# Points List Files

USSA provides a competitor ranking system for scored competitions. Competitor rankings are computed under both the USSA (national) and FIS (international) points systems. Points lists are published electronically on a regular schedule throughout the competition season.

The points list data file format is also used for publishing related lists. In particular, the same data file format is used to publish officials lists and licensed masters competitor lists.

USSA Points List File Format
FIS Points List File Format
Points List File Naming
Downloading Points Lists from USSA

## USSA Points List File Format

A points list data file uses a simple text-based file format known as comma-separated values (CSV) format. Essentially, each line in the text file contains a list of field values in a specific order which comprise the data for a competitor. CSV files are simple to process and can be used as an interchange format between a variety of programs (timing software, spreadsheets, database).

The USSA points list file format is used for the USSA national points list, as well as for unranked lists for officials and masters competitors.

USSA Points List File Fields
Column | Value | Format | Notes
--- | --- | --- | ---
1 | license type (regular, Student, Disabled) | single character code | { <space> | "S" | "D" } (blank for most competitors)
2 | last name | alphanumeric | usually all caps; may contain internal space (e.g. DE XXX or VAN XXX)
3 | first name(s) | alphanumeric | single leading space; may contain internal spaces; trailing pad
4 | division | single character code | { F | P | I | R | C | E | X } (X is a foreign competitor)
5 | license number | 7-digit USSA license number |
6 | gender | single character code | { F | M }
7 | year born | yyyy | 4-digit year
8 | discipline points - DH | ddd.d | 990.0 for unranked competitor
9 | discipline points - SL | ddd.d | 990.0 for unranked competitor
10 | discipline points - GS | ddd.d | 990.0 for unranked competitor
11 | discipline points - SG | ddd.d | 990.0 for unranked competitor

Note: The adjacent lastName, firstName fields appear to be generated with last name in all caps, a single space preceding the first name, and trailing space characters on the first name so that the total length of the two fields, including the comma separator, ins 22 characters. Origin or need for this padding is unknown...

ISSUE: The current USSA points list files always end with a comma, which is essentially denoting an empty trailing 12th field. Is this significant?! [DJL 28-Oct-2002]

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## FIS Points List File Format

Essentially the same as the USSA points list format, with the following differences:

- doesn't have the leading license-type field that USSA uses
- uses country code and FIS license number rather than division code and USSA license number
- USA competitors include two trailing fields with their division/USSA license number info

FIS Points List File Fields
Column | Value | Format | Notes
--- | --- | --- | ---
1 | last name | alphanumeric | usually all caps; may contain internal space (e.g. DE XXX or VAN XXX)
2 | first name(s) | alphanumeric | single leading space; may contain internal spaces; trailing pad
3 | country | CCC | 3-digit country code per FIS specifications
4 | license number | 5-digit FIS license number |
5 | gender | single character code | { F | M }
6 | year born | yyyy | 4-digit year
7 | discipline points - DH | ddd.d | 990.0 for unranked competitor
8 | discipline points - SL | ddd.d | 990.0 for unranked competitor
9 | discipline points - GS | ddd.d | 990.0 for unranked competitor
10 | discipline points - SG | ddd.d | 990.0 for unranked competitor
| 11 | USSA division | single character code (USA competitors only) | { F | P | I | R | C | E | X } (X is a foreign competitor)
12 | USSA license number | 7-digit USSA license number (USA competitors only) |

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## Points List File Naming

The points list file name follows a naming convention which indicates the type of list and when it was published (season and index within season). Six-character file names are used, with the first three characters indicating the list type and the last three digits indicating when the file was published. (Note that no file extension is used.)

The first three characters of the file name are letters which indicate the type of list:

- NLM, NLW - USSA national rankings points list (men, women)
- FLM, FLW - FIS international rankings points list (men, women)
- NLO - USSA licensed officialas (unranked)
- MAS - USSA masters competitors list (unranked)

The third character of a national or FIS points list file indicates whether the list contains Male competitors, Women competitors, or Officials. Competitor rankings lists are published separately by gender, while unranked lists for officials and masters contain both men and women.

The final three characters of a points list file name indicates when the list was published. The points list number is a single-digit index indicating when the list version was published during the season, starting with the initial Fall points list #1 and contining roughly monthly through the end of the competition season in June. The season in which the list was published in indicated by the last two digits of year in which the competition season ends, e.g., points lists for the 2002-2003 competition season will have file names with "03" for the year.

For example, the fall points lists published at the start of the 2002-2002 season are named NLM103 and NLW103 for men and women competitors with USSA rankings points, with corresponding officials and masters lists files NLO103 and MAS103. As updated lists are released over the course of the season, the list index digit in the fourth character of the file name increases (e.g., NLM203, NLM303, NLM403, NLM503).

Alpine Points Lists (2002-2002)
List | USSA | FIS | Notes
--- | --- | --- | ---
1 | mid-Nov | end of October | Fall points list
2 | mid-Dec. | start of Jan |
3 | mid-Jan | start of Feb |
4 | start of Feb | mid-March |
5 | end of Feb | end of Apr |
6 | end of Mar | end of June | final FIS list
7 | end of June | (n/a) | final USSA list

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## Downloading Points Lists from USSA

As USSA publishes updated points list over the course of the season, the files are made available for download on the USSA Alpine web site. Points list files can be downloaded manually by going to the USSA web site yourself and following the instructions on the Download Lists page (under Database Tools in the navigation links). Alternatively, your timing system software may provide an operation which handles the download automatically for you and installs the points list files in the proper location to support to program operation.

The points lists files published by USSA are packaged together using a compressed format known as .ZIP for convenience and performance when downloading. The downloadable ZIP files use a naming convention similar to that of the actual points files. The first three characters of the ZIP file name indicate the type of list, while the last three characters are digits indicating the list number and season.

Downloads are provided for FIS lists, USSA national lists, and Masters lists. In the descriptions below of file names, the placeholder iyy is used to denote the three digits which indicate the list number (1..6) and the year (yy) of the list.

The FIS rankings list download `FLXiyy.zip` contains the men's and women's points list files `FLMiyy` and `FLWiyy`.

The USSA rankings list download `NLXiyy.zip` contains the men's and women's points list files `NLMiyy` and `NLWiyy`, along with the current officials list `NLOiyy`.

The Masters list download `MASiyy` contains the masters competitor list file `MASiyy`, along with the current officials list `NLOiyy`.

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### Document History

22-Sep-2001 - D. Lewis - Created initial draft.
29-Oct-2002 - D. Lewis - Rework and fill in details.