Sport Climbing: How does the new Boulder scoring work?

The basics: zones, tops and attempts

With a short wall height, lack of ropes and generous padding, Boulder might seem like a simple challenge to the untrained eye. Yet, the discipline is full of complexity.

Climbers must put their fine-tuned puzzle-solving sense to the task, devising the best route up a tricky set of holds, or in some cases, a nearly impossible set of movements.

Years of training are reduced to a mere four-minute window of physicality and technique on each Boulder, with athletes tasked with ascending four separate Boulder ‘problems’ during each round of competition.

Each Boulder problem includes three key components: the start hold(s), zone hold and top hold.

The start holds are marked on each Boulder problem, and climbers must begin in the correct position to earn points later on. If they don’t start properly, they won’t get credit for “controlling” – showing command – of any scoring holds as they climb.

A zone hold is usually placed near the midway point of a Boulder problem, or below the trickiest part of the climb before the top hold. It serves as a bonus point for climbers unable to complete a Boulder.

The top hold, in turn, serves as the definitive end of the Boulder problem. It’s the last hold a climber touches before completing a climb.

While the number of zones and tops achieved by an athlete helps determine the final outcome, athletes must also be aware of the number of attempts it takes to complete a Boulder problem, with each successive attempt counting against them.