Alpine Skiing (FIS) — Official Rules

Alpine skiing is a timed sport in which each competitor descends a marked, gated course on snow as fast as possible. The competitor's result is the elapsed time measured from the start to the finish line; the fastest valid time wins. There is no head-to-head scoring of points in the individual disciplines: ranking is determined purely by time. A competitor who does not pass every gate correctly, does not start, or does not finish is not classified.

The alpine disciplines governed by Book IV are: Downhill (DH), Super-G (SG), Giant Slalom (GS) and Slalom (SL) as individual events, plus Parallel and Mixed Team Parallel, Combined / Team Combined, and KO events. The disciplines differ in vertical drop, number of direction changes (gates) and turn radius: Downhill is the fastest with the longest drop and widest turns; Slalom is the most technical with the shortest drop and tightest turns. DH and SG are the speed events; GS and SL are the technical events.

Every course is delineated by gates. In Slalom a gate is two poles (or a single turning pole where there is no outside pole); in DH, SG, GS and Parallel a gate consists of four slalom poles holding two gate panels. Consecutive gates alternate red and blue. The competitor must follow the line defined by the gates from the start gate to the finish line.

Downhill is characterised by technique, courage, speed, risk, physical condition and judgement, and is decided in a single run. Vertical drop for Olympic Winter Games, FIS World Ski Championships and World Cup: men 800 m (exceptionally 750 m) - 1100 m; women 450 m - 800 m. For Continental Cups men 500-1100 m; for all other FIS races men 450-1100 m. Two-run Downhill races use a reduced drop of 350-450 m.

A Downhill gate consists of 4 slalom poles and 2 gate panels (panels approx. 0.75 m wide by 0.50 m high, lower edge approx. 1 m above the snow). The width of a Downhill gate must be at least 8 m. The competition course is normally approximately 30 m wide. Gates delineate the desired racing line and are used to control speed before difficult jumps and passages. Obstacles where competitors may be thrown must be protected with high safety nets, fences, pads and slip-sheets.

Because of the speed and risk, Downhill requires mandatory official non-stop training runs over the full race course on the days before the race; a competitor must complete the prescribed training to be allowed to start. During the race a yellow flag may be shown to stop a competitor for safety reasons; that competitor is granted a re-run. All competitors and forerunners must wear an FIS-approved crash helmet for both training and the race.

Super-G (Super Giant Slalom) is a speed event decided in one run. Vertical drop for Olympic Winter Games, World Championships, World Cups and Continental Cups: men 400 m - 650 m; women 400 m - 600 m. For all other FIS competitions men 350-650 m and women 350-600 m. The terrain should be undulating and hilly, and jumps may be set where the terrain allows.

A Super-G gate consists of four slalom poles and two gate panels. Open gates must be at least 6 m and at most 8 m wide; vertical (closed) gates at least 8 m and at most 12 m. The minimum number of direction changes is 7% of the vertical drop for FIS-level events, and 6% for Olympic Winter Games, World Championships, World Junior Championships and Continental Cup level. The distance between the turning poles of two successive gates must be at least 25 m (may be reduced to a minimum of 15 m only for small gate combinations). The course is normally approx. 30 m wide.

Giant Slalom is a technical event run in two runs on the same slope but with different gate settings, both on the same day where possible. Vertical drop: men 250 m - 450 m, women 250 m - 400 m; for Olympic Winter Games, World Championships and World Cup the minimum drop is 300 m for both. The total result is the sum of the two run times; the fastest total wins.

A Giant Slalom gate consists of 4 slalom poles and 2 gate panels (panel approx. 75 cm wide by 50 cm high, lower edge approx. 1 m above the snow), alternately red and blue. The gates must be at least 4 m and at most 8 m wide, and the distance between the nearest turning poles of two successive gates must be at least 10 m. The number of direction changes is 11% - 15% of the vertical drop in metres (rounded).

Slalom is the most technical discipline, with the shortest drop and tightest turns. Vertical drop for Olympic Winter Games, World Championships and World Cup: men 180 m - 220 m, women 140 m - 220 m. For all other FIS races men 140-220 m and women 120-200 m. The course should not require acrobatics incompatible with normal ski technique.

A Slalom gate is two poles alternating blue and red. A gate must have a minimum width of 4 m and a maximum of 6 m. The distance from turning pole to turning pole of successive gates must be not less than 6 m and not more than 13 m. Gates within a hairpin or vertical combination must be 0.75 m to 1 m apart and set in a straight line; delayed gates must be 12 m to 18 m apart. The number of direction changes is 30% to 35% of the vertical drop (in metres), ±3. The course must contain at least one and at most three vertical combinations, at least three hairpins, and one to three delay combinations.

A Slalom must always be decided by two runs on two different courses set one after the other on the slope. Splitting competitors into two groups starting simultaneously on both courses is not permitted. The Jury may reduce the field for the second run to half of the first-run start list, deciding no later than one hour before the first run. The total result is the sum of the two run times. A competitor disqualified or failing to finish either run is not classified.

A gate has been passed correctly when both of the competitor's ski tips and both feet have crossed the gate line. If a competitor loses a ski without committing a fault (e.g. not by straddling a pole), then the tip of the remaining ski and both feet must cross the gate line. The gate line in Downhill, Giant Slalom and Super-G is the shortest imaginary line between the turning pole and the outside gate at snow level; in Slalom it is the shortest imaginary line between the turning pole and the outside pole.

Each gate is supervised by a gate judge who, if a competitor fails to pass a gate correctly under Art. 661.4, must immediately record the competitor's bib number and the gate number(s) where the fault occurred, and make a drawing of the fault (an essential requirement). The gate judge must declare a fault only when convinced one has been committed, and may consult an adjacent gate judge or request a brief interruption to check the tracks in the snow. If asked after a fall or error, the gate judge must tell the competitor whether a disqualifying fault was committed.

