The FIS Code of Conduct: 10 rules for skiers and snowboarders

The 10 FIS rules with explanations

Each rule is given in our editorial rendering of the official English FIS text. Below it is a short explanation, for which we drew on the FIS commentary on the rules.

1. Respect for others. A skier or snowboarder must behave in a way that does not endanger or harm others.

   In practice: You are responsible for the way you ski, and also for any faulty equipment you ski on.

2. Control of speed and manner of skiing. A skier or snowboarder must ski in control. They adapt their speed and way of skiing to their ability, the terrain, the snow, the weather and the amount of traffic.

   In practice: The point is to be able to stop and turn, and to ski only within your field of vision. When it is crowded or visibility is poor, you have to go slowly, especially at the edge of a steep slope, at its foot and near lifts.

3. Choice of line. A skier or snowboarder coming from behind chooses their line so as not to endanger the people ahead.

   In practice: Whoever is lower down, in front of you, has priority.

4. Overtaking. You may overtake above or below, on the right or on the left, but always with enough distance for the person being overtaken to have room for any movement, including an unintended one.

   In practice: The overtaking skier is responsible for the whole manoeuvre. This also applies when passing someone who is standing still.

5. Entering the piste, starting off and moving uphill. Anyone entering a marked piste, starting off again after stopping or moving up the slope must look both up and down so as not to endanger themselves or others.

   In practice: Accidents often happen exactly when people join a piste or set off after a stop. Finishing a turn with an uphill arc means moving against the flow of traffic, so before doing it, check that you will not put yourself or others at risk.

6. Stopping on the piste. Unless it is absolutely necessary, a skier or snowboarder avoids stopping on the piste, in narrow places and where visibility is restricted. After a fall in such a place, they move off the piste as quickly as possible.

   In practice: If the piste is not wide, stop at its edge.

7. Climbing and descending on foot. Anyone climbing or descending on foot keeps to the edge of the piste.

   In practice: Boot prints damage a groomed piste and can be dangerous for people skiing down it.

8. Signs and markings. A skier or snowboarder must respect all signs and markings.

   In practice: A piste's colour tells you how difficult it is: black, red, blue or green. A piste closure sign or a danger sign must never be ignored, whatever the situation.

9. Assistance. In the event of an accident, every skier and snowboarder is obliged to help.

   In practice: Helping means giving first aid to the injured person, alerting the rescue services and marking the accident site.

10. Identification. After an accident, every skier, snowboarder and witness, including anyone not responsible for the accident, must give their name and address.

    In practice: Witnesses help reconstruct how the accident happened. Reports from the rescue services and the police, and photographs, are also useful in establishing liability.

Where the FIS rules come from and whether they are binding

The history of the rules begins in 1967, when FIS announced the first rules of conduct for skiers at its congress in Beirut. Snowboarding and carving were only added by the congress in Portorož in 2002. We published a Polish translation in 2006 as the Skier's Decalogue, with advice from Adam Marasek of TOPR, the Tatra Volunteer Rescue Service. FIS has published the current version since 2023, and its content matches the 2016 version, although some of the wording differs.

In its commentary, FIS describes the rules as a model of behaviour for a responsible and careful skier and says they are meant to help prevent accidents. They do not replace the regulations of an individual resort. Even so, breaking them can lead to civil and criminal liability after an accident. The Austrian Supreme Court does not regard them as law, but treats them as a set of duties of care for skiers.

The FIS rules and the law in Poland

In Poland, the matter is governed by a separate law, the Act of 18 August 2011 on safety and rescue in the mountains and in organised ski areas. The FIS rules do not appear in it, either by reference or written out. Instead, Article 31 sets out its own duties for people in an organised ski area. Everyone must exercise due care to protect their own life and health and that of others, and in particular:

• learn and follow the rules for using the area, facility or equipment in question,
• obey the mandatory and prohibition signs put up by the operator,
• ski at a speed suited to their ability, the difficulty and condition of the piste, the weather and the amount of traffic,
• use equipment in good working order that suits the type of skiing,
• inform the ski patrol without delay of an accident, a missing person or any other incident that may affect safety.

The act also bans skiing while drunk or under the influence of drugs (Article 30). The operator may refuse such a person entry to the ski area or order them to leave. When a rescuer is skiing with equipment for transporting injured people, skiers must give way (Article 36). Article 45 provides for a fine for skiing after drinking and for allowing a child under 16 to ski without a helmet; under the Code of Petty Offences it ranges from PLN 20 to PLN 5,000. We write more about helmets for children in the guide Helmets and goggles.

Unlike FIS rule 9, the act does not place a general duty to help on skiers. It only requires them to alert the ski patrol (Article 31). Skiing past an injured person can still end in a criminal case, though. If someone is in danger of losing their life or suffering serious harm to their health, and you can help without putting yourself at risk, failing to help is an offence under Article 162 of the Polish Criminal Code. On top of that comes Article 4 of the State Medical Rescue Act: anyone who sees a person in a sudden health emergency must, as far as they can, notify the emergency services without delay.

Rules on the slopes in Italy and Austria

The Italian decree also has two provisions you will not find in the FIS rules. The first concerns collisions: if it cannot be established who was at fault, both skiers are presumed to have contributed equally to the damage (Art. 28). The second is the obligation to hold valid third-party liability insurance on downhill pistes (Art. 30). Anyone without it risks a fine of €100 to €150 and having their ski pass withdrawn.

Accident on the slope: what to do

1. Mark the accident site, so that approaching skiers steer round the injured person.
2. Give first aid and call the rescue services. The number 112 works throughout the European Union. In the Polish mountains you can call 985 or 601 100 300, in Austria 140, and in Italy 112 or 118.
3. Write down the details of those involved and of any witnesses (name, address, phone number) and take photos of the scene.
4. Report the accident to the ski patrol or the resort staff. In Poland this is an obligation under Article 31 of the act, and in Italy under Art. 23 of Decree No. 40/2021.

If you have ski insurance, call the insurer's emergency centre once you have given help, and ask which documents to collect after an accident on the slope.

Questions and answers