Para biathlon words · Intermediate

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I · Intermediate · 87 words · Step 2 of 2

General terms

Event and Competition Rules (ECR)

The IBU rulebook for para biathlon. It applies at all IBU events, and at the Paralympic Winter Games too unless IPC regulations say otherwise. Annex A (the Materials Catalogue) is part of it.

Materials Catalogue

Annex A to the rules. It defines the competition equipment (what an athlete wears or carries) and the organisation equipment (targets, mats, timing), the approval of new materials and the inspections. It aims at fairness, safety and the nature of the sport.

Event levels

The Paralympic Winter Games, the World Championships and the World Cup are the top events. Below them are continental cups and championships and regional cups, which are open to athletes of every level and use the same classes and competition rules.

Wild card

A place for an athlete who does not meet the qualifying points, applied for by the national federation. The athlete must have raced at least once in para biathlon or para cross-country and reach the wild-card level of 640 points for a World Championships or 800 for a World Cup. The number of wild cards is not limited.

Registration and entry

Registration is the early notice that a team will attend an event; entry is the notice that an athlete or team will start in a specific competition. Everyone who qualifies for a sprint pursuit final is assumed to be entered, but those who will not start must be reported by the start of zeroing.

Team captains' meeting

The meeting at which the competition jury is elected, draws are made and information is passed on. The first is held before the first official training.

Classes, guides and sit-skis

Sport class status

To start in a World Cup or World Championships an athlete's class must be Confirmed, or Review with a fixed review date of 2025 or later. Review without such a date allows racing only below World Cup level. New (not yet classified) athletes also race only below World Cup and earn no IBU qualifying points.

Guide contact

No physical contact is allowed during the race. For safety a guide may hold an NS athlete by one arm or one pole, but must not pull, push, skate or stride while doing so. After a fall the guide or a marshal may hand the athlete their skis or poles.

See also: Guide

Guide bib

The bib the guide must wear, with a clearly visible G or Guide on the front in yellow (preferred), orange or red. The back may be changed with tape to suit the athlete's needs.

See also: Guide

Silent zone

The area of the shooting range, plus 10 m to the left and right of it, where nobody may give a competitor any acoustic or visual information or advice, or pass information by radio. For NS athletes the guide steps back behind the marked line at the back of the shooting ramp and may speak only to guide the athlete's skiing.

See also: Guide

Sit-ski elbow support

When shooting sitting, the elbows may rest on the sit-ski or the body. The surface they touch may be padded with compressible material up to 2 cm thick, but it must not be concave and no hollow may be made in it.

Assistance for sit-skiers

LW10 to LW12 athletes may receive the help they need to change a ski, and one team member may go into the start area to help attach their skis.

Events and formats

Sprint pursuit qualification

The first race of the sprint pursuit: single starts at 30-second intervals, each miss costing 15 seconds. The calculated times decide who qualifies and the start times for the final, and the race also counts for IBU qualifying points.

The ruleWhat is a para biathlon team sprint?

Sprint pursuit final

The second race: only athletes not more than 30 per cent behind the qualification winner start, and the jury may cut the field if it is more than 1.5 times the number of shooting lanes. A miss means a 75 m penalty loop, and the first across the line wins.

Team sprint legs

The race has four legs and each athlete skis two of them, each leg being two laps with one shooting between. The two athletes' start order must be the same in the final as in qualification; the first skier wears a red bib and the second a green one.

Team sprint qualification

The first round, with teams starting in the order of their two members' combined qualifying points. Only teams within 20 per cent of the winning team's time go through, up to the top ten. The qualification time also sets the start times for the final.

Team sprint percentage deductions

Because teams are mixed in gender and class, qualification results and final start times use deductions of 15 per cent for women in LW2 to LW9 and NS1 to NS3, 13 per cent for women in LW10 to LW12 and 2 per cent for NS1 athletes to allow for shooting time.

Hand-over zone

The 20 m by 6 m marked zone in which the incoming team member tags the next one. The next skier may start once the incoming one has passed the finish line of the zone with the whole body, and their time begins when the incoming skier crosses the timing line at the start of the zone. Leaving early costs 2 minutes unless the athlete goes back.