A competitor will be disqualified (DSQ) if they: (a) participate under false pretences; (b) jeopardise the safety of persons or property or cause injury or damage; or (c) do not pass through a gate correctly (Art. 661.4) or do not start within the time limits. The most common disqualifying faults are missing a gate and straddling a turning pole - i.e. passing the turning pole between the legs so that ski tips and feet are on opposite sides of the gate line. A disqualified competitor receives no time and is not classified.

The Jury may decide that a gate judge signals a disqualifying fault immediately by raising a coloured flag or sounding a signal. A protest against a disqualification (Art. 641.4) must be based on physical evidence; the Jury may only re-evaluate a decision where new evidence exists relating to the original decision. A competitor who does not complete the course is recorded as DNF (Did Not Finish); one who does not appear at the start is DNS (Did Not Start); one not permitted to start is NPS.

Two independent synchronised electronic timing systems are required: System A (main) and System B (back-up), each connected to its own start-gate contact and finish photocell. Time-of-day is recorded at start and finish; the net run time is the finish time minus the start time. Separate, fully independent hand timing (stopwatches synchronised to System A/B) must also be operated at start and finish for all FIS Calendar races. If System A fails, System B is used; hand times may be used only after a calculated correction.

Electronic timing is triggered when the competitor crosses the finish line and breaks the beam between the photocells. The final result is calculated by subtracting the start time from the finish time and is expressed to 1/100th (0.01 second) precision by truncating the calculated net time (not rounding). In disciplines with two runs, the two net times are added to produce the total; the smallest total wins. Ties are permitted: tied competitors share the same rank.

The starting order in all alpine competitions (DH, SL, GS, SG and Alpine Combined) is determined by the competitors' FIS points. A first group of a maximum of the 15 best competitors present, regardless of nationality, is drawn (the seed group); they start within that group by draw. All remaining competitors then start in order of their FIS points (lowest points first), and competitors without FIS points are drawn in the last group. The Jury may reduce the size of the first group if the points gap within the top 15 is too large.

In two-run competitions the second-run start order follows the first-run result list except for the first 30 places, which are reversed: the competitor ranked 30th after run 1 starts 1st, the 29th starts 2nd, and so on down to the 1st-ranked competitor starting 30th; from 31st onward the order follows the first-run result. The Jury may decide, no later than one hour before the first run, to reduce the reversal to the first 15 placed competitors. This 'flip-30' rule rewards consistent skiers and adds drama to the second run.

In Slalom the start takes place at irregular intervals decided by the chief of timing; the competitor on course need not have finished before the next starts. In DH, SG and GS a fixed start interval is used with an acoustic start-clock countdown. The starter gives 'Ready / Attention' then 'Go!', and the competitor must start within about 10 seconds of the signal. A competitor who fails to start within the time limit, makes a false start, or steps back is disqualified.

A Parallel is a competition in which two competitors race simultaneously side by side down two courses (red on skier's left, blue on skier's right) set as equally as possible. Minimum vertical drop 50 m, minimum 15 direction changes, minimum course length 160 m. The event runs in two parts: a qualification (start order by FIS points) from which the fastest 32 competitors advance to knockout elimination heats (round of 32 → 16 → quarter-finals → semi-finals → final). In Parallel, passage is correct when both ski tips and both feet pass the turning pole in the direction of the turn.

The Mixed Team Parallel is run as a parallel using Giant Slalom gates. Each Nation enters up to 6 competitors (at least 2 of one gender); a heat consists of four individual legs (two women, two men). The winner of each leg scores 1 point for the Nation; if a leg is tied both Nations score. If a heat is tied 2:2, it is won by the Nation with the lowest combined time of its best woman and best man. Immediate disqualification (without protest) applies for changing course, interfering with the opponent, not passing a gate correctly, or stepping back. Note: the Mixed Team Parallel was dropped from the Milano-Cortina 2026 Olympic programme but remains an ICR / World Championships format.

Alpine Combined tests both speed and technique. The classical individual format pairs a speed run (Downhill or Super-G) with a Slalom run; the result is the sum of the two run times, and the smallest total wins. Combined may be held as a Single (individual) or Team event at all levels. A competitor's result counts only if they complete every run of the Combined. Starting numbers given for the first run remain unchanged for all runs.

Team Combined is the headline 2026 format: it replaced the individual Alpine Combined at the Olympic Winter Games and World Championships. It is a pairs event in which a Nation fields two athletes - one races the speed leg (Downhill) and the other races the Slalom leg - and the team's result is the sum of the two athletes' times; the fastest combined team time wins. Team Combined for men and women made its Olympic debut at Milano-Cortina 2026, where it was contested at Bormio (men) and Cortina d'Ampezzo (women).

All competitors and forerunners must wear a crash helmet that meets the FIS Equipment Specifications for both official training and the race. Helmets for the speed events (DH, SG) and GS must be hard-shelled; soft ear protection is permitted only for Slalom helmets. Ski geometry (minimum length, sidecut radius) and binding/plate height are regulated per discipline by the FIS Specifications for Competition Equipment to control speed and reduce injury risk; equipment not conforming leads to disqualification under Art. 628.

Every course used for a FIS alpine competition must be homologated (certified) by FIS, with an official homologation number, before it may host a race. The homologation certificate records the start and finish positions, vertical drop, gradient, width and required safety installations. Speed-event courses (DH, SG) require additional safety inspection. The minimum prescribed vertical drops for each discipline must always be observed unless an exemption is granted on the homologation certificate.