Biathlon (IBU) — Official Rules

Biathlon combines cross-country skiing (free/skating technique) with rifle marksmanship. Competitors ski a course of several loops and stop at the shooting range for one or more shooting bouts. Each missed target is penalised - by an extra penalty loop to ski or by time added to the competitor's result, depending on the discipline. The competitor's final result is the total elapsed time (in interval-start races) or the finishing order (in mass-start and pursuit races), with all shooting penalties included.

Biathlon is governed worldwide by the International Biathlon Union (IBU). These rules - the IBU Event and Competition Rules, Version 2025 - apply to all IBU events; at the Olympic Winter Games they apply except where the IOC stipulates otherwise. The 30-lane shooting range, the standardised competition formats and all penalties described here are mandatory for IBU events such as the World Cup, World Championships, IBU Cup and the 2026 Olympic Winter Games (Milano Cortina).

The Individual is the oldest format. Distances: Men 20 km, Women 15 km (5 ski loops). Competitors shoot four (4) bouts of 5 shots in the order Prone - Standing - Prone - Standing (P-S-P-S). The start is single (interval) with a 30-second gap between competitors. There is no penalty loop; instead, each missed target adds one (1) minute to the competitor's total time. The competitor with the lowest total time wins.

Distances: Men 10 km, Women 7.5 km (3 ski loops). Competitors shoot two (2) bouts of 5 shots in the order Prone then Standing (P-S). The start is single (interval), normally 30 seconds apart. Each missed target is penalised with a 150 m penalty loop skied immediately after the shooting bout. The Sprint result also seeds the starting order and time gaps for the Pursuit.

Distances: Men 12.5 km, Women 10 km (5 ski loops). The start is a pursuit start: the Sprint winner starts first and every other competitor starts behind by exactly the time gap they recorded in the Sprint, so the first to cross the finish line wins outright. Competitors shoot four (4) bouts of 5 shots in the order Prone - Prone - Standing - Standing (P-P-S-S). Each missed target is penalised with a 150 m penalty loop.

Distances: Men 15 km, Women 12.5 km (5 ski loops). The field of (normally) 30 athletes starts simultaneously from a numbered grid. Competitors shoot four (4) bouts of 5 shots in the order Prone - Prone - Standing - Standing (P-P-S-S); in the first three bouts each athlete uses the firing point matching their start number, and only at the last bout do they fill the lanes in order of arrival. Each missed target is penalised with a 150 m penalty loop; the first across the line wins.

Relay: four-leg team race - Men 4 x 7.5 km, Women 4 x 6 km; the Mixed Relay is 4 x 6 km with two women and two men. Teams start simultaneously and tag the next team-mate in the exchange zone. Each leg includes two (2) bouts (Prone then Standing, P-S). A relay competitor fires the first 5 rounds and, if targets remain standing, may use three (3) spare rounds, which must be hand-loaded one by one (not from a magazine) - up to 8 rounds per bout. Any target still standing after 8 shots costs a 150 m penalty loop.

Newer formats use a shorter 75 m penalty loop and a 1.5 km loop:

• Single Mixed Relay: one woman and one man per team; the pair alternate, each completing four bouts total (P-S + P-S) over 6 km (first leg) and 7.5 km (second leg); penalty loop 75 m; relay spare-round rules apply.
• Short Individual: Men 15 km / Women 12.5 km, four bouts P-S-P-S, time penalty 45 seconds per miss.
• Super Sprint: a same-day qualification (4.5 km, 3 loops, two bouts P-S) then a final (7.5 km, 5 loops, four bouts P-P-S-S); only the first 5 shots count - no spare rounds - and the penalty loop is 75 m.

