ISU Judging System
Encyclopedia
Figure skating spins
Spins are an element in figure skating where the skater rotates, centered on a single point on the ice, while holding one or more body positions. The skater rotates on the part of the blade just behind the toe pick, with the weight on the ball of the foot...
, and two skating sequences. The eight elements required for a senior pairs short program include two lifts, one side-by-side jump, one throw jump, one side-by-side spin, one pair spin, one step sequence, and one death spiral (ISU rule 313).
Senior level free programs have 14 elements for pairs, 13 elements for men, and 12 elements for ladies. The details of the elements are given by ISU rules 520 and 521 (2008 version). Pairs do 4 lifts, 4 jumps, 3 spins(including 1 death spiral), 1 step sequence, and 1 spiral sequence. Men do 8 jumps, 3 spins, and 2 step sequences. Ladies do 7 jumps, 3 spins, 1 step sequence and 1 spiral sequence.
Protocol details
Following an event, the complete judges scores are published in a document referred to as a protocol. There are specific notations used on the protocols.If a skater attempts more than the allowed number of a certain type of element in a program, then the element is still described and called as such by the technical controller, but receives a base value of 0 as well as a GOE of 0, regardless of how judges may have marked it. On ISU protocol sheets, elements that have been nullified by this are denoted by an asterisk(*) next to the element name. Jump elements performed after the halfway point of a program are marked with an x and receive a 10% bonus added to their base value. If a jump has been called as having an incorrect take-off edge (for example, an inside edge on a lutz jump
Lutz jump
The Lutz is a figure skating jump, named after Alois Lutz, an Austrian skater who performed it in 1913. It is a toepick-assisted jump with an entrance from a back outside edge and landing on the back outside edge of the opposite foot.- Lutz technique:...
take-off), that jump is marked with an e and the GOE is based on the severity of the wrong edge. Jumps that are underrotated are marked with a < or << depending on the degree of turns completed on the ice instead of mid-air. < indicates that a jump had more than a ¼ turn completed on the ice, which reduces the base value to 70% of its original value. << indicates a severe underrotation (½ turn or more), and the jump is valued as if it had one less rotation (e.g. a triple would receive the value of a double)
Jumps done in combination are marked as a single element, with a base mark equal to the sum of the base marks for the individual jumps. However, a combination can be downgraded to a "sequence", in which case the base value is 0.8 times the sum of the individual jumps. The jumps normally executed at the senior level, and their base values, are quad toe loop (10.3), triple Axel
Axel jump
The Axel is a figure skating jump with a forward take-off. It is named after the Norwegian skater Axel Paulsen, who first performed the jump in 1882. An Axel jump has an extra ½ rotation in the air due to its forward take-off...
(8.5), triple Lutz
Lutz jump
The Lutz is a figure skating jump, named after Alois Lutz, an Austrian skater who performed it in 1913. It is a toepick-assisted jump with an entrance from a back outside edge and landing on the back outside edge of the opposite foot.- Lutz technique:...
(6), triple flip
Flip jump
The flip jump is a figure skating jump which takes off a backward inside edge with a toe pick assist, and lands on the backward outside edge of the opposite foot.-Flip technique:...
(5.3), triple loop
Loop jump
The Loop jump is a figure skating jump that takes off from a back outside edge and lands on the same backwards outside edge. For a jump with counterclockwise rotation, this is the right back outside edge. It is named from its similarity to the loop compulsory figure. The invention is widely...
(5.1), triple Salchow
Salchow jump
The Salchow is a figure skating jump with a takeoff from a back inside edge of one foot. The rotation in the air is made in the direction of the curve of the take-off edge. The landing is made on the back outside edge of the foot opposite the one used for take-off. One or more rotations may be...
(4.2), triple toe loop (4.1) and double Axel (3.3).
