FIS Points Explained: Why They Matter for Racers
The FIS points system explained: how it works, what your points mean, and whether you actually need them as a British club racer.
The FIS points system is one of those things British club racers encounter early, either because they want to enter a competition that requires them, or because someone at training mentions their points and you realise you have no idea what they are talking about. What follows is the explanation.
What FIS Points Are
FIS is the Fédération Internationale de Ski, the international governing body for alpine ski racing (and other snow disciplines). FIS maintains a points list for each alpine discipline, slalom, giant slalom, super-G, downhill, combined, that provides a universal ranking of competitive racers.
The key thing to understand: lower points mean better ranking. A racer with 10 FIS points is ranked above a racer with 50 FIS points. A World Cup regular might have FIS points in the single digits; a strong club racer might be in the hundreds; a new competitor entering their first FIS event will acquire points based on their result.
Points are calculated using a formula that incorporates your time relative to the winner of the event, weighted by the average FIS points of the top performers in the race (the “F-value”). The practical effect is that performing well in a race where the field has low (good) FIS points earns you more improvement to your ranking than the same result in a field with higher (weaker) points.
The Points Calculation
The basic FIS points formula for a competitor in a race is:
P = (Tx/To - 1) × F + Pen
Where:
- P = the competitor’s FIS points for the race
- Tx = the competitor’s time
- To = the winner’s time
- F = the race’s points factor (varies by discipline, for example approximately 720 for slalom, 980 for giant slalom, and higher for speed events)
- Pen = penalty (which incorporates the race’s difficulty factor)
In practice, you do not need to calculate this manually; results are submitted to FIS and processed automatically. The point is to understand what the numbers reflect: how much slower you were than the winner, scaled by a discipline-specific constant (F is set by FIS; the race penalty separately reflects the strength of the field).
Your FIS points on the official list are typically based on your best results, subject to FIS validity rules and list cycles, from the current season and the previous season. This smoothing mechanism means a single good performance improves your ranking but a single bad one does not destroy it.
How to Get FIS Points
You acquire FIS points by competing in a FIS-sanctioned event. These include:
The British Alpine Ski Championships: sanctioned as a FIS event, meaning results contribute to the FIS points list.
FIS-sanctioned national series rounds: specific rounds of the National Ski and Snowboard Series designated as FIS events.
International FIS events: club racers with competitive ambitions sometimes enter FIS-sanctioned club competitions in Austria, Switzerland, France, or other Alpine nations. These events are open to any FIS licence-holder, including British racers, and the field is often strong enough to produce meaningful points improvement.
Europa Cup and lower-tier international events: the step above national FIS competition, populated by developing athletes on the GB performance pathway.
To enter FIS events, you need:
- A GB Snowsport competition licence
- A FIS licence (obtained through GB Snowsport as your national federation)
- In some cases, a results qualification based on existing FIS points or national series results
What the Points Mean in Practice
For the majority of British club racers, FIS points serve two functions:
A competitive benchmark. Your FIS points give you a place in a universal ranking that lets you compare yourself to racers internationally, not just within the British system. A club racer with 100 FIS points in slalom can look at the points list and see exactly where they stand relative to French, Swiss, or Austrian club racers of similar standard.
Entry currency. Some competitions require a FIS points threshold for entry, a maximum number of points you must hold to qualify. This is common in open FIS events where organisers want to ensure a competitive field.
For most club racers in the UK, FIS points are a useful metric but not essential for participation. The domestic competition system, club events, regional series, NSSS, British Championships masters categories, does not require FIS points to participate. You can have a full and competitive club racing career in Britain without ever entering a FIS-sanctioned event.
Points and the GB Team Pathway
Where FIS points become critical is in the GB Snowsport performance pathway. Athletes being assessed for national team selection are evaluated partly on their FIS points trajectory: consistent improvement in points, particularly in FIS-sanctioned events, is the primary objective measure of development at development squad level.
For athletes on or near the GB Alpine team, the points target is defined by where you need to be to qualify for major championships. Olympic qualifying standards, World Championship allocation criteria, and World Cup start allocations are all governed by FIS points thresholds that the GB performance programme works toward.
For club racers, this pathway is visible but distant. In practice, if a young racer in your club shows potential and starts entering FIS events with improving results, the points trajectory is what the national coaches will be watching.
Age Groups and Points
FIS maintains separate start provisions for masters-category racers (typically veterans over 30) in some events. Masters club racing at international level has its own competition structure through the FIS Masters programme, with World Championships and regional championships for age-group competitors.
For British masters racers with competitive ambitions beyond the domestic level, the FIS Masters competition circuit, which includes events across Europe and the wider FIS Masters World Championships, represents the international equivalent of the domestic British Championships. Entry typically requires an established FIS points benchmark or masters-specific qualification.
A Practical Summary
Do you need FIS points to race in Britain? No. The domestic club racing system works without them.
Should you get them if you are competitive? Yes. They provide a universal benchmark, open additional competition opportunities, and are required for the performance pathway.
How do you get them? Compete in the British Alpine Ski Championships or FIS-sanctioned NSSS rounds, then register your results with GB Snowsport/FIS through your competition licence.
What is a good points score for a club racer? Difficult to generalise by discipline, but broadly: under 100 points places you in the territory of serious domestic competition; often associated with national-team-level performance, though thresholds vary significantly by discipline and country; single digits to low tens for World Cup-level athletes. Most club racers sit in the 150–500 range, which is entirely respectable as a measure of genuine competitive engagement.
FIS points calculations, qualification criteria, and event structures are set by FIS and may change between seasons. The FIS website is the authoritative source for current points lists, event calendars, and licensing requirements.