IBU competitions use four start types: (a) Single (interval) start - competitors leave one at a time, normally 30 seconds apart (Individual, Sprint, Short Individual; 15 s in Super Sprint qualification); (b) Simultaneous (mass) start - the whole field starts together (Mass Start, Relay, Single Mixed Relay, Super Sprint final); (c) Pursuit start - competitors start with the time gaps from a preceding race (Pursuit); and (d) Tag start in relays, where an incoming competitor tags the next team-mate in the exchange zone.

In interval starts a competitor must cross the start line within the allowed window around the assigned time; an early (false) start must be corrected by returning behind the start line, and a competitor who starts late must do so through the lane without obstructing others - the official clock still runs from the scheduled start time, so lost seconds count against the result. In mass and pursuit starts, crossing the line before the start signal is a false start corrected by the start judges.

The shooting range has 30 shooting lanes with targets of the same type/model, set in a level straight line parallel to the shooting ramp. The shooting distance is 50 m from the firing line to the targets. The target centre is 80-100 cm above the shooting-ramp surface. Each prone shooting position is provided with a mat 200 cm x 150 cm and 1-2 cm thick. Lanes are numbered, and at major IBU events (OWG, World Championships, World Cup, IBU Cup) targets must have electronic scoring and remote (rope-free) reset.

Each shooting lane has five (5) circular targets. The hit (scoring) diameter changes with the shooting position:

• Prone: 45 mm (4.5 cm) - the smaller aperture.
• Standing: 115 mm (11.5 cm) - the larger aperture. The full black target face is 115 mm; in prone shooting only the central 45 mm white knock-down disc counts as a hit. When a target is hit, the metal target turns from black to white, giving immediate visual feedback to the athlete and spectators.

The penalty loop is a marked, separate ski loop adjacent to the range exit. Its standard length is 150 m (and 75 m for the Single Mixed Relay, Super Sprint and youth formats). In all penalty-loop disciplines, a competitor must ski one full penalty loop for each target left standing immediately after the relevant shooting bout, before continuing on the course. Failing to ski an owed penalty loop is penalised after the race by two (2) minutes added per loop not skied.

Each shooting bout consists of five (5) rounds at five targets (plus up to three spares in relays). The shooting position is fixed by the discipline (see Chapter 2): Sprint and Relay use Prone then Standing (P-S); Pursuit and Mass Start use P-P-S-S; Individual and Short Individual use P-S-P-S. Competitors must shoot from the firing point in the correct position and may not begin a bout from a wrong position. The number of hits and misses in each bout is recorded by the electronic targets and the range officials.

Prone: the rifle may contact only the competitor's hands, shoulder and cheek, and the lower side of the wrist of the supporting arm must be distinctly raised from the snow (no resting the forearm flat). Standing: the competitor must stand without any support; only the hands, shoulder, cheek and the chest area next to the shoulder may touch the rifle, and the supporting arm may be propped against the chest or hip. Violating the position requirements voids the bout's validity and is sanctioned by the jury.

In Relay competitions, each competitor must first fire the five (5) rounds loaded from a magazine; if targets remain standing, they may use three (3) spare rounds, which must be hand-loaded one by one - never fed directly from a magazine. A bout therefore allows a maximum of eight (8) shots. If targets are still standing after all available rounds, the competitor must ski one penalty loop per remaining target. Spare rounds exist only in relay formats; they are not available in Individual, Sprint, Pursuit, Mass Start or Super Sprint.

The rifle must be carried on the back throughout the skiing portions, with the muzzle pointing up and the action open/safe. The rifle is loaded only on the firing line, pointed downrange (toward the targets or into the ground in the safe zone). A loaded or chambered round away from the firing point, or pointing the muzzle in an unsafe direction, is a serious safety breach sanctioned by the jury, up to disqualification.

In Sprint, Pursuit, Mass Start, Relay, Single Mixed Relay and Super Sprint, the automatic penalty for each target left standing after the bout is one penalty loop: 150 m (standard) or 75 m (Single Mixed Relay and Super Sprint). The athlete must ski the owed loops immediately on leaving the range, before rejoining the main course. Because the loop costs roughly 20-25 seconds, accurate shooting under fatigue and high heart rate is decisive.

