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Cross Country Points

Cross Country Points

The ability to measure one competitor's performance against another is the heart of competitive athletics. In a country as large as the USA, it's important to have measurement tools to evaluate the performance of skiers around the nation. Performance of USSA athletes is evaluated through various ranking lists. Athletes competing in scored competitions earn points, which are calculated mathematically to allow ranking lists to be developed. Ranking lists, in turn, are used by U.S. Ski & Snowboard for selection to teams, entry into higher level competitions and for development projects.

U.S. Ski & Snowboard Ranking Lists
U.S. Ski & Snowboard ranking lists utilize finishes from U.S. Ski & Snowboard scored competitions.

FIS Ranking Lists
FIS ranking lists utilize finishes from FIS competitions worldwide, including those in the USA. 

Equalizer 2023-24

To more closely align athletes’ NRL points with FIS points, the U.S. Ski & Snowboard NRL points list is adjusted annually as follows:

  • Separate modifiers are calculated for men and women in both distance and sprint,
  • The modifiers are multipliers calculated as the average percent difference between NRL and FIS points for the top 20 SuperTour athletes on the final points list of the season,
  • the distance and sprint modifiers are applied to each result from the previous season to allow for proper calculation.

Calculation of the equalizer is made by the U.S. Ski & Snowboard Competition Services Department with oversight by a technical committee of coaches, timers, and the U.S. Ski & Snowboard Nordic Director. The technical committee is appointed annually at the U.S. Ski & Snowboard Congress.  The 2023-24 equalizers are:

  DI SP
Men 0.15 0.09
Women 0.14 0.09
Cross Country Points List Dates 2023-2024

 

For 2023-24 Season, points are calculated from 12 months before Close date.

  National Close National Valid FIS Close FIS Valid
List 1 Nov. 13 Nov. 16 June 25 June 29
List 2 Nov. 27 Nov. 30 Oct. 08 Oct. 12
List 3 Dec. 11 Dec. 14 Nov. 19 Nov. 23
List 4 Dec. 26 Dec. 29 Dec. 11 Dec. 21
List 5 Jan. 08 Jan. 11 Jan. 14 Jan. 18
List 6 Jan. 29 Feb. 01 Feb. 04 Feb. 08
List 7 Feb. 12 Feb. 15 Mar. 03 Mar. 07
List 8 Feb. 26 Mar. 01 Mar. 24 Mar. 28
List 9 Mar. 18 Mar. 21    
List 10 Apr. 08 Apr. 11    
List 11 June 24 July 27    
National Ranking List Information

The U.S. Ski & Snowboard National Ranking List is used to rank all eligible U.S. Ski & Snowboard athletes in scored races based on the FIS point calculation (see Race Points and Calculating Penalties). Racers may obtain points by entering any races designated as U.S. Ski & Snowboard National Calendar Events or scored races. Competitors must be current competitor members of U.S. Ski & Snowboard at the time of the competition to be eligible for points and a competitor’s U.S. Ski & Snowboard number must appear on the official results in order to be scored. Minimum and maximum penalties, which may affect the points in each race, are applied based on quality and importance of the competition. Categories of races to be scored, and their corresponding minimum penalties are as follows: 

Event Category - Minimum Penalty (1)

  • World Cup, Olympic and World Championships - 0.00
  • Continental Cup, NCAA Champs, American Birkebeiner (2), SuperTour - 20.00
  • U.S. Championships - 15.00
  • U23 World Championships - 25.00
  • World Junior Championships - 35.00
  • Junior Nationals - No min
  • Regional Scored Events, NCAA Regional Events - 35.00
  • U16 and younger competitions (3) - 100
  • U14 and younger competitions (3) - 150

* (1): For races scored to FIS other than SuperTour, U.S. Championships, College Championships and the American Birkebeiner, the Regional penalties will be used.
* (2): Only the top-30 finishers at the American Birkebeiner will be scored.

* (3): When U16 and younger athletes are competing in a race with older athletes, the event category is based upon the older athletes

Method
The National Ranking List is based on a racer’s four best results during the previous 12 months, which are used to determine his or her final score. Those athletes with fewer than four scored events will be penalized 22% (with a minimum of 4 and a maximum of 26 points) of their overall score. Ranking for both sprint and distance disciplines will also be calculated, using a racer’s best three results in that discipline. While the NRL is based on the FIS point calculation, it is a separate list from the FIS list. For race points and penalty calculations, please see Chapter 2 of the U.S. Ski & Snowboard Nordic Competition Guide, located in the References section.

Points List Information
To assure that your membership is processed for inclusion on any list, your membership materials must be received by U.S. Ski & Snowboard at least seven days prior to a closing date. Registrations are not considered received until they are complete. It is the athlete’s responsibility to ensure that his or her U.S. Ski & Snowboard membership registration is received; you can contact U.S. Ski & Snowboard member services (435.647.2666) to check the status of your application.

U.S. Ski & Snowboard and FIS points are not continually being updated; they are recalculated for each new list. For more information on how points are calculated, see Chapter 2 of your .S. Ski & Snowboard Nordic Competition Guide, located in the References section. Closing and Valid dates for the points list are listed above.

Contact Information

If you have a question regarding your National or FIS points or ranking, or an event result, please be sure to provide U.S. Ski & Snowboard with sufficient details to help you. Most notably, indicate your sport (alpine, cross country, freestyle, etc.).

  1. Name of athlete and U.S. Ski & Snowboard number (if known)
  2. Sport (alpine, cross country, freestyle, nordic combined, ski jumping, snowboard)
  3. National or FIS issue
  4. National or FIS event ID (if appropriate and known) or location and date(s)
  5. Your specific question

Click below to send an email with your specific question or contact:

Margo Yatkeman, Competition Services Coordinator
435.647.2037
margo.yatkeman@usskiandsnowboard.org

Cross Country Points List Downloads

Season 2023-24 National and FIS Cross Country Points List downloads

To look up an individual athlete's points, ranking, and results, click the tool icon at the top left corner of any page and use the Member Lookup tool.