Abbreviations
All elements on a protocol sheet are abbreviated. The following is a list of the common ones.| Abbreviation | Full name |
|---|---|
| Jumps | |
| T | Toe loop jump Toe loop jump The toe loop is one of the simplest jumps in figure skating. It is usually the second jump learned after the salchow. It is a toe pick-assisted jump that takes off and lands on the same backward outside edge. - Toe loop technique :... |
| A | Axel jump Axel jump The Axel is a figure skating jump with a forward take-off. It is named after the Norwegian skater Axel Paulsen, who first performed the jump in 1882. An Axel jump has an extra ½ rotation in the air due to its forward take-off... |
| S | Salchow jump Salchow jump The Salchow is a figure skating jump with a takeoff from a back inside edge of one foot. The rotation in the air is made in the direction of the curve of the take-off edge. The landing is made on the back outside edge of the foot opposite the one used for take-off. One or more rotations may be... |
| Lo | Loop jump Loop jump The Loop jump is a figure skating jump that takes off from a back outside edge and lands on the same backwards outside edge. For a jump with counterclockwise rotation, this is the right back outside edge. It is named from its similarity to the loop compulsory figure. The invention is widely... |
| F | Flip jump Flip jump The flip jump is a figure skating jump which takes off a backward inside edge with a toe pick assist, and lands on the backward outside edge of the opposite foot.-Flip technique:... |
| Lz | Lutz jump Lutz jump The Lutz is a figure skating jump, named after Alois Lutz, an Austrian skater who performed it in 1913. It is a toepick-assisted jump with an entrance from a back outside edge and landing on the back outside edge of the opposite foot.- Lutz technique:... |
| Throw jumps | |
| TTh | Throw toe loop |
| STh | Throw salchow |
| LoTh | Throw loop |
| FTh | Throw flip/lutz |
| ATh | Throw axel |
| Spins | |
| USp | Upright Spin |
| LSp | Layback spin Layback spin A layback spin is an upright figure skating spin in which the head and shoulders are dropped backwards and the back arched downwards toward the ice. A common variation has the free leg lifted toward the back, typically in an attitude position, with the arms held above the body... |
| CSp | Camel spin Camel spin A camel spin, also known in Europe as a parallel spin, is one of the three basic figure skating spins, along with the sit spin and upright spin... |
| SSp | Sit spin Sit spin The sit spin is one of the three basic figure skating spin positions. It is defined by a squatting position in which the skater's buttocks are below the knee of the skating leg. This forms an angle of less than 90 degrees between the thigh and the calf of the skating leg... |
| FUSp | Flying upright spin |
| FLSp | Flying layback spin |
| FCSp | Flying camel spin |
| FSSp | Flying sit spin |
| CUSp | Change foot upright spin |
| CLSp | Change foot layback spin |
| CCSp | Change foot camel spin |
| CSSp | Change foot sit spin |
| CoSp | Combination spin |
| CCoSp | Combination spin with change of foot |
| PSp | Pair spin |
| PCoSp | Pair combination spin |
| Step sequences | |
| SlSt | Straight line step sequence |
| CiSt | Circular step sequence |
| SeSt | Serpentine step sequence |
| MiSt | Midline in hold step sequence |
| DiSt | Diagonal in hold step sequence |
| NtMiSt | Not Touching Midline Steps |
| NtMiTw | Not Touching Midline Sequential Twizzles |
| ChSt | Choreography Step Sequence |
| Spiral sequences | |
| SpSq | Spiral sequence of any pattern (no longer in use as of 2010) |
| ChSp | Choreography Spirals |
| Pair lifts | |
| 1Li | Group one lift |
| 2Li | Group two lift |
| 3Li | Group three lift |
| 4Li | Group four lift |
| 5TLi | Group five toe lasso lift |
| 5SLi | Group five step in lasso lift |
| 5RLi | Group five reverse lasso lift |
| 5ALi | Group five axel lasso lift |
| TTw | Toeloop twist lift |
| LzTw | Lutz/Flip twist lift |
| ATw | Axel twist lift |
| Dance lifts | |
| StaLi | Stationary lift |
| SlLi | Straight line lift |
| CuLi | Curve lift |
| RoLi | Rotational lift |
| SeLi | Serpentine lift |
| RRoLi | Reverse rotational lift |
| Death spirals | |
| FiDs | Forward inside death spiral |
| BiDs | Backward inside death spiral |
| FoDs | Forward outside death spiral |
| BoDs | Backward outside death spiral |
| Dance elements | |
| STw | Synchronized twizzles |
The level of a spin or footwork sequence is denoted by the number following the element abbreviation. The number of rotations on a jump is denoted by the number preceding the element abbreviation. For example 3A denotes a triple axel, while SlSt4 denotes a level four straight line step sequence. ChSt and ChSq are step sequences and spiral sequences that have no level and a fixed base value.