Held at the start

In pursuit-type starts and in the team sprint hand-over, an NS athlete may be held by a team member or official with a hand on the shoulder until the start time. The athlete must still be behind or on the line at the start time.

Starts and start times

Single start

In Individual, Middle, Sprint, sprint pursuit qualification and team sprint qualification athletes start one at a time, normally 30 seconds apart, though the race director may choose other intervals. With an electronic gate (about 60 cm above the snow) the athlete passes through it; with manual timing both feet, or for sit-skiers the front of the binding, stay behind the line.

Start window

In single starts an athlete must start within 3 seconds before or after the listed time. Starting outside that window means an early or late start; if the athlete does not return to the start line, a 30-second penalty applies. For a late start the time still runs from the listed start time.

Basic time

The winner's calculated time in the earlier race, used as the reference for start times in a pursuit-type final. Using it means athletes with different percentages have the same chance to win the heat.

Relative start time

Real time the earlier race's winner took, minus the basic time times 100 divided by the athlete's percentage; it shows how much sooner or later the athlete must leave to have an equal chance. The final start time adds each athlete's time behind in the qualification (calculated time plus penalty seconds) and moves everything so the first start is 0:00, rounded to the nearest second.

Pursuit start time

Each athlete's time behind the sprint winner, rounded to the nearest second, with the delta time added. It is calculated per category and gender from the sprint's basic time multiplied by 5 and divided by 3, plus the delta time.

Pursuit start lanes

In pursuit, sprint pursuit and team sprint finals athletes are at the start two minutes before, in lanes, one lane for each simultaneous start. They must start at the exact listed time. Skating technique with a sideways leg is allowed once the start signal is given, and passing is allowed.

Early start

In pursuit-type finals, starting up to 3 seconds early costs 30 seconds and starting more than 3 seconds early is a disqualification. In single starts an early start must be corrected by going back behind the line; if the athlete does not return, a 30-second penalty is added.

Start numbers

Athletes wear a bib with their number and also the number on both thighs, or on the sit-ski. The number and colour must match the start list. In the team sprint the first skier of a team wears red and the second green.

Weather limits

No competition may start if the air temperature is colder than minus 20 degrees Celsius at the coldest point, 1.5 m above the ground. Below minus 15 degrees the jury must weigh wind chill and humidity, with the doctors, before starting.

Transponder

The timing device each athlete wears on one or both ankles and must not remove until the official place after the race. It weighs at most 25 g, and for sit-skiers it must not be fixed ahead of the front binding.

Shooting

No removing the skis

Skis may not be removed on the mat, including in training and zeroing, and nothing may be placed under them. Doing it in a competition is a disqualification.

Shooting lane

The 2.75 to 3 m wide lane from which one athlete shoots. Looking at the targets, the right half of the range is for LW athletes and the left half for VI athletes. LW team staff choose a ready lane; NS athletes go to lanes in order from the lowest number.

Shooting mat

The 200 cm by 150 cm mat, 1 to 2 cm thick, with its front edge on the firing line. A 5 cm line 50 cm from the firing line helps athletes take the right position.

Firing line

The front edge of the shooting ramp, 10 m (plus or minus 20 cm) from the line of targets. The muzzle must be beyond it throughout the bout, and nobody may be forward of it while the range is open.

Dry shooting

Practising the shooting without live firing. During the event it is covered by the same shooting rules wherever it is done, not only at the venue.

No touching on the range

For every class nobody may touch the athlete before, during or after shooting. LW team staff place the rifle (and the support) on the mat unloaded and collect it afterwards. For VI athletes only the guide may direct them to the right mat and adjust their position before shooting.

See also: Guide

Shooting aids

Athletes in all categories may use a shooting sling and an arm cuff. Other aids need approval from the technical committee in exceptional cases.