In the Individual and Short Individual, there is no penalty loop. Instead, a fixed time is added to the competitor's total time for each missed target:

• Individual: one (1) minute (60 seconds) per miss.
• Short Individual: forty-five (45) seconds per miss. With four bouts of 5 shots (20 shots), a competitor who misses every target in the Individual would accumulate 20 minutes of penalty - which is why the Individual rewards marksmanship most heavily.

A competitor's competition time runs from the start (scheduled interval time, or the start signal in mass/pursuit/relay) until the front edge of the leading foot/ski crosses the finish line. Times are taken to 1/10 second; ties may be split to higher resolution by photo-finish/transponder data. In interval-start and time-penalty races the lowest total time wins; in pursuit and mass-start races, finishing order decides the result (first across the line wins).

Electronic timing records intermediate (split) times at fixed points on each loop and at range entry/exit, allowing real-time gaps between competitors and shooting/skiing time analysis. The combination of split times with shooting results (hits/misses and penalty loops) drives the live standings and the broadcast graphics throughout the race.

The rifle must be manually operated (no semi- or fully automatic action) and chambered in .22 Long Rifle rimfire (5.6 mm) only. The unloaded rifle must weigh at least 3.5 kg (and not more than the catalogue maximum), the trigger pull must be at least 500 g, and only non-magnified diopter (rear) and globe (front) sights are permitted. The muzzle velocity of the ammunition must not exceed the IBU limit (about 360 m/s). The rifle is checked at pre-start inspection and verified by serial number at the finish.

Skiing uses the free (skating) technique; classic-only restrictions do not apply. Skis must be no shorter than the competitor's height minus 4 cm, must not exceed prescribed width limits, and may carry only approved bindings. Poles must not exceed the competitor's height (no spike/blade extensions to the body). Race suits, bib (start) numbers, thigh numbers and transponders (timing chips) must be worn; wireless communication or listening devices are prohibited during the competition.

Courses are built from ski loops combined to make each discipline's distance (e.g. 5 loops in the Individual, 3 in the Sprint). Each course must meet minimum and maximum total-climb values defined per competition in the rules' specification table, balancing flats, climbs and descents. The course passes through the stadium (start/finish and range) once per loop. A competitor must follow the marked course and not gain advantage by leaving it.

A competitor being overtaken must give way on first demand and must not obstruct the overtaking competitor. In mass-start, pursuit, relay and Single Mixed Relay competitions, a competitor who is about to be lapped by the leader must move to the side and stop competing immediately when overtaken, leaving the course. Deliberate obstruction is sanctioned by the jury with a time penalty or disqualification.

Each IBU event is led by a Technical Delegate (TD) and a Competition Jury (chaired by the IBU/TD with national-federation members). Specialist officials include the Race Director, Start Referee, Shooting-Range Referee, Penalty-Loop Referee and Finish Referee. The Jury rules on protests, applies penalties and disqualifications, and approves official results. Its decisions are final within the rules, subject to the protest and appeal procedure.

Beyond automatic shot penalties, the Jury may impose time penalties (e.g. two (2) minutes for failing to ski an owed penalty loop, course-cutting or obstruction) or disqualification (DSQ) for serious breaches: an illegal rifle or skis, a missed shooting bout, a safety violation, wrong shooting position not corrected, doping or unsporting conduct. A competitor may also be Did Not Start (DNS) or Did Not Finish (DNF). Penalties and their reasons are recorded in the official competition documents and the audit trail.

A team may file a protest within the time limits set in the rules (generally a short window after the event or the posting of provisional results), accompanied by the prescribed fee. The Competition Jury decides protests; its decision may be appealed to the IBU appeals body within the stated deadline. Provisional results become official once all protests and appeals are resolved or the protest window has closed.