Program Components
The former presentation mark has been replaced by five categories, called program components. The components are (1) skating skills (SS), (2) transitions (TR), (3) performance/execution (PE), (4) choreographyChoreography
Choreography is the art of designing sequences of movements in which motion, form, or both are specified. Choreography may also refer to the design itself, which is sometimes expressed by means of dance notation. The word choreography literally means "dance-writing" from the Greek words "χορεία" ...
(CH), and (5) interpretation (IN). A detailed description of each component is given in ISU rule 322.2. Each component is awarded a raw mark from 0 to 10 in increments of 0.25, with a mark of 5 being defined as "average". The five raw marks are then translated into a program mark by multiplying by a factor that depends on the program and the level.
For senior ladies and pairs, the factor is 0.8 for the short program and 1.6 for the long program. For senior men, the factor is 1 for the short program and 2 for the long program. The factors are set so that the total score from the artistic marks will be about equal to the total score from technical marks. Senior men tend to have higher element scores than ladies because they have more jumping passes and attempt higher valued jumps, so their program components are factored higher to reflect the difference.
In ice dancing
Ice dancingIce dancing
Ice dancing is a form of figure skating which draws from the world of ballroom dancing. It was first competed at the World Figure Skating Championships in 1952, but did not become a Winter Olympic Games medal sport until 1976....
judging is similar to pairs and singles, but uses a separate set of rules and table of values. In the compulsory dance, steps are specified and "elements" are defined for each dance as subsets of the prescribed steps. For compulsory dance only, there is no program component score given for transitions and choreography. Instead there is a timing (TI) program component that is exclusive to the compulsory dance, leaving only four program components in the compulsory dance. In the original dance there are 5 marked technical elements. In the free dance, there are 9 marked technical elements. Unlike singles and pair skating, the different program components are weighted differently in each segment of the competition. The highest factored component(s) in each segment are skating skills and timing in the compulsory dance, interpretation in the original dance, and transitions in the free dance. The exact values of these factors are listed in ISU Rule 543.1k.
ISU Personal Best
Under the ISU judging system, the highest score a skater earns in a career is known as a personal best. An ISU Personal Best is a score set at a competition run under the auspices of the International Skating UnionInternational Skating Union
The International Skating Union is the international governing body for competitive ice skating disciplines, including figure skating, synchronized skating, speed skating, and short track speed skating. It was founded in Scheveningen, Netherlands in 1892, making it one of the oldest international...
. Only certain events count for personal best scores. National-level events do not count towards personal bests.
Season's best
Unlike an ISU Personal Best score, which is the highest score set over a lifetime, the season's best score is the highest score earned by a skater in a seasonFigure skating season
The figure skating season is the period of time in which competitions are contested in the sport of figure skating. The skating season begins on July 1 of one year and goes until the end of June of the next. The seasons are referred to by the years they span...
. Season's best scores help determine the fields to the ISU Grand Prix of Figure Skating
ISU Grand Prix of Figure Skating
The ISU Grand Prix of Figure Skating is a series of international invitational competitions organized by the International Skating Union. Elite figure skaters compete in the disciplines of ladies' singles, men's singles, pair skating, and ice dancing...
.
