Section 6: Scoring
6.1 Judged Events (Halfpipe, Slopestyle, Big Air)
All three freestyle disciplines use an overall impression scoring system on a 0–100 scale. Six judges independently score each run. The highest and lowest marks are dropped, and the remaining four scores are averaged. Key scoring criteria:
- Difficulty: Complexity of tricks — number of rotations, inversions, and grabs. A 1440° (4 full rotations) scores higher than a 1080° (3 rotations).
- Execution: Clean takeoffs, controlled flight, solid landings (no hand drags, reverts, or wobbles). Grab quality — tweaked, held, and stylish versus quick or sloppy.
- Amplitude: Height achieved above the lip (halfpipe) or gap cleared (slopestyle/big air). Greater height demonstrates control and power.
- Variety: Mixing frontside and backside rotations, different grab types, regular and switch takeoffs. Repetition is penalized.
- Progression: Innovation — performing tricks new to competition or increasing difficulty from previous runs.
6.2 Big Air Multi-Run Scoring
The total Big Air score is the sum of the athlete's best 2 runs (out of 3). The two counting runs must feature different rotational directions or different trick types. If both counting runs spin the same direction, only the higher-scoring run in that direction counts, and the athlete effectively forfeits a counting run.
6.3 Race Events (SBX, PGS)
SBX: finish order determines placement — no scoring. PGS: combined time from two runs (red and blue courses) determines advancement. Times are measured to 1/1,000th of a second using electronic timing.
6.4 Tiebreaking
In judged events, ties are broken by comparing the second-best run score, then the third-best. In SBX, simultaneous finishes (per photo finish) are broken by qualification seeding. In PGS, ties on combined time result in both athletes advancing to the next round.
6.5 World Cup Points
FIS World Cup points are awarded by finishing position: 1st = 1,000 pts, 2nd = 800 pts, 3rd = 600 pts, scaling down to 30th = 10 pts. Points accumulate over the season. Separate globes are awarded for each discipline (Halfpipe, Slopestyle, Big Air, SBX, PGS) and an Overall Snowboard World Cup globe considers combined results.