How is the finish decided in cross-country skiing?
B · Beginner · During the race · 4 of 4The finish is taken when the toe of the front boot reaches the line, and a photo finish settles close finishes at top events. A skier who falls across the line gets a time if their whole body crosses without help. In mass-start races, skiers or teams who are lapped must stop and are ranked by their last split.
How it works
- Finish point: the toe of the first boot at the line.
- Photo finish: required at top events; the order is the order of the front toes.
- Falling over the line: a time is given if the whole body crosses unaided.
- Timing: two electronic systems plus hand timing as a backup.
- Precision: tenths in most races; hundredths in sprints and team sprints.
- Lapped: in pursuit, skiathlon, mass start, team sprint and relay, lapped skiers stop.
- Ranking lapped skiers: by their last intermediate time, with no time.
- Official results: after the 15-minute protest period.
The glossary has the lapped skier, the timing, the control points, the mass start, the relay and the protest.
Tricky cases
Two skiers lunge for the line together. Who wins?
The one whose front boot toe crosses first on the photo finish; a true dead heat in a final shares the place.
A skier falls a metre short and slides over. Do they get a time?
Yes, if their whole body crosses without help.
Do lapped skiers appear in the results?
Yes, ranked by their last split, with no time.
Is a finish time to a hundredth?
In sprints and team sprints; other races use tenths.
Why the rule exists
Measuring to the boot rather than the body makes the finish clear in a photo. Taking lapped skiers out keeps the leaders' race clean.
Where it differs
| Where | What changes | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Top events | Photo finish required | FIS 316.3.6 |
| Sprint finals | Ties share the place | FIS 325.5.2.2 |
| Stage events | Tenths dropped before the last stage | FIS 317.1.3 |
From the rule book
FIS, ICR Book II: Cross-Country (June 2026), articles 316, 317 and 343.14. Checked 14 October 2026. Official document: the FIS ICR, revised by the FIS Council each season.