World records
The following are the highest scores that have been earned under Code of Points since its inception. It does not differentiate for changes made to the system. The ISU only recognizes world records set at international competitions run under ISU rules, not including events such as national championships.Men
| Component | Skater | Score | Event |
|---|---|---|---|
| Short Program |  Patrick ChanPatrick Chan Patrick Chan is a Canadian figure skater.He is the 2011 World Champion, 2010–2011 Grand Prix Final champion, the 2009 Four Continents champion, the 2009 and 2010 World silver medalist, the 2007 World Junior silver medalist and a four-time Canadian Champion.At the 2010 Canadian Championships, he... |
93.02 | 2011 World Championships 2011 World Figure Skating Championships The 2011 World Figure Skating Championships are the World Figure Skating Championships for the 2010–2011 season. They are an annual figure skating competition in which elite figure skaters compete for the title of World Champion.... |
| Free Skating Free skating The free skating competition of figure skating, sometimes called the "free skate" or "long program", is usually the second of two phases in major figure skating competitions in single skating and pair skating. It is the longer of the two programs, the other one being the Short Program... |
Patrick Chan Patrick Chan Patrick Chan is a Canadian figure skater.He is the 2011 World Champion, 2010–2011 Grand Prix Final champion, the 2009 Four Continents champion, the 2009 and 2010 World silver medalist, the 2007 World Junior silver medalist and a four-time Canadian Champion.At the 2010 Canadian Championships, he... |
187.96 | 2011 World Championships 2011 World Figure Skating Championships The 2011 World Figure Skating Championships are the World Figure Skating Championships for the 2010–2011 season. They are an annual figure skating competition in which elite figure skaters compete for the title of World Champion.... |
| Combined Total | Patrick Chan Patrick Chan Patrick Chan is a Canadian figure skater.He is the 2011 World Champion, 2010–2011 Grand Prix Final champion, the 2009 Four Continents champion, the 2009 and 2010 World silver medalist, the 2007 World Junior silver medalist and a four-time Canadian Champion.At the 2010 Canadian Championships, he... |
280.98 | 2011 World Championships 2011 World Figure Skating Championships The 2011 World Figure Skating Championships are the World Figure Skating Championships for the 2010–2011 season. They are an annual figure skating competition in which elite figure skaters compete for the title of World Champion.... |
Ladies
| Component | Skater | Score | Event |
|---|---|---|---|
| Short Program |  Kim Yu-Na |
78.50 | 2010 Winter Olympics Figure skating at the 2010 Winter Olympics – Ladies' singles The ladies' single skating competition of the 2010 Winter Olympics was held at the Pacific Coliseum in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. The short program was held on February 23, 2010, with the free skating held on February 25, 2010.-Short program:... |
| Free Skating Free skating The free skating competition of figure skating, sometimes called the "free skate" or "long program", is usually the second of two phases in major figure skating competitions in single skating and pair skating. It is the longer of the two programs, the other one being the Short Program... |
Kim Yu-Na |
150.06 | 2010 Winter Olympics Figure skating at the 2010 Winter Olympics – Ladies' singles The ladies' single skating competition of the 2010 Winter Olympics was held at the Pacific Coliseum in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. The short program was held on February 23, 2010, with the free skating held on February 25, 2010.-Short program:... |
| Combined Total | Kim Yu-Na |
228.56 | 2010 Winter Olympics Figure skating at the 2010 Winter Olympics – Ladies' singles The ladies' single skating competition of the 2010 Winter Olympics was held at the Pacific Coliseum in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. The short program was held on February 23, 2010, with the free skating held on February 25, 2010.-Short program:... |
Pairs
| Component | Skaters | Score | Event |
|---|---|---|---|
| Short Program |  Shen XueShen Xue Shen Xue is a female Chinese pair skater. With her partner and husband Zhao Hongbo, Shen is the 2010 Olympic champion, the 2002 & 2006 Olympic bronze medalist, a three-time World champion, a three-time Four Continents Champion and a six-time Grand Prix Final champion.Shen and Zhao were the first... / Zhao Hongbo Zhao Hongbo Zhao Hongbo is a male Chinese pair skater. With his partner and wife Shen Xue, Zhao is the 2010 Olympic champion, the 2002 & 2006 Olympic bronze medalist, a three-time World champion, a three-time Four Continents Champion and a six-time Grand Prix Final champion.Shen and Zhao were the first... |
76.66 | 2010 Winter Olympics 2010 Winter Olympics The 2010 Winter Olympics, officially the XXI Olympic Winter Games or the 21st Winter Olympics, were a major international multi-sport event held from February 12–28, 2010, in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada, with some events held in the suburbs of Richmond, West Vancouver and the University... |
| Free Skating Free skating The free skating competition of figure skating, sometimes called the "free skate" or "long program", is usually the second of two phases in major figure skating competitions in single skating and pair skating. It is the longer of the two programs, the other one being the Short Program... |
 Aliona Savchenko / Robin SzolkowyRobin Szolkowy Robin Szolkowy is a German pair skater. With partner Aliona Savchenko, he is a three-time World Champion, the 2010 Olympic bronze medalist, a four-time European Champion, the 2007–08 and 2010–11 Grand Prix Final Champion, and a seven-time German National Champion.Savchenko & Szolkowy scored the... |
144.87 | 2011 World Championships 2011 World Figure Skating Championships The 2011 World Figure Skating Championships are the World Figure Skating Championships for the 2010–2011 season. They are an annual figure skating competition in which elite figure skaters compete for the title of World Champion.... |
| Combined Total | Aliona Savchenko / Robin Szolkowy Robin Szolkowy Robin Szolkowy is a German pair skater. With partner Aliona Savchenko, he is a three-time World Champion, the 2010 Olympic bronze medalist, a four-time European Champion, the 2007–08 and 2010–11 Grand Prix Final Champion, and a seven-time German National Champion.Savchenko & Szolkowy scored the... |
217.85 | 2011 World Championships 2011 World Figure Skating Championships The 2011 World Figure Skating Championships are the World Figure Skating Championships for the 2010–2011 season. They are an annual figure skating competition in which elite figure skaters compete for the title of World Champion.... |
Ice Dancing
The Compulsory Dance and Original Dance were eliminated at the end of the 2009-2010 season and replaced by the Short DanceShort dance
The short dance is a segment of an ice dancing competition. It was approved by the June 2010 International Skating Union congress and instituted beginning in the 2010–2011 figure skating season...
