Draw and seeding

What it's for

The draw in Bibs & start lists follows the FIS rules. This page is the rule library: the articles as FIS published them, with the edition they were taken from, and a plain list of what Race Bureau applies on its own and what stays a Jury or organiser decision. The draw screen itself is on The draw.

The text below is quoted verbatim from two FIS documents:

• The International Ski and Snowboard Competition Rules (ICR), Book IV, Alpine, edition May 2025 (art. 621).
• Rules for the Alpine FIS Continental Cups, edition 2026/27 (art. 3, and section B for the Australia New Zealand Cup, ANC).

Re-check against the current edition each season. The edition is named on the document's title page, not in its file name.

The points list

The FIS Points List worked out by FIS must be used for the classification of competitors. If competitors do not appear in the last valid FIS points list, they will be assigned to that group of competitors without FIS points.

— FIS, ICR art. 621.2 (May 2025)

A FIS race (not a Cup race)

The starting order of the competitors in all alpine competitions is determined by their FIS points (Downhill, Slalom, Giant Slalom, Super-G and Alpine Combined). A first group of a maximum of the 15 best competitors present regardless of nationality will be drawn. The group may be increased if two or more competitors share the 15th rank. All remaining competitors start in order of their FIS points. All competitors without FIS points will be drawn in the last group. If in the first 15 competitors present, the points difference between one and the next competitor is too great; the Jury will decide the number of competitors in the first group. The rest will start in the order of their FIS points.

— FIS, ICR art. 621.3 (May 2025)

If the number without FIS points is too great, the Jury must divide them into several groups. In this case, each nation announces the groups to which it wishes its competitors to belong. Each group is then drawn separately. The Jury should whenever possible, take into account the observations made during the official downhill training and must divide the competitors from several nations fairly between the groups without FIS points. As a rule, each nation who has entered competitors without FIS points puts one competitor into the first group of competitors without FIS points.

— FIS, ICR art. 621.4 (May 2025)

If the Slalom run takes place before the Downhill or Super-G, competitors who are shown as DNS, NPS, DNF or DSQ will start in the Downhill or Super-G with their original bib after the last qualified competitor in the Slalom Run, with the exception of Olympic Winter Games, FIS World Ski Championships, World Cup and European Cup competitions. The starting order of AC competitions is determined by AC FIS points. Exception: AC competitions at NC and NJC may be seeded by DH or SG FIS points.

— FIS, ICR art. 621.3.3 (May 2025)

An ANC Cup race

The first group (1 - 15) will be determined on the basis of the respective Cup points. In the case of a points tie for 7th (SL/GS) or 15th place (all events) the group will be expanded accordingly. If there are not 15 competitors with respective Cup points, then the first group comprises only the competitors with respective Cup points.

— FIS, Rules for the Alpine FIS Continental Cups, art. 3.1 (2026/27)

GS/SL: 1st group (1 - 15) The first group is sub-divided into two groups: (1 - 7) and (8 - 15). The start numbers are then drawn by double-draw from within these groups. DH/SG/AC: 1st group (1 - 15) The 1st group competitors and the special group (art. 3.2.1) competitors may choose their start number from between 1 - 30. The remaining start numbers from 1 - 30 will be drawn amongst the rest of the competitors within the top 30.

— FIS, Rules for the Alpine FIS Continental Cups, art. 3.1.1 (2026/27)

Competitors who have accumulated at least 450 (EC, NAC) 400 (FEC), 200 (ANC, SAC) Cup points in the overall classification in the past or current season of that Continental Cup are enrolled as number 16 in all events in that Cup only, unless they have a right to start in the first 15. If there is more than one competitor with 450 (EC, NAC) 400 (FEC) 200 (SAC, ANC) Cup points then they start in the order of their Cup points in that event, or FIS points if they have no Cup points. If competitors cannot make use of this facilitation due to injury, they may use it at the first 3 races of the following season. This is valid for a maximum of 3 starts irrespective of the events.

— FIS, Rules for the Alpine FIS Continental Cups, art. 3.2.1 (2026/27)

After the first group the competitors are enrolled according to art. 3.2.1 (450 / 200 Cup points), followed by the present competitors ranked within the top 30 of the World Cup Starting List (WCSL). The following 15 (30 in EC) competitors start according to the respective cup event standing, unless they are within one of the two above mentioned groups. Finally, 30 (45 in EC) competitors of the respective cup event standing including the 450 points competitors are considered. In case the first 30 competitors in Alpine Combined do not have Cup points, respectively FIS points in Alpine Combined, competitors will be considered according to the DH respectively SG FIS points - depending on which event will be held for the Alpine Combined. The same procedure is valid for those competitors after start number 30 who do not have AC FIS points.

— FIS, Rules for the Alpine FIS Continental Cups, art. 3.2 (2026/27)

The final event ranking in the Cup is used as a race result with a validity defined in art. 3.1.3. in the next season. The first ranked has 100 points, the 30th ranked has 1 point. This ranking determines the first 30 (45 in EC) competitors for the first race of the season. For the first race, if those 30 competitors (45 in EC) who appear on the basic list are not present, the missing places will be filled up by utilising the previous season's final event standings. The Cup points achieved from the first race thereafter in each event will be added to the basic list to determine the new ranking.

