How are penalties given in ski mountaineering?

I · Intermediate · Equipment and results · 6 of 6

Checked 14 October 2026

Penalties are time added to the result on two scales: 30 seconds, 3 minutes or disqualification in individual and team races; 3 seconds, 30 seconds or disqualification in vertical, sprint and relay races. Cheating, a serious safety fault or deliberately making a rival fall is disqualification. Team and relay faults have their own penalties.

How it works

Minor fault: 30 seconds or 3 seconds.
Deliberate hindering: 3 minutes or 30 seconds.
Cheating or serious safety fault: disqualification.
Pushing a rival over on purpose: disqualification.
Abuse during the race: disqualification and a disciplinary report.
Team apart at a transition: 1 minute each time.
Wrong relay handover: 1 minute.
Missing a ceremony: no prize money.

The glossary has the penalty scales (ski mountaineering), the disqualification (ski mountaineering), the team gaps, the penalty under review, the missed gate and the outside assistance.

Tricky cases

A team's partners finish 15 seconds apart. Penalty?

20 seconds: the 10 seconds over the limit plus the same again.

An athlete is marked "penalty under review". What then?

The Jury President confirms or drops it before results are final.

Is a penalty given for a fault not in the tables?

Yes. The general scale is used.

An athlete abandons without telling anyone. Penalty?

They start at the back of the next race.

Why the rule exists

Two scales keep penalties in proportion to race length. Time penalties let racing go on while still punishing the fault.

Where it differs

Where	What changes	Source
Individual and team races	30 seconds or 3 minutes	27.2 A
Vertical, sprint and relays	3 or 30 seconds	27.2 A
Coaches	Report to the Disciplinary Commission	27.2 F

From the rule book

ISMF, Rules & Guidelines, version 2026-2027, rules 27, 27.1 and 27.2, with ISMF, Penalty Code Reference Table. Checked 14 October 2026. Official document: the ISMF Rules & Guidelines 2026-2027.