Ski Jumping World Cup

• The FIS World Cup includes individual and team events.
• Ski jumping takes place on normal and large hills.
• Distance, jump style and compensation for wind or gate position determine the points.
• Individual events usually consist of qualification and scoring rounds.
• Team formats combine jumps by several athletes from one country.
• The season's overall World Cup title is decided by results in individual events.

Before an individual event, the field qualifies unless a different format is specified. In the first scoring round, jumpers aim to combine distance with clean flight and landing technique. Judges award style marks. Distance and style form the score, with compensation points added for wind and the length of the inrun.

The leading jumpers from the first round qualify for a second scoring jump. The ranking is based on the sum of both jumps. A long jump can score differently from one of similar distance because of style deductions or wind. Changes in the inrun length count too. Our guide to the basics of ski jumping explains take-off, flight and landing.

In the traditional team event, nations compete with several jumpers, and their scores are added together. In the super-team, two athletes per nation compete over several rounds. This more compact format also allows smaller teams to take part. Consistency across the team is important.

The World Cup standings add up individual results from the season and crown the overall leader. The Four Hills Tournament combines four World Cup events around New Year: Oberstdorf, Garmisch-Partenkirchen, Innsbruck and Bischofshofen. In addition to World Cup points, the tour has its own overall standings. Large hills and ski-flying hills create different challenges. Ski-flying hills are designed for much longer jumps; the FIS has separate World Cup and ski-flying standings for these events.

The size of the hill influences the typical distance and the shape of the inrun, flight and landing. Distances on a normal hill are generally shorter than on a large hill; the names refer to the hill classification, not to the day's record. Wind can help or hinder the flight. Compensation points are intended to account for these differences without reducing the sporting comparison to distance alone.

A visit also offers a close look at the venue: from the hill, spectators can follow take-off, landing and the distance display. Nordic skiing places ski jumping alongside cross-country skiing and Nordic combined. Other disciplines are covered in our winter sports overview.