World Cup Season 2026/2027

Rules and FAQ

Team Building

Team Structure

  • Each manager selects eight skiers: six starters and two bench skiers.
  • The team must include four women and four men.
  • A maximum of three skiers from the same country.

Bench

Bench skiers act as reserves for your team. They only enter your lineup if they have competed and one of your starting skiers has not raced in any competition during the gameweek. Skiers who receive a DNS, DNF, or DSQ are treated as not having competed in that race. This replacement is applied automatically after the final race of the gameweek.

Gender rule

A bench skier can only replace a starting skier of the same gender: a woman replaces a woman, and a man replaces a man.

If all your starting skiers compete during the gameweek, bench skiers will not affect your score, even if they race and score points.

Captain Boost

  • Select one captain each gameweek; their total score is doubled.
  • If the captain does not start any race, no double applies.

Gameweek & Deadline Logic

  • Your selected team represents you for the entire gameweek.
  • Once the deadline has passed, your team is locked for that gameweek and you cannot make any changes to your team.
  • This includes not being able to switch bench and starting skiers.
  • When the gameweek is over, the game will update and your team carries over to the next gameweek, where you can make changes using transfers.

Budget

  • Managers start with a 100 million $ budget.
  • The team's total value changes as skier prices move during the season. The budget can therefore fluctuate above or below 100 million $ based on price changes.

Transfers & Price Changes

  • All managers have unlimited free transfers before the first gameweek deadline.
  • Each new gameweek grants one free transfer.
  • If a gameweek includes a relay or team sprint, teams receive one additional free transfer (two total).
  • If a gameweek includes multiple relays and/or team sprints, teams still only receive one additional free transfer.
  • Unused free transfers roll over to the next gameweek, up to a maximum of five.
  • Additional transfers beyond free ones cost 40 points each.
  • Skier prices may rise or fall daily based on performance, ownership changes, and transfer activity. A skier's price can change by a maximum of 0.1 per day and 0.3 per gameweek, both upwards and downwards.

Scoring System

Base Points

Individual races award points from 1st to 30th place. Relay and team sprint events use a separate scale, awarding points down to 15th place.

Points Distribution — Individual Races

Points are awarded to places 1-30. Any placement outside the top 30 receives 0 points.

Place Points
1100
280
360
450
545
640
735
830
925
1022
1120
1219
1318
1417
1516
1615
1714
1813
1912
2011
2110
229
238
247
256
265
274
283
292
301

Sprint Qualification

Individual sprint qualification awards 10 points for 1st place, 5 points for 2nd place, and 2 points for 3rd place. All other qualification placements receive 0 points. The sprint final awards points using the individual race table above.

Points Distribution — Relay / Team Sprint

Relay and team sprint events award points to places 1-15. Placements 16 and below receive 0 points.

Place Points
150
240
330
425
520
618
716
814
910
108
116
125
134
143
152

Relay & Skiers from the Same Country

You do not select a separate lineup for relay or mixed relay events, you use your normal lineup.

If multiple skiers from your team compete together in the same relay team, you receive points for all of them.

This means that if their relay team wins, multiple skiers in your fantasy team can earn 1st-place points.

Only skiers who actually compete in the relay score points.

Adjustments

Results may be updated for up to 12 hours after a race if FIS publishes corrections. After that, points are final even if FIS makes further changes.

Chips

Chips

  • Each chip can only be used once per season.
  • Only one chip can be active in a gameweek.
  • Once activated, a chip cannot be cancelled or undone, even if the deadline has not passed yet.
  • Bench Boost: Your bench skiers also score points for that gameweek.
  • Triple Captain: Your captain earns triple points for that gameweek. If your captain does not start, the chip is still considered used.
  • Wildcard: Make unlimited transfers for that gameweek without point deductions. Your number of free transfers remains unchanged after using the chip.

The Cup

The Cup is a knockout tournament that runs alongside the leagues during the season, until one team remains and is crowned Cup winner.

Format

  • All teams registered when the Cup starts are entered automatically. Teams created after the Cup has started cannot join.
  • One round is played each gameweek during the Cup.
  • Each round, you are drawn head-to-head against another manager.
  • The team with the most weekly points that gameweek advances to the next round.
  • The losing team is eliminated from the Cup.

Tie-breakers

If both teams finish on the same weekly points, the winner is decided by:

  • Highest total points.
  • If the teams are still level, the winner is drawn at random.

Start & First Round

The Cup starts partway through the season. The start depends on the total number of managers, as more managers require more rounds. The Cup is structured so that the final is played in the last gameweek of the season.

First-round byes

The first round reduces the field to an even bracket, so only some teams play a match. The teams with the highest total points when the Cup starts receive a bye to the second round.

FAQ

Are there any prizes?

There are no physical or cash prizes, only bragging rights! You can also earn special badges for achievements throughout the season.

What happens if a race is cancelled?

Cancelled races are not counted and do not affect your points.

Why didn't my bench skier replace a starter who scored 0 points?

A bench skier only replaces a starting skier who has not competed in any race during the gameweek. A skier who finishes outside the points, or is eliminated in a sprint qualification, has still competed, so no replacement is made.

A starting skier is only replaced if they did not start any race, or received a DNS, DNF, or DSQ in every race they entered that gameweek.

Can I change my team name or country?

Yes. Your team name and country can be changed a maximum of two times in total, and only before the gameweek deadline. A country-only change also counts as one change. Your selected country determines which Country League you compete in.

How do leagues work?

All managers are automatically part of the Global League and their Country League. You can also create or join private mini leagues to compete with friends.

Additional leagues will become available during the season, including a Second Chance League for the second half of the season, a Tour de Ski League, and a dedicated World Championships League.

I'm missing a skier in the skier list, why?

Skiers are added continuously as new squads are announced. If you are missing a specific skier, please contact us and we'll add them as soon as possible.

What happens if teams are tied at the end of the season?

If two or more teams finish the season on the same total points after the last race, the title is decided by the highest score in the most recent gameweek, so that the season always has one single winner.

How is Cross Country Fantasy connected to Biathlon Fantasy?

Cross Country Fantasy and Biathlon Fantasy are separate fantasy games, but they share some features. You can earn badges across both games and compete in a combined leaderboard based on your results in both.

How do I get help or report a problem?

If something looks wrong, you have found a bug, or you have a question that is not answered here, get in touch and we will help you out.

You can use the same form to send feedback and suggestions for the game.

Contact us

Is there an app?

Yes. Cross Country Fantasy is available as an iOS app and can also be played in any web browser.

An Android app is not currently available. As the game is developed by a single developer, development is currently focused on improving the game, fixing bugs, and adding new features.

If there is enough demand, an Android app on Google Play may be considered for a future season.