A bigger than ever worldwide audience will be watching the eleven days of biathlon competitions during the Beijing Olympic Winter Games. The airwaves, television, internet and news stories will highlight every exciting competition.

In case you are new to the sport, a hard-core or casual fan, here is a quick rundown of twenty-two frequently used catchphrases and biathlon terminology that will answer the “what did they say” question that will make you a biathlon expert at that next coffee break!

Biathlon rifle: .22 caliber, combined weight of the unloaded rifle and stock must be no less than 3.5 kg.

Rifle stock: customised wood, carbon fiber or 3D printed combination; individually fitted to maximize shooting efficiency and accuracy

Magazine: stores five rounds of .22 caliber ammunition; every rifle stock can store up to four magazines

Spare rounds: up to three extra shots allowed in relays to close all five targets. Spare rounds stored singly in the rifle stock and hand loaded individually as needed. These rounds can also be used in individual competitions in the event of a lost or misfired round

Snow cover: small metal piece to keep snow out of rifle barrel that athlete flips open just before shooting

Prone sling: elastic strap attached just above the elbow to the front of the rifle stock used to help stabilize the rifle only during prone shooting

Clicking: adjusting a small metal knob on the rifle sights (one “click” at a time) for wind conditions just before shooting

Zeroing: time period before a competition when athletes adjust their rifle sights to confirm their shots are hitting the center of a paper target under current conditions; the coach shows the athlete where the shots hit on a magnetic board

Ski Testing: Period both the day before and in the hours just before a competition when wax technicians test multiple pairs of skis for each athlete for speed in the current or expected conditions before selecting and preparing a final pair for use in the competition

Targets: 50 meters from firing point; prone shooting target (4.5 cm), standing shooting target (11.5 cm), targets turn from black to white when struck by the bullet

Shooting Mat: made of non-slip material where the competitor stands or lies while shooting

Prone shooting: shooting while lying on the ground, supported only by elbows

Standing shooting: as it says, standing up!

Clean shooting: all five targets go from black to white in a single shooting stage

Cross-firing: unintentionally shooting at another competitor’s target; two-minute penalty for each-cross fired shot, unless the competitor realizes the error and runs a penalty loop for each cross-fired shot

Penalty: two types of penalties for missed targets: in the 20 km and 15 km individual, one penalty minute is added to the athlete’s final time for each missed target. In all other competitions, the athlete runs a penalty loop of 150 meters for each missed target.

Penalty loop: 150-meter loop skied for each missed target in sprint, pursuit, mass start and relay; 75-meter loop used in super sprint

Handover Zone: area defined by red lines used in relays where the incoming competitor must touch (tag) the starting competitor in a relay competition.

Wind Flags: small red flags on shooting range that athletes look at just before shooting to confirm wind direction and strength

Split times: intermediate timing positions along the ski tracks

Photo-finish: finish line camera image used to determine places in closely-contested pursuit, mass start, and relay finishes

Crystal Globe: the coveted trophies awarded at the end of each season to the top-scoring men and women in various categories. The biggest prize is the World Cup Total Score Crystal Globe awarded to the #1 ranked male and female biathletes for that season. The fight for these trophies continues right after Beijing!

Photos: IBU/Petr Slavik, Evgeny Tumashov, Christian Manzoni