Spring support

A spring rifle rest allowed for the classes LW5/7, LW6, LW8 and LW9. IBU supplies the supports and athletes may not use their own, except in LW5/7 with prior approval. The rifle may touch the support only in a marked zone 5 cm either side of its balance point, with no brackets or adhesive, and a second hand or arm may touch the rifle only to reload or fire. Breaking either rule means a 1-minute penalty.

Shooting scoring

Every shot fired in a competition must be observed by three independent persons or methods; with electronic scoring there must be two separate observations by range officials. A shot is fired when a loaded rifle's trigger is pulled and a pellet leaves the barrel, confirmed by a visible or electronic response from the target.

Wrong position or lane

Shots from a wrong shooting position, in the wrong sequence or from the wrong place in the lane are not scored. The athlete is given a missed-target penalty and a further 30 seconds.

Cross-fire

Shooting at a target in another athlete's lane. Hits on the wrong target are not scored and the athlete can shoot the rest on the correct one. It costs 2 minutes, and no time adjustment is given for the athlete's own error.

Target error

If a target is set wrongly the athlete starts the bout again after it is reset, with a new magazine if five shots are needed; if a target fails the athlete is moved to another one. The jury adjusts the time for time lost through a target malfunction or a range issue, but not for the athlete's own mistake such as picking a used target.

Reserve rifle

A team may have up to three spare rifles, inspected and marked before the competition and kept in the team's rack on the range. A damaged rifle is exchanged by raising a hand and calling Rifle with the federation's name, and no time adjustment is given for repairs or exchanges.

Rifle safety

Rifles go in a case or cover into and out of the stadium, may be loaded or unloaded only with the barrel pointing at the targets or up, and must have no magazine inserted when off the mat. They must be unloaded after each bout. Breaking the safety rules is a disqualification.

See also: Disqualification

Rifle and targets

Rifle action

Loading is by the athlete's or team staff's own muscle force, using the common bolt, pistol grip cocking, a straight pull or a straight pull with ball-bearing locking. The rifle takes a one-shot or a five-shot magazine.

Rifle marking

A checked and approved rifle gets an IBU control sticker on the stock, in a flat marking area on both sides of the forestock. Competing with an unmarked rifle is a disqualification.

See also: Disqualification

Metal target

The target used by LW athletes in competition: a white face with five apertures and five black knock-down plates, which a hit replaces with a white disc. For prone the aiming circle is 35 mm and the scoring circle 13 mm. Paper targets are used for zeroing.

Electronic target

The target and rifle system for NS athletes. The target is 21.0 mm across and each hit is shown visually for officials, guides and spectators and as a tone in the athlete's earphones.

VI rifle

The electronic rifle for vision impaired athletes: an aiming system that gives audible feedback through earphones, with the same dimensions as an air rifle and a 0.5 kg trigger. The headset sound level is 85 to 95 dB. During shooting no part of the body or rifle may touch the fixed rifle support, the display unit or the reader, and breaking this is a disqualification.

Shooting range layout

The Paralympics and World Championships need 12 lanes for vision impaired classes (electronic) and 18 for LW classes; a World Cup needs at least 10 and 15. Target centres are 43 cm (plus or minus 5 cm) above the ramp, with a white background.

Skiing and the course

Shot penalty

What a missed target costs: a penalty loop in sprint, middle and pursuit, 60 seconds in individual, and 15 seconds in the sprint pursuit qualification. The loop must be skied; skipping each costs 2 minutes.

Course limits (standing and NS)

At most 2,000 m above sea level, a height difference of 80 m, a single climb of 50 m and a gradient of 18 per cent. The groomed width is at least 6 m, and the length may be at most 2 per cent short or 5 per cent long.

Sit-ski course

Sit-ski courses use undulating, flowing terrain with uphills not steeper than 10 to 12 per cent or over 200 m, and downhills of at most 12 to 14 per cent. Turns must have a minimum radius of 15 m and bank inwards. Two classic tracks 22 to 23 cm apart and 2 to 5 cm deep are set where the skis can follow them.

Passing rule

An athlete wanting to pass calls Track and the athlete being passed must clear the way at the first call, even if the course is wide. It does not apply in the finish corridors, in pursuit, sprint pursuit finals and team sprint finals, or to LW10 to LW12. In sprint, individual, middle and the qualification races, failing to give way (guides included) costs 1 minute.