.
| Component | Skaters | Score | Event |
|---|---|---|---|
| Compulsory Dance |  Tatiana NavkaTatiana Navka Tatyana Aleksandrovna Navka is a Russian ice dancer who has also competed for the Soviet Union and Belarus... / Roman Kostomarov Roman Kostomarov Roman Sergeyevich Kostomarov is a Russian ice dancer. With partner Tatiana Navka, he is the 2006 Olympic champion, two-time World champion , three-time Grand Prix Final champion , and three-time European champion .- Career :Kostomarov began skating at the age of nine and a coach put him in ice... |
45.97 | 2005 World Championships 2005 World Figure Skating Championships The World Figure Skating Championships is an annual figure skating competition sanctioned by the International Skating Union in which elite figure skaters compete for the title of World Champion. This event is considered the most prestigious of the ISU Championships... |
| Original Dance Original dance The original dance was a segment of an ice dancing competition. It was usually the second of three programs, sandwiched between the compulsory dances and the free dance. Until 1994, it was known as the original set pattern dance... |
Tessa Virtue Tessa Virtue Tessa Virtue is a Canadian ice dancer who competes with Scott Moir. Virtue and Moir are the 2010 Olympic champions, the 2010 World Champions, the 2008 Four Continents Champions, the 2006 World Junior Champions and the 2008–2010 Canadian national champions.At the 2009 Skate Canada competition, they... / Scott Moir Scott Moir Scott Moir is a Canadian ice dancer. He ice dances with Tessa Virtue. Moir and Virtue are the 2010 Olympic champions, the 2010 World Champions, the 2008 Four Continents Champions, the 2006 World Junior Champions and the 2008–2010 Canadian national champions.They were the first ice dance team to... |
70.27 | 2010 World Championships 2010 World Figure Skating Championships The 2010 World Figure Skating Championships were the World Figure Skating Championships for the 2009–2010 season. Commonly called "Worlds", they are an annual figure skating competition in which elite figure skaters compete for the title of World Champion... |
| Short Dance Short dance The short dance is a segment of an ice dancing competition. It was approved by the June 2010 International Skating Union congress and instituted beginning in the 2010–2011 figure skating season... |
Tessa Virtue Tessa Virtue Tessa Virtue is a Canadian ice dancer who competes with Scott Moir. Virtue and Moir are the 2010 Olympic champions, the 2010 World Champions, the 2008 Four Continents Champions, the 2006 World Junior Champions and the 2008–2010 Canadian national champions.At the 2009 Skate Canada competition, they... / Scott Moir Scott Moir Scott Moir is a Canadian ice dancer. He ice dances with Tessa Virtue. Moir and Virtue are the 2010 Olympic champions, the 2010 World Champions, the 2008 Four Continents Champions, the 2006 World Junior Champions and the 2008–2010 Canadian national champions.They were the first ice dance team to... |
74.29 | 2011 World Championships 2011 World Figure Skating Championships The 2011 World Figure Skating Championships are the World Figure Skating Championships for the 2010–2011 season. They are an annual figure skating competition in which elite figure skaters compete for the title of World Champion.... |
| Free Dance Free dance (figure skating) The free dance is a part of an ice dancing competition. It is the second part of the competition to be contested, after the short dance.-Structure and content:... |
Tatiana Navka Tatiana Navka Tatyana Aleksandrovna Navka is a Russian ice dancer who has also competed for the Soviet Union and Belarus... / Roman Kostomarov Roman Kostomarov Roman Sergeyevich Kostomarov is a Russian ice dancer. With partner Tatiana Navka, he is the 2006 Olympic champion, two-time World champion , three-time Grand Prix Final champion , and three-time European champion .- Career :Kostomarov began skating at the age of nine and a coach put him in ice... |
117.14 | 2003 Cup of Russia 2003 Cup of Russia The Cup of Russia is an annual elite international invitational figure skating competition. It is the fifth event of the ISU Grand Prix of Figure Skating series. Skaters compete in ladies' singles, men's singles, pair skating, and ice dancing... |
