How short track speedskating is scored in the Olympics:
Races are held on a 111-meter track laid out within a standard hockey rink. There are four events each for men and women: 500, 1,000 and 1,500 meters, along with the relays (5,000 for men, 3,000 for women). Unlike long track, which is decided by the fastest time, short track skaters go head-to-head in a pack format, leading to furious competition that's been described as roller derby on ice. The first person across the line wins. Heats are held, gradually whittling the field through preliminary, quarterfinal and semifinal and final rounds. Although some degree of contact is inevitable, skaters can be disqualified for a range of fouls that include impeding, cross-tracking (essentially, cutting someone off like a driver who switches lanes in front of another car), and kicking out (when one skater's razor-sharp blades interfere with another competitor). In the relays, teams of skaters tag in and out trying to keep fresh legs on the ice and set up the strongest competitor to be out for the final lap.
