Bouldering Competition Formats Explained

The IFSC format is the gold standard for elite bouldering competition. It is used at every IFSC World Cup, the World Championships, and the Olympic Games. Understanding it is essential for anyone involved in high-level competition organisation or judging.

Round Progression

IFSC events follow a three-round structure:

In qualification, the field is often split into two groups competing at different times to manage logistics. Each group competes on the same set of problems, in isolation from the other group, so no athlete sees any problem before their turn.

The Isolation System

Isolation (known in the community as iso) is the defining procedural feature of the IFSC format. Before finals begin, all finalists are escorted to a dedicated isolation zone — a separate area of the venue where they cannot see the competition wall, watch warm-up climbers, or receive any information about the problems from outside.

The isolation process step by step:

1. Finals athletes are sequestered at least 30-60 minutes before the round begins.
2. Route inspection is forbidden — athletes may not approach the competition wall at any time before their turn.
3. Communication is restricted — phones are typically banned or monitored; athletes who have already competed may not speak with those yet to compete.
4. Observer period (2 minutes) — when it is an athlete's turn, they leave isolation and receive a brief 2-minute observation window to study all problems from the ground before starting their timed attempts. No physical contact with the wall is permitted during observation.
5. Attempt windows begin — after observation, the athlete moves through each problem in sequence, with a strict time window (4 minutes per problem in finals) for attempts on that problem.

For the complete route judge workflow — including what counts as a controlled top and zone — see our How to Judge a Bouldering Competition guide.

Attempt Windows and Rotation

In finals, athletes move through the four or five problems in a strict rotation system. Once the attempt window for a given problem closes, the athlete must move on — unused time cannot be carried forward. This rotation ensures all athletes spend the same total time on each problem regardless of how quickly or slowly they attempt it.

Ranking

Within the IFSC format, rankings are determined by: most Tops → most Zones → fewest attempts to Top → fewest attempts to Zone. A Flash (Top on the first attempt) is the best possible result per problem. See /en/guides/how-bouldering-is-scored for the full scoring hierarchy explained with examples.

Route Setting for IFSC Events

IFSC problems are custom-designed by certified IFSC route-setters. Each set of four to five problems must test different physical qualities — typically including a power/crimping problem, a dynamic/coordination problem, and a compression or balance problem. Route-setters deliberately aim for spread results: ideally the hardest problems should produce zero or one top in finals, creating maximum separation between athletes.

The circuit format occupies the middle ground between the elite isolation format and the open scramble. Climbers move through a set of numbered problems in a defined sequence — either continuously as a rotating field, or in timed blocks where a group attempts one problem before all simultaneously moving to the next.

Onsight vs. Redpoint Circuits

The defining characteristic of the circuit format is that problems are attempted onsight — meaning climbers see each problem for the first time when they arrive at it, with no prior beta, no observation time, and no ability to watch previous climbers. This tests genuine on-the-spot problem-solving ability, which is a core bouldering skill.

In a redpoint circuit, climbers may revisit problems throughout the session window, accumulating attempts until they achieve a result or the time expires. This is closer to the scramble format in practice.

In a strict onsight circuit, each problem is attempted once (or a fixed number of times) within a set time window before the entire field rotates to the next problem. There are no return visits.

Rotation Systems

The rotation is managed either by a timer (e.g., a 5-minute buzzer for each problem station) or by a chief judge coordinating group movements. Common configurations:

Scoring in Circuit Format

Circuit events most commonly use the tops/zones/attempts hierarchy (same as IFSC), because the controlled rotation environment makes it feasible to have judges at each problem station counting attempts. Some circuit events use a points-based system (similar to scramble) where Flashes, Tops, and Zones carry defined point values.

At national-level youth competitions, the circuit format is particularly popular because:

• It ensures every climber attempts every problem (no cherry-picking easy boulders)
• It provides accurate head-to-head data for seeding and age-category ranking
• It is manageable for judging panels of 5-10 people across a defined problem set
• Onsight conditions prevent higher-category climbers from sharing beta with lower-category climbers during the event

When to Use Circuit Format

The circuit format is best suited to events with fewer than 60 climbers per category, where per-problem judging is feasible and the organisers want to ensure every competitor is evaluated on the same set of problems under equal conditions. It is the format of choice for many national federations running youth and junior championships.

The Los Angeles 2028 Olympics will represent the most significant structural change in competitive climbing's short Olympic history: bouldering, lead, and speed will each receive their own standalone gold medal for the first time. This ends the combined-event format that has defined Olympic climbing since its debut at Tokyo 2020.

Paris 2024 vs. LA 2028: What Changes

What the Paris 2024 Combined Format Looked Like

At Paris 2024, athletes competing for the Boulder + Lead medal had to excel in both disciplines. The combined score was calculated by adding each athlete's ranking position from the bouldering round to their ranking position from the lead round. The lowest combined total won gold. Speed climbing was entirely separate.

This additive system replaced the multiplicative format from Tokyo 2020 (where Boulder rank × Lead rank × Speed rank determined the winner), which was widely criticised for forcing pure specialists into three completely different disciplines.

What LA 2028 Means for Bouldering

With a standalone bouldering medal, the LA 2028 bouldering competition is expected to follow standard IFSC World Cup format: full isolation, three rounds (qualification → semi-final → final), 4-5 problems per round, and ranking by tops/zones/attempts (or the evolving IFSC points system, depending on format decisions made before 2028).

For specialists — climbers who have devoted their careers to bouldering without training lead or speed — LA 2028 opens an Olympic pathway that did not previously exist. It also allows route-setters and organisers to design a bouldering event optimised purely for bouldering, without needing to balance athlete fatigue from a previous lead climbing round.

The Points-Based Scoring System and Its Olympic Implications

The Paris 2024 Olympics already used a points-based scoring system for the bouldering round: a Top earns 25 points, a Zone earns 10 points, and each extra attempt deducts 0.1 points. From 2025, the IFSC confirmed this format for all World Cup events, moving away from the pure tops/zones/attempts hierarchy. Whether LA 2028 will continue using this points system or adopt a further evolution remains to be confirmed as the Olympic technical package is finalised.