What happens when I miss a target?

In the Youth (U19) sprint, pursuit, Mass Start 60 and relay races, the penalty for each target left standing after your rounds for the bout is a 150 m penalty loop. In the single mixed relay the penalty loop is 75 m.

• You must ski the loop once for every missed target, immediately after the shooting bout.
• You are responsible for skiing the right number of loops. You cannot complete missed loops after the next shooting bout or before crossing the finish line. If you realize you skipped a loop, you may return to the penalty loop without obstructing other athletes.
• If the organizers or a target malfunction cause you to ski the wrong number of loops, the Competition Jury decides on an appropriate time adjustment.
• The competitor on or exiting the penalty loop has the right of way over a competitor entering it.
• Relays: you have 3 spare rounds. After your first five rounds, any targets still standing must be hit with the spare rounds (hand-loaded one by one, not from a magazine) until all five are down or all eight rounds are fired. Targets still standing after that send you to the penalty loop.

Source: IBU Event and Competition Rules 2026, competition format table and articles 7.1.5 and 8.2.2: https://assets.ctfassets.net/cz0vl36hcq0x/7mkQn1kQTB7VzlUZHAcuec/c8897efcf14ccded0f82af3513c6e5ef/ECR_Rules_2026_cap03.pdf ; applied at the Games by the 2027 Canada Winter Games Biathlon Technical Package, section 5.1: https://biathlon.ca/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/36-2027-Technical-Package-Biathlon-PUBLISHED.pdf