— FIS, Rules for the Alpine FIS Continental Cups, art. 3.1.3 (2026/27)

After the second (FEC, SAC, ANC), third (NAC in GS and SL events) race in that event in the current season the basic list will be deleted. In NAC for DH, SG and AC only two events will be used before the basic list is deleted. Only the Cup points gained in the current season count. European Cup: see art. EC 3.1.3 and 3.1.4.

— FIS, Rules for the Alpine FIS Continental Cups, art. 3.1.4 (2026/27)

The current leader or the best placed competitor present at the event in the respective Continental Cup will compete in the leader bibs. For the first race of the season this is the winner of the previous season, for the second race this is the winner of the first race and for the third race and thereafter the leader bib is worn by the current leader of the series according to the respective Continental Cup standings.

— FIS, Rules for the Alpine FIS Continental Cups, art. 3.4 (2026/27)

Who may enter an ANC race

Australia and New Zealand may enter up to 30 competitors (30 men and 30 women) in events organised in the other nation. All competitors must have a valid FIS code. The organising nation may enter a quota of 50 competitors; in addition they are entitled to any of the 30 places not taken up by the other nation (Australia in New Zealand, New Zealand in Australia). All competitors must have a FIS code and can participate irrespective of whether they have FIS points or not.

— FIS, Rules for the Alpine FIS Continental Cups, section B, ANC 2.3 and 2.3.1 (2026/27)

The organising nation has the right to allow a nation from other regions to enter up to double their normal FIS quota. All competitors must appear on the valid FIS points list and have maximum of 160 FIS points in SL and GS, 180 FIS points in SG and DH as follows:

• SL/GS/Parallel: qualifying through any of the five events
• DH: qualifying through DH or SG
• SG: qualifying through DH, SG or GS
• Alpine Combined (with DH): qualifying through DH or SG
• Alpine Combined (with SG): qualifying through DH, SG or GS National Ski Associations applying for ANC.2.3.3 must apply in writing to the ANC Sub-Committee, on the official entry form at least ten days prior to the competition or the first official training. A decision will be made by the ANC Sub-Committee seven (7) days prior to the competition or the first official training.

— FIS, Rules for the Alpine FIS Continental Cups, section B, ANC 2.3.3 (2026/27)

Athletes from the African Continent may start in the Australian New Zealand Cup (ANC) races with the same qualification status as the Australian / New Zealand racers. They must have a FIS code and can participate irrespective of whether they have FIS points or not.

— FIS, Rules for the Alpine FIS Continental Cups, section B, ANC 2.3.4 (2026/27)

Run 2

The Jury has the right to decide not later than one hour before the start of the first run whether the reversed order shall be for the first fifteen or first thirty placed competitors from the first run.

— FIS, Rules for the Alpine FIS Continental Cups, art. 3.3.2 (2026/27)

ICR art. 621.11 sets the second-run order: the first 30 of the run 1 result start in reverse (30th first, 1st thirtieth), and everyone from 31st onward starts in the order of their run 1 result. The Jury may reduce the reversed group to 15. How Race Bureau prepares that list is on Run 2.

What Race Bureau applies by itself

On the draw, with the race's level set in Event info:

• ICR 621.2 and 621.3: the valid points list, the first group of up to 15 (expanded on a tie for 15th), the rest in points order, no-points racers drawn last.
• ICR 621.3.2 and COC 3.1.1 for GS and SL: the first group split 1–7 and 8–15 and double-drawn.
• COC 3.1 and 3.2: the Cup-points first group, then the special group at 16, then the WCSL top 30, then the Cup standing through start 30. The World Cup Start List is read per discipline.
• COC 3.1.3 and 3.1.4: the season-opening basic list and when it is deleted.
• COC 3.4 for the third race of the season onward: the current leader wears the leader bib.
• ANC 2.3.1 and 2.3.3: home nations without points, visiting nations on the valid list.
• A tie for Cup points is settled on FIS points, then by lot. A tie at start 30 is settled, never extended.

What stays your decision

Race Bureau marks these on the draw card and leaves the call to you:

• COC 3.1.1 for DH, SG and AC: the first group and the special group choose their numbers from 1–30. A choice cannot be drawn, so the GS/SL procedure is applied and you adjust the bibs.
• COC 3.2.1 injury carry-over: there is no injury register; give the special seat by hand.
• COC 3.2.2 (foreign Cup winners start 31): set the bib by hand.
• COC 3.4 for races 1 and 2 of the season: the leader bib goes to last season's winner, then race 1's winner. Race Bureau does not hold those facts; check them.
• COC 3.1.2 (a missed public draw, SL/GS drawn from the highest numbers): not automated.
• ICR 621.4 (a large no-points group split by nation and drawn in groups): Race Bureau draws one pot.
• ICR 621.3.3 for Alpine Combined, DH/SG substitution: the race does not say which speed event, so it is applied by hand.
• ANC 2.3.3's 160/180-point maximum is an entry decision, not a seeding one.
• COC 3.3.2 (the Jury reverses 15 instead of 30 in run 2): Race Bureau reverses 30; change Bibo in the run 2 dialog if the Jury decided 15.

Related

• Previous: The green tick
• Next: Release and protest windows
• How it fits: A FIS race, from the calendar to Accepted by FIS
• For the TD: ICR Search
• The draw
• Run 2