Simplified FIS Judges Handbook

The FIS (International Ski and Snowboard Federation) publishes official handbooks for judges in every competitive discipline. Each handbook (covering moguls, aerials, freeskiing slopestyle/halfpipe/big air, snowboard slopestyle/halfpipe/big air, ski cross, and snowboard cross) defines scoring criteria, panel composition, and deduction guidelines.

Available as free PDFs on the FIS website (fis-ski.com) under the Officials section and updated before each season, they are lengthy and highly technical — often exceeding 150 pages, making them inaccessible to athletes, coaches, and fans who want to understand scoring.

This guide distills the key concepts into a single, practical reference.

Each FIS discipline uses a different judge panel structure tailored to what is being evaluated. Panel size and composition directly affect score calculation.

A Head Judge oversees every panel — monitoring consistency, calling reviews, and managing the panel. In some disciplines, a Technical Delegate (TD) also supervises.

FIS uses three main scoring methods across its disciplines, each reflecting the unique demands of the sport.

Overall Impression gives judges the most flexibility to reward creativity. The Weighted Component Formula balances technique with acrobatics. Execution x Difficulty rewards harder tricks while demanding clean execution.

Each discipline has specific criteria that judges evaluate. Understanding these helps athletes focus training and spectators follow the scoring.

Moguls — Turns (60% of total score)

• Carving technique: Clean, controlled edge engagement through each mogul
• Fall line: Maintaining a direct path down the course
• Absorption and fluidity: Smooth knee action, continuous rhythm at appropriate speed

Moguls — Air (20% of total score)

• Form in the air: Body position, extension, and control
• Landing quality: Clean, balanced absorption
• Degree of difficulty: Higher DD tricks score more when well-executed

Aerials

• Takeoff: Proper speed, angle, and position off the kicker
• Height and form: Appropriate amplitude, tight position, full rotations
• Landing: Balanced, absorbed, riding away cleanly
• Degree of difficulty: DD coefficient multiplies execution

Slopestyle (skiing and snowboarding)

• Difficulty and variety: Complex tricks across rotations, axes, and grabs
• Execution: Clean takeoffs, stable grabs, controlled landings
• Amplitude and style: Height, distance, personal expression, flow
• Use of course: Utilizing all features effectively

Halfpipe (skiing and snowboarding)

• Amplitude: Height above the lip of the pipe
• Difficulty and variety: Range of tricks, rotations, and directions
• Execution: Clean technique and controlled landings
• Use of the pipe: Wall-to-wall transitions, full pipe utilization

Big Air (skiing and snowboarding)

• Difficulty: Technical complexity of the trick
• Execution and style: Clean rotation, grab, and landing with confidence
• Amplitude: Height and distance off the jump

FIS maintains a structured certification pathway for judges with multiple levels:

1. National Level: Judges begin through their national ski federation (e.g., U.S. Ski & Snowboard) with theoretical coursework and practical evaluation at domestic events.

2. FIS Level: After national-level experience, judges apply for FIS certification. This requires a theoretical exam on FIS rules plus practical evaluations at FIS-sanctioned events.

3. World Cup Level: Judges demonstrating consistent high-quality performance may be promoted to World Cup panels based on ongoing evaluation.

4. Olympic Level: The highest tier. Olympic judges are selected from top-rated World Cup judges based on cumulative multi-season evaluations.

All certified judges must complete ongoing training and re-certification. FIS conducts seminars, video training, and on-site evaluations to keep judges current with rule changes.

FIS uses several mechanisms to maintain fair and consistent scoring across events:

• Head Judge Review: The Head Judge monitors all scores in real time, flags outliers, and intervenes when a judge deviates significantly from the panel.

• Video Review: At major events (World Cup, World Championships, Olympics), officials can verify scores against recorded footage.

• Judge Evaluation: FIS evaluators assess each judge at every event. Judges receive consistency ratings based on panel average alignment.

• Statistical Analysis: FIS tracks judge performance over time, flagging persistent bias patterns for review.

• Removal and Suspension: Judges showing persistent inconsistency can be removed from panels, suspended, or required to retrain.

• Post-Event Reconciliation: Scoring data is reviewed after each event, with anomalies documented for future assignments.