| Combined Total | Tatiana Navka Tatiana Navka Tatyana Aleksandrovna Navka is a Russian ice dancer who has also competed for the Soviet Union and Belarus... / Roman Kostomarov Roman Kostomarov Roman Sergeyevich Kostomarov is a Russian ice dancer. With partner Tatiana Navka, he is the 2006 Olympic champion, two-time World champion , three-time Grand Prix Final champion , and three-time European champion .- Career :Kostomarov began skating at the age of nine and a coach put him in ice... |
227.81 | 2005 World Championships 2005 World Figure Skating Championships The World Figure Skating Championships is an annual figure skating competition sanctioned by the International Skating Union in which elite figure skaters compete for the title of World Champion. This event is considered the most prestigious of the ISU Championships... |
Synchronized
| Component | Skater | Score | Event | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Short Program |  RockettesRockettes (synchronized skating team) The Rockettes are a synchronized skating team from Finland. They are three-time World champions.Their first World medal was silver in 2001. They won another silver and two bronze medals before capturing their first World title in 2008. Their second World title came in 2010... |
83.46 | 2010 Cup of Berlin | |
| Free Skating Free skating The free skating competition of figure skating, sometimes called the "free skate" or "long program", is usually the second of two phases in major figure skating competitions in single skating and pair skating. It is the longer of the two programs, the other one being the Short Program... |
 Team SurpriseTeam Surprise Team Surprise is a synchronized skating team from Sweden. Established in 1985, they are five-time World Champions and medaled every year from 2000 to 2009.-Competitive highlights:- External links :*... |
144.70 | 2007 World Synchronized Skating Championships World Synchronized Skating Championships The World Synchronized Skating Championships are the world championships for the sport of synchronized skating. Held since 2000, the World Synchronized Skating Championships is an annual event organized by the International Skating Union and attracts the most elite synchronized skating teams from... |
|
| Combined Total | Rockettes Rockettes (synchronized skating team) The Rockettes are a synchronized skating team from Finland. They are three-time World champions.Their first World medal was silver in 2001. They won another silver and two bronze medals before capturing their first World title in 2008. Their second World title came in 2010... |
223.90 | 2010 World Synchronized Skating Championships World Synchronized Skating Championships The World Synchronized Skating Championships are the world championships for the sport of synchronized skating. Held since 2000, the World Synchronized Skating Championships is an annual event organized by the International Skating Union and attracts the most elite synchronized skating teams from... |
Subjectivity
Judging in figure skating is inherently subjectiveSubjectivity
Subjectivity refers to the subject and his or her perspective, feelings, beliefs, and desires. In philosophy, the term is usually contrasted with objectivity.-Qualia:...
. Although there may be general consensus that one skater "looks better" than another, it is difficult to get agreement on what it is that causes one skater to be marked as 5.5 and another to be 5.75 for a particular program component. As judges, coaches, and skaters get more experience with the new system, more consensus may emerge. However, for the 2006 Olympics there were cases of 1 to 1.5 points differences in component marks from different judges. This range of difference implies that "observer bias" determines about 20% of the mark given by a judge. Averaging over many judges reduces the effect of this bias in the final score, but there will remain about a 2% spread in the average artistic marks from the randomly selected subsets of judges.
Criticism
The ISU judging system moves figure skating closer to judging systems used in sports like divingDiving
Diving is the sport of jumping or falling into water from a platform or springboard, sometimes while performing acrobatics. Diving is an internationally-recognized sport that is part of the Olympic Games. In addition, unstructured and non-competitive diving is a recreational pastime.Diving is one...
and gymnastics
Gymnastics
Gymnastics is a sport involving performance of exercises requiring physical strength, flexibility, agility, coordination, and balance. Internationally, all of the gymnastic sports are governed by the Fédération Internationale de Gymnastique with each country having its own national governing body...
