Big change at the Four Hills Tournament: new on-screen yellow line debuts

Fans of ski jumping received a new broadcast innovation at the opening competition of the 73rd Four Hills Tournament in Oberstdorf.

For years, viewers have known the green line drawn on the landing slope that indicates the distance a jumper needs to take the overall lead. Before each jump, a target distance also appears on screen as a number. That wasn’t always the case—earlier broadcasts offered far fewer graphic aids.

Now a second visual aid has been added: a yellow line. It appeared for the first time in Oberstdorf and is designed specifically for the tournament’s head‑to‑head KO format in the first round. In each pairing, the yellow line marks the distance the second jumper must achieve to win the duel and qualify for the top 30 and the second series.

Practically, this means the yellow line is visible during every other jump in the opening round—whenever the first athlete in the pair has already jumped and set a mark. The change should make it easier for viewers to follow who is “on pace” to win the duel, much like the green line clarifies the fight for the overall lead.

The article suggests the feature will likely stay, at least as long as the KO system—introduced in 1996/97 to spice up the first round—remains part of the Four Hills Tournament format.