When Skiers Get Disqualified

Alpine Skiing Disqualification Rules: When a Finish Doesn’t Count

Disqualification in alpine skiing is heartbreakingly common at the elite level. In a typical Olympic slalom, 20–30% of the field fails to finish with a valid time. Understanding why requires knowing the precise rules FIS enforces about gate passage, equipment, and conduct.

Straddling a Gate

The most common disqualification cause: a straddled gate. A racer straddles a gate when one ski passes on each side of the turning pole. FIS requires both ski tips and both boots to pass on the same side — between the turning pole and the outside pole. The rest of the body (shins, hips, hands) may hit or cross the gate panel.

Straddling is detected by gate judges positioned along the course and confirmed by video review. At the Olympics, multiple camera angles ensure accurate calls. The racer’s team can protest a DSQ within a designated time window after results are posted.

Missing a Gate

If a racer completely misses a gate (both skis pass on the wrong side), they are disqualified — unless they climb back uphill, re-enter the course above the missed gate, and pass through it correctly. In practice, this almost never happens at the Olympic level because the time lost makes it uncompetitive. However, it’s technically permitted by the rules.

Equipment Violations

Disqualification can result from:

• Ski specifications: skis shorter or lighter than FIS minimums.
• Suit permeability: racing suits must pass air permeability tests. If a post-race test fails, the result is voided.
• Foreign substance: applying non-approved substances to equipment.

Conduct Violations

Less common but possible:

• Skiing through inspection gates: testing gates during course inspection rather than side-slipping past.
• Receiving outside assistance: coaching from the sideline during a run (though hand signals before the run are permitted).
• Dangerous skiing: deliberately skiing in a way that endangers course workers or other athletes.

The Protest Process

When a racer is DSQ’d, their team can file a protest with the FIS jury. The protest must be filed promptly (usually within 15 minutes of the result being posted) and accompanied by a fee. The jury reviews video evidence from multiple angles. If the DSQ was incorrect — for example, if video shows both ski tips clearly passed on the correct side — the result is reinstated.

At the 2018 PyeongChang Olympics, Marcel Hirscher was initially shown as DSQ in one slalom run before video review confirmed his gate passage was valid.

DNF vs. DSQ: Why It Matters

A DNF means the racer didn’t reach the finish (crash, missed gate without correction). A DSQ means the racer finished but the result was invalidated. For FIS ranking purposes, a DSQ typically carries harsher implications than a DNF, as it may indicate a technical fault rather than an accident.

The distinction also matters emotionally — a racer who sees their time posted and then has it taken away by DSQ often experiences more frustration than one who crashed and walked away knowing the race was over.