Snowboard Rules, Scoring & Competition Format — A Complete Guide

The basics

Halfpipe/slopestyle/big air: judges score on a 100-point scale based on amplitude, difficulty, execution, and variety. Snowboard cross: four riders race head-to-head down a course with jumps and turns — first two advance.

Rails, Rotations, and Race Lines: How Snowboard Rules Work at the Winter Olympics

Snowboarding arrived at the Winter Olympics in 1998 at Nagano and has expanded rapidly since, reflecting the sport’s explosive growth and cultural influence. Governed by the International Ski and Snowboard Federation (FIS), Olympic snowboarding now spans judged trick events, head-to-head racing, and hybrid formats — each with distinct rules that reward different aspects of riding.

Olympic Events

Snowboarding features six events for each gender:

  • Halfpipe — performing tricks in a massive U-shaped feature.
  • Slopestyle — tricks on a course of rails, boxes, and jumps.
  • Big Air — one massive jump, maximum trick difficulty.
  • Snowboard Cross (SBX) — four riders race simultaneously down a technical course.
  • Parallel Giant Slalom (PGS) — two riders race side-by-side through gates on parallel courses.
  • Note: giant slalom format has evolved over the years; PGS was the format at Beijing 2022.

Halfpipe Scoring

Halfpipe is judged by a panel scoring each run on a 0–100 scale. Judges evaluate:

  • Overall impression: not individual tricks, but the run as a whole.
  • Amplitude: how high above the lip of the pipe the rider goes.
  • Difficulty: complexity of tricks (double corks, 1440s, etc.).
  • Variety: using different rotations, grabs, and axes.
  • Execution: clean landings, smooth transitions, style.
  • Progression: pushing the sport’s boundaries.

Athletes typically get two or three runs, with the best single run counting as the final score. At Beijing 2022, Ayumu Hirano of Japan won gold with a historic run featuring back-to-back triple corks — a triple cork 1440 followed by a frontside triple cork 1440 — scoring 96.00.

Slopestyle Scoring

Slopestyle uses the same 0–100 judging scale as halfpipe but on a course featuring multiple sections:

  • Rail/jib section: grinding, sliding, and tricking on metal and wooden features.
  • Jump section: typically three large kickers for aerial tricks.

Judges score the entire run holistically. Crashing on any feature devastates the score, even if other sections were perfect — the run must flow from start to finish. Athletes get multiple attempts, with the best run counting.

Big Air

Big air is snowboarding’s most direct format: one massive jump, three attempts. The best two scores are summed, but the two counting jumps must involve different rotations or different axes (e.g., frontside and backside, or different rotation counts). This prevents riders from simply repeating the same trick.

Each jump is scored 0–100. Judging criteria mirror halfpipe: difficulty, execution, amplitude, and style.

Snowboard Cross (SBX)

Snowboard cross is the only race-format snowboard event using knockout brackets. Four (sometimes six) riders race simultaneously down a course with jumps, berms, rollers, and banked turns. The top two (or three) advance; last-place riders are eliminated.

There are no judges — finishing position is all that matters. Contact is permitted, but deliberate pushing, grabbing, or interference results in disqualification upon video review.

The course is designed to allow multiple passing lines, creating exciting overtakes. SBX is one of the most unpredictable Olympic events — a single crash can eliminate a gold favorite.

Parallel Giant Slalom

In PGS, two riders race through gates on parallel courses. It’s a bracket tournament: the faster rider advances. After each heat, the riders switch courses (red and blue) to offset any course advantage. The aggregate time across both runs determines who advances.

Unlike in alpine skiing, snowboarders must pass through gates on their boards without knocking them over in a way that causes a missed gate. The rules around gate contact are judged similarly to alpine: feet and board must pass between the poles.

Equipment Regulations

FIS mandates helmet use in all events. Snowboard dimensions vary by event — halfpipe boards are typically shorter and wider, while PGS boards are longer and stiffer for edge hold. Binding angles and stance width are rider’s choice, with no FIS restrictions.

Rules topics

Common confusion

Why is halfpipe judged on overall impression instead of individual tricks?
The ISU Judging System used in figure skating scores individual elements, but FIS snowboard judging takes a holistic approach. Judges score the entire run as a single package because the flow between tricks — transitions, amplitude consistency, line choice — matters as much as the tricks themselves. A run with slightly easier tricks but flawless execution and flow can outscore a run with one spectacular trick and a shaky landing elsewhere.
How is big air different from slopestyle if both involve jumping?
Slopestyle features an entire course with rails, boxes, and multiple jumps — the run is scored as a whole. Big air has a single massive jump where riders get three attempts and are scored per jump, with the best two (of different trick types) added together. Big air isolates trick difficulty; slopestyle rewards versatility across different feature types.
Why can't you do the same trick twice in big air?
FIS rules require that your two counting big air jumps involve different rotations or different axes (e.g., one frontside and one backside, or different spin counts). This prevents the event from becoming repetitive and rewards riders who have a deep trick vocabulary. If you land the same trick twice, only one counts toward your two-jump total.
Is snowboard cross the same as ski cross?
They're very similar in concept — multiple athletes racing simultaneously in a knockout bracket on a course with jumps and turns. The key differences are the equipment (snowboard vs. skis), course design (snowboard cross courses tend to have larger features), and the riding dynamics (snowboarders have different balance and speed profiles through turns). Both sports emphasize the first-across-the-line format with no judges.
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