An analysis of the US Ski & Snowboard moguls national ranking process, scoring methodology, and divisional structure.
The Moguls National Ranking List (MNRL) determines qualification for Junior Nationals and Nationals. Rankings are based on Freestyle Points (FSP) earned at divisional and national-level competitions throughout the season. In Singles (MO) events, athletes are scored by judges on their mogul run and ranked by total score. FSP is then derived from that score-based ranking.
There are three tiers of Singles events, each with different fixed podium point values:
The most common event type. Podium placements receive fixed national point values:
For athletes finishing after 3rd place, points are calculated relative to the 3rd-place score:
Each division holds a championship event with enhanced point values, reflecting the higher competitive significance:
Events with very small fields receive reduced point values. These are detected by a 1st-place FSP below 890 in the published results:
The MNRL is published in multiple lists as new competition results are incorporated throughout the season.
Dual Moguls is a head-to-head bracket format where athletes are paired and race side-by-side. Unlike Singles, the final ranking in a Duals event is determined entirely by bracket placement rather than run scores. As a result, Duals FSP is calculated using a different formula based on finishing position and field size.
The same three event tiers apply, with the same fixed podium point values as Singles (regular: 900/875/855, championship: 1000/970/950, small: 800/775/760). For athletes finishing 4th place and below, FSP is calculated using Place Point Reduction (PPR):
Where Field Size is the total number of competitors in the event and Place is the athlete's finishing position. Each position below 3rd loses a fixed number of points (PPR), so athletes are evenly spaced from 3rd place down to the last finisher.
A regular duals event with 24 athletes. 3rd-place points = 855.
| Place | FSP | Method |
|---|---|---|
| 1st | 900.00 | Fixed |
| 2nd | 875.00 | Fixed |
| 3rd | 855.00 | Fixed |
| 4th | 819.38 | 855 − 1 × 35.62 |
| 5th | 783.75 | 855 − 2 × 35.62 |
| 10th | 605.62 | 855 − 7 × 35.62 |
| 24th | 106.88 | 855 − 21 × 35.62 |
Because DM scoring is purely placement-based rather than score-based, the field size directly determines point distribution. A small-field duals event produces larger PPR intervals, meaning fewer athletes compete for the same fixed podium points. This compounds the field-size advantage already present in the Singles formula.
Singles (MO) and Duals (DM) are ranked as separate disciplines. For each discipline, an athlete's MNRL score is determined by their top 2 event FSP values from the season, averaged together:
Athletes are then ranked from highest to lowest score within each discipline. Only the top 2 event results matter — all other events are discarded.
The Combined MNRL merges both disciplines into a single ranking using a weighted formula. Singles is weighted more heavily because it is the primary discipline:
Suppose an athlete competes in 4 singles events this season and earns the following FSP values:
The system selects the top 2 values (highlighted). Events 1 and 4 are discarded regardless of how many events the athlete competed in.
The same process produces a Duals score from that athlete's top 2 duals event FSPs. Suppose after ranking both disciplines across all athletes, this athlete earns:
Lower combined points = higher combined rank
US Ski & Snowboard organizes mogul skiing into five geographic divisions. Athletes primarily compete in events within their home division, and the majority of an athlete's MNRL points are earned at divisional competitions.
Divisions vary in the number of competing athletes and the number of events held each season. National-level events such as Selections and Junior Nationals bring athletes from all divisions together to compete head-to-head.