How Olympic Sports Work: Rules, Scoring & Formats Explained

Olympic Sports Rules & Scoring Explained

Half the fun of watching the Winter Olympics is learning how sports you’ve never tried actually work. The other half is yelling at the TV when a judge’s score doesn’t match what you just saw. Either way, knowing the rules makes the whole experience better.

Winter sports scoring ranges from dead simple — cross the finish line first — to genuinely complex systems involving technical elements, component scores, gate penalties, and jury decisions. Figure skating’s judging system fills a small textbook. Biathlon asks athletes to shoot rifles between ski laps. Curling strategy has more in common with chess than most people realize.

Our rules guides break down each of the 16 sports at Milano Cortina 2026 into plain language. We cover how events are structured, how winners are determined, what the common penalties and infractions look like, and what to watch for as a first-time viewer. No jargon without explanation, no assumptions about what you already know.

Start with the sport that interests you most, or browse them all before the Games begin on February 6.