

Fall Factor is simply the length of the fall divided by the length of the rope from faller to the fixed point, whether belayer or anchor. The equation looks like this

$f={\frac {l}{r}}$

where

f = fall factor l = length of fall r = length of rope out

Fall Factor 2 is the maximum that you should encounter in a typical climbing fall, since the length of an arrested fall can't exceed two times the length of the rope. Normally, a Fall Factor 2 can only occur when a leader who has placed no protection falls past the belayer, or the anchor if it's a solo climb. As soon as protection is placed, the distance of the fall as a function of rope length is lessened, and the Fall Factor drops below 2.