Course Setting and Gate Rules

Alpine Skiing Course Setting: The Art and Science of Gate Placement

The course-setter in alpine skiing holds enormous power: their gate placements determine how fast the course skis, which technical skills are tested, and even which athletes are favored. Governed by FIS regulations, course setting is a specialized discipline within the sport — and it’s different for every event.

Who Sets the Course?

Courses are set by a designated course-setter, often a former racer or qualified coach from a participating nation. For Olympic events, the course-setter is approved by the FIS technical delegate and works within strict parameters.

In two-run events (slalom, GS), each run typically has a different course-setter. This ensures variety and prevents any single setter from favoring a particular skiing style.

Gate Specifications by Discipline

Slalom: gates consist of alternating red and blue panels (two poles each). The minimum distance between turning poles is 0.75 meters, and the maximum is 13 meters. Gates can be set as combinations (vertical gates, called “hairpins” or “flushes”) or offset for rhythm changes. A slalom course must include at least one combination.
Giant Slalom: gates are wider (minimum 10 meters between turning poles) and farther apart (minimum 0.75 m horizontally offset from the previous gate). The course must use the terrain’s natural contours.
Super-G: gate spacing is at least 25 meters along the fall line. The course must include direction changes of at least 110° cumulatively.
Downhill: gates (pairs of red or blue panels) are positioned to guide racers through the course while maintaining high speed. The course-setter ensures at least one section with airtime and one with significant direction change.

Vertical Drop Requirements

FIS mandates minimum and maximum vertical drops for each discipline:

Discipline	Men	Women
Downhill	800–1,100 m	450–800 m
Super-G	400–650 m	350–600 m
GS	300–450 m	300–400 m
Slalom	180–220 m	140–200 m

Course-Setting Strategy

Great course-setters create courses that test a range of skills:

Rhythm sections: evenly spaced gates that reward fluid, consistent turning.
Tempo changes: gates suddenly get tighter or wider, forcing skiers to adjust their speed and line.
Terrain features: using the natural slope — rolls, compressions, drops — to create additional challenges.
Delay gates: in slalom, a gate set wide of the expected rhythm forces the skier to resist the temptation to turn early.

The best course-setters adapt to the hill’s terrain rather than imposing a pattern onto it. A well-set course should separate the field evenly, with the fastest skier winning because of superior skill — not because one section was unfairly difficult.

Course Inspection

Before each run, athletes are allowed to side-slip down the course to inspect gate positions. They cannot ski through the gates during inspection (doing so results in disqualification). This inspection period is timed and monitored by FIS officials. Athletes memorize key combinations, terrain features, and the exact line they plan to take — competitive runs happen too fast for real-time decision-making on gate approaches.