Wrong course

An athlete who skis a wrong section must go back, along the part skied in error, to the point of the mistake, taking care not to obstruct others. There is no penalty if nobody is impeded; skiing the wrong trail or the loops in the wrong order or direction otherwise means disqualification.

See also: Disqualification

Propulsion

Athletes may use only skis, poles and their own muscular force, in any skiing technique. Using any other means of propulsion is a disqualification.

See also: Disqualification

Exchanging skis and poles

Skis may be exchanged only if the jury accepts that they or the bindings were broken by accident; poles and straps may be exchanged repeatedly. Nothing may be applied to change the glide of the skis during the competition. Repairs are allowed with no help from others.

Assistance

Help is allowed with the rifle and with equipment changes that the athlete's class makes necessary, and to return to the track after a fall. Non-competitors may run alongside for up to 50 m to give information or a drink, but not in the stadium area. Other physical help is forbidden.

Obstruction

Impeding another competitor in any way, including dropping objects on the course or range, is strictly forbidden. Serious obstruction is a disqualification and in the finish corridors the jury may apply anything from a reprimand to disqualification.

Penalties

Reprimand

The lowest sanction, for very minor harm to the IBU's reputation, insulting the IBU or its members, and for violations that have no penalty of their own.

Start prohibition

Being barred from starting for eligibility failures, non-compliant equipment or clothing, wrong or no start numbers, or breaking the rules on training, zeroing, warm-up or ski testing. It applies to the competition concerned or the next one.

Thirty-second penalty

Added for starting up to 3 seconds early in pursuit-type finals, starting outside the window in a single start without returning, breaking the lane-selection rules (unless another competitor or official caused it), and shooting from a wrong position, in the wrong sequence or in the wrong place in the lane.

One-minute penalty

Added for not giving way, breaching the passing or obstruction rules, a very minor breach of fair play, resting the rifle on the support outside the marked zone, and touching the rifle, spring support or main hand with the second hand while shooting.

Two-minute penalty

Added for each penalty loop not skied straight after a bout, each round not fired if the athlete leaves before all five shots, starting from the hand-over zone early without going back, cross-fire and a minor breach of fair play.

Disqualification

Among the reasons are avoiding the start or finish inspection, using a wrongly marked or modified rifle, skiing the wrong trail, other propulsion, serious obstruction, unauthorised help, firing more than five rounds in a bout, breaking the shooting safety rules, starting more than 3 seconds early in a final, and a serious breach of fair play.

Suspension and fines

After the protest deadline an athlete found to have grossly broken the rules may be suspended, and the competition jury may fine up to 1,000 euros. Larger fines up to 30,000 euros come from the IBU Executive Board and up to 100,000 euros under the Integrity Code. Other penalties can only be imposed before the final results are published.

Results, points and titles

Moment of finish

With electronic timing the finish is when the athlete breaks the finish sensor beam. By hand it is when one or both feet, or for sit-skiers the front of the binding, cross the line. In the team sprint it is the last member to finish. For NS athletes only the athlete is timed, not the guide.

Photo finish

A photo-finish camera is required in pursuit, mass start, super sprint final and relay races at the top events, and the first part of the first foot over the line decides. Sit-skiers are judged on the front binding. If the data cannot decide, a tie is declared.

Time adjustment

Time the jury gives back when an athlete lost time through no fault, for example a target malfunction, a range issue, or a mistake by the organisers over the number of penalty loops. For loops the organisers must record the average penalty-loop time of at least five competitors.

Ties

Athletes with the same time share the placing and the points, and the next placing is left unfilled.

Interrupted competition

If a pursuit or sprint pursuit final cannot complete its fourth bout, finish times are taken at the timing point after the penalty loop of the third bout; with fewer than three bouts done, it is stopped with no official result. A team sprint stopped after the third leg is decided by the time at that hand-over.

Timing precision

Times are measured electronically with manual backup, and all times are recorded to a tenth (0.1) of a second. Manual timing may be used only if the electronic system fails.

