How Is Skateboarding Scored?
SLS, Olympic, and competition judging in Street and Park
Five judges score each run or trick on a 0–100 scale using Overall Impression — the entire performance is evaluated holistically, not trick-by-trick. At Paris 2024 Olympics (and LA 2028): street skaters do 2 runs plus five best tricks; park skaters get 3 runs with only the best counting. Highest and lowest scores are dropped, middle three are averaged. There is no difficulty multiplier, a clean kickflip can outscore a sloppy 900 if execution and style are superior.
The Short Answer: How Skateboarding Scoring Works
Skateboarding scoring is simple: five judges watch. Each scores on a 0–100 scale based on Overall Impression — the entire performance, not individual tricks broken down. Drop the highest and lowest scores. Average the remaining three. Done.
No difficulty table. No multipliers. No formula. A clean kickflip with style beats a sloppy 900 every time because judges assess the whole run as one piece. Difficulty, execution, variety, style, use of course — all together. That's how the sport decided to score itself, and it works.
Olympic Skateboarding Format: Street and Park
Two disciplines. Same core logic.
Street
2 runs (45 seconds each) + 5 best trick attempts. Final score = best run + 2 best tricks = max 300 points.
That's only 3 of 7 performances that count. One bad run? Doesn't hurt. Three failed tricks? Doesn't matter. This format rewards both consistency and risk-taking. You can play it safe in Run 1, go big in Run 2, then push progression in Best Trick with no fear.
Park
3 runs (45 seconds each). Only the best single run counts. Max 100 points. No Best Trick round.
No do-overs. You need at least one clean, impressive run. More pressure. Requires courage and execution at the same time. Both disciplines: 5 judges, 0–100 scale, trimmed mean calculation.
Score skateboarding runs.
Judges' scores, best run and averages — no manual sheets.
Street League Skateboarding (SLS) Format
Street League is highest-level street skating's flagship series. The current format (since 2023) uses a ranked system:
Skaters perform runs and tricks across multiple rounds, each scored on a 0.0-10.0 scale. Scores are ranked against other competitors in each section. The competition narrows through knockout rounds to a final.
SLS has changed its format over the years. Earlier versions (2010-2018) used a fixed "2 runs + 5 tricks" system where best run plus best two tricks were combined. The current system emphasizes head-to-head competition and cumulative performance.
Regardless of format evolution, judging criteria stay consistent: difficulty, execution, creativity, style, and use of the course.
What Do Judges Look For?
Skateboarding judges evaluate using five criteria that work together as one overall impression. They're not weighted separately — they inform the single overall score:
| Criteria | Description |
|---|---|
| Difficulty | Technical complexity of tricks: flip tricks (kickflip, heelflip, tre flip), grinds (smith, feeble, crooked), combinations. Switch and nollie stances add difficulty. |
| Execution | How cleanly tricks are landed. Smooth pop, proper catch, stable landing, controlled roll-away. A wobble or credit-card (landing sideways) reduces the score. |
| Variety / Creativity | Mix of trick types (flips, grinds, slides, manuals), use of different obstacles, creative line choices. Repeating the same trick type is viewed negatively. |
| Style / Flow | Personal flair, smooth transitions between tricks, natural movement, confident body language. Two skaters can do the same trick — one with style scores higher. |
| Use of Course | Utilizing different obstacles and sections rather than sticking to one area. In park: using the full bowl including extensions, hips, and deep end. |
How Trick Difficulty Affects Scoring
Unlike gymnastics or figure skating, skateboarding doesn't have an official difficulty table — judges don't pull out a chart and multiply by a coefficient. Judges assess difficulty based on their experience, knowledge of the sport, and context.
General difficulty tiers that judges recognize:
Lower: Basic grinds (50-50, boardslide), kickflips, ollies over obstacles
Medium: Technical grinds (smith, feeble, crooked), flip-in/flip-out grinds, manual combinations, consistent switch skating
High: Nollie/switch flip tricks into grinds, big spin variations, handrail tricks, gap-to-grind, 540+ park airs
NBDs / Progression: Tricks landed for the first time (Never Been Done), 900+ park airs, multi-flip combinations into technical grinds
Here's the thing though: difficulty doesn't win by itself. A perfectly executed medium-difficulty trick with clean style outscores a barely-landed hard trick every time. Judges reward the complete package.
Street vs Park: How Judging Differs
Same scoring scale, but emphasis shifts between disciplines:
Street Judging Priorities
Technical precision: clean pop, proper grinds, controlled slides. Trick selection on specific obstacles: matching the right trick to the right feature. Consistency: landing tricks clean, especially in the best-trick round. Line creativity: unique combinations in a run.
Park Judging Priorities
Flow and speed: maintaining momentum through the bowl without unnecessary pushes. Amplitude: how high above the coping. Use of transitions: carving, pumping, using the bowl's shape. Variety across the bowl: using different sections (deep end, shallow end, extensions, hips). Aerial trick difficulty: 540s, 720s, McTwists above the coping.
Common Misconceptions About Skateboarding Scoring
"Harder tricks always win" — False. A clean kickflip crooked grind with style can outscore a sloppy double kickflip. Judges reward the combination of difficulty AND execution.
"Judges score each trick individually in a run" — Not exactly. In the run portion, judges score the entire 45-second performance as one overall piece. In the best-trick round, each individual attempt is scored separately.
"The scoring is random and subjective" — While there's no mathematical formula, judges are trained professionals following consistent criteria. Scores from a five-judge panel rarely vary by more than 5-10 points, showing strong consensus.
"You need to land every trick to score well" — In the best-trick round, you get five attempts and only your best scores count. Even in runs, a small bobble doesn't destroy the score if the overall impression is strong.
"Park and street use different scoring systems" — They use the same 0-100 scale and same judging criteria. The format differs (runs only vs. runs + tricks), but the scoring philosophy is identical.
Worked Example: Scoring an Olympic Street Skateboarding Performance
Walk through how a skater's Olympic street competition unfolds:
Run 1 (45 seconds): Kickflip backside 50-50 on the long rail, frontside boardslide on the hubba ledge, nollie heelflip over the gap, switch frontside crooked grind on the flat bar, tre flip off the end section. Clean, flowy, good course use. → Score: 82.4 (strong variety and flow, medium-high difficulty, clean execution)
Run 2 (45 seconds): More ambitious: backside smith grind on the big rail, kickflip frontside boardslide on the hubba, hardflip down the stairs, slips on the last trick. → Score: 71.8 (higher difficulty attempted, but the slip costs points)
Best Trick Attempts:
- Attempt 1: Kickflip backside lipslide on the big rail → 86.2 (high difficulty, clean)
- Attempt 2: Same trick again, trying cleaner → Falls → 0.0
- Attempt 3: Nollie backside heelflip → 78.5 (technical, solid)
- Attempt 4: Switch heelflip frontside boardslide → 88.1 (very high difficulty, clean)
- Attempt 5: 360 flip backside nosegrind → Falls → 0.0
Final Calculation: Best run + 2 best tricks: 82.4 + 88.1 + 86.2 = 256.7
(Only best run counts, plus two highest trick scores. Run 2 at 71.8, the 78.5 trick, and both falls are dropped.)
Judging skateboarding? Averages and runs without spreadsheets.
Judges' scores, best run and averages computed live. Skaters and fans follow the results from their phones.
Frequently Asked Questions
Primary Sources
- World Skate Skateboarding Park Rules — World Skate
- World Skate Skateboarding Street Rules — World Skate
- World Skate Skateboarding Regulations Library — World Skate
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