Types of results

Intermediate results are for information only; unofficial results are the first official record and can be protested; final results are published after the unofficial ones have been posted for 15 minutes and can be challenged only at the Jury of Appeal.

IBU qualifying points

A score from each athlete's result: ((athlete's time divided by the winner's time) minus 1) times 800, plus a race penalty. The race penalty is zero at World Cup, World Championships and Paralympic races. The winner scores zero and the score grows with the gap, so a lower score is a better result. The entry levels are 400 points for a World Cup and 360 for the World Championships (wild-card levels 800 and 640), using IBU points or FIS para cross-country points.

The ruleHow are para biathlon results decided?

Qualifying points list

The published list of each athlete's points, from the best results of the current and previous seasons: the average of the best three, the average of two times 1.10, or one result times 1.2. An athlete with no valid points in the period is removed.

Draw groups

Athletes are put into groups of five with similar qualifying points and drawn within each group. In individual, middle and sprint, athletes with no FIS or IBU points start first. The most recent list is used for all races in a block.

World Cup points

Awarded in individual, sprint, sprint pursuit and pursuit: 100 points for first, then 95, 90, 85, 80, 75, 72, 69 and on down, when five or more athletes compete (fewer start lower scales). Athletes must be within 30 per cent of the winner.

See also: Sprint, Individual, Pursuit, Sprint pursuit

Nations Cup

Points for each federation from its best three athletes in each race, on a scale starting at 100 for first. Team sprint points are doubled, and the athlete or team must be within 30 per cent of the winner.

World Cup trophies

A trophy for the man and the woman with the top World Cup total score in each category (sit, stand, vision impaired), kept by the winners, and one for the federation that wins the Nations Cup. Ties in standings go to the one with more wins, then more seconds, and so on.

Flower and medal ceremonies

The flower ceremony honours the top three athletes and relay teams straight after the competition, with start numbers worn. The World Championships medal ceremony includes flags and anthems, and athletes do not carry equipment unless the two ceremonies are combined at the stadium.

Officials, protests and inspection

Competition jury

The body that decides everything not given to other IBU bodies: it imposes penalties, awards time adjustments and rules on protests. At the World Cup and World Championships it has five members: the race director or technical delegate as chair, a para biathlon referee, the competition chief and two team officials from different federations.

Jury of Appeal

A three-member body set up for each Paralympic, World Championships and World Cup event. An appeal must be made within 15 minutes after the final results are posted and decided within 72 hours. Decisions on delays or postponements cannot be appealed.

Race director, technical delegate and referee

The IBU appoints race directors; the Technical Committee appoints technical delegates, who chair the jury and direct the referees; and IBU referees watch the start and finish, range, course and material control. At the top events the referees come from outside the host country.

Protest

A written protest to the competition jury on the IBU form with a fee of 100 euros, refunded if upheld. Protests about rule violations, officials' mistakes, conditions or the unofficial results go in from the start of zeroing until 15 minutes after the unofficial results are posted. Eligibility protests can be made at any time up to the end of the protest time.

Repeat or annulment

If a protest shows circumstances that cast doubt on the sporting merit of a competition, the jury may repeat it or annul it without a repeat.

Equipment inspection

Equipment and clothing are checked on arrival, before the start and after the finish. Athletes report to the pre-start inspection at least 10 minutes before the start, to have the rifle, clothing and numbers checked; the checkpoint opens at least 1 hour 15 minutes before. At the finish the rifle, skis and advertising are checked again, with random tests of trigger weight and pellet speed.

Prohibited materials

Materials that help or replace the natural push-off (such as spring devices in skis, poles, bindings or boots), use outside energy such as batteries (shoe and glove heating excepted), affect conditions for others, raise the risk of injury, contain fluorocarbons in ski preparation, or are forbidden by law.

Eligibility and safety

Athletes and team staff must sign IBU declarations and every para biathlete and team member must pass an IBU online safety course. An athlete who cannot handle the equipment safely may be stopped from starting or removed from the race.

All Para biathlon words