. It also has some features intended to make judging more resistant to pressure by special interests. However, there is debate whether the new system is an improvement over the old 6.0 system.
Under the ISU rules, the judges' marks are anonymous, which removes any public accountability of the judges for their marks. The random panel selection procedure can change a skater's mark by several points and alter the outcome of competitions depending on which subset of judges are chosen. The United States Figure Skating Association
United States Figure Skating Association
U.S. Figure Skating is the national governing body for the sport of figure skating on ice in the United States. It is recognized as such by the United States Olympic Committee "USOC" under the Ted Stevens Olympic and Amateur Sports Act and is the United States member of the International Skating...
has split with the ISU on these two issues. In the U.S., the judges names remain associated with the marks. Also the U.S. uses only nine judges and counts all nine of their scores.
Ties
- While COP has minimized the number of ties and the need for multiple tiebreaks like there was under 6.0, ties still do occur. At the 2007 World Figure Skating Championships2007 World Figure Skating ChampionshipsThe World Figure Skating Championships is an annual figure skating competition sanctioned by the International Skating Union in which elite figure skaters compete for the title of World Champion. This event is considered the most prestigious of the ISU Championships. Skaters compete in the...
, Yukari NakanoYukari Nakanois a former competitive figure skater for Japan.She is the 2007 Asian Winter Games champion, the 2006 Four Continents silver medalist, 2003 Four Continents bronze medalist, the 2005-2006 Grand Prix Final bronze medalist, and a three-time Japanese bronze medalist.She is one of the five ladies...
and Carolina KostnerCarolina KostnerCarolina Kostner is an Italian figure skater. She is a three-time World medalist , a three-time European champion , a three-time Grand Prix Final medalist , the 2003 World Junior bronze medalist, and a six-time Italian Champion.-Personal life:Carolina Kostner was born...
tied for 5th place with 168.92 points overall. Nakano won 5th place on the tiebreak, which was the free skate placement, and Kostner dropped to 6th. Ties for single segments of the competition also occur. At the 2004 Skate America2004 Skate AmericaSkate America is an international, senior-level invitation-only figure skating competition organized by the USFSA. It is the first ISU Grand Prix event to be held. The location changes yearly...
, Alissa CzisnyAlissa CzisnyAlissa Czisny is an American figure skater. She is the 2010–2011 Grand Prix Final champion, two-time U.S. national champion, the 2007 U.S...
and Cynthia PhaneufCynthia PhaneufCynthia Phaneuf is a Canadian figure skater. She is the 2004 and 2011 Canadian national champion and a three-time Canadian silver medalist...
tied in the short program at 50.20, with both earning a TES score of 25.40 and a PCS score of 24.80.
- At the 2008 U.S. Figure Skating Championships, Johnny WeirJohnny WeirJohn Garvin "Johnny" Weir is an American figure skater. He is a three-time U.S. National Champion , the 2008 Worlds bronze medalist, a two-time Grand Prix Final bronze medalist, and the 2001 World Junior Champion....
and Evan LysacekEvan LysacekEvan Frank Lysacek is an American figure skater. He is the 2010 Olympic champion, the 2009 World champion, the 2005 & 2007 Four Continents champion, the 2007 & 2008 U.S. national champion, and the 2009/2010 Grand Prix Final champion....
tied in the overall score. The tie was broken by the free skate placement and Lysacek won the event. At the 2009 U.S. Figure Skating Championships, Katrina HackerKatrina HackerKatrina Hacker is an American figure skater. She is the 2005 U.S. novice bronze medalist and 2008 Eastern Sectional champion.-Career:Hacker is the 2005 Triglav Trophy champion...
and Mirai NagasuMirai NagasuMirai Aileen Nagasu , born April 16, 1993 is an American figure skater. She is the 2008 U.S. national champion, 2010 U.S. silver medalist, 2011 Four Continents bronze medalist, and 2007–2008 Junior Grand Prix Final champion....
tied in the short program, with Hacker winning the tiebreak on the technical elements score. At the same competition, Laney DiggsLaney DiggsMelanie Paige "Laney" Diggs is an American figure skater. She has competed twice at the U.S. Figure Skating Championships and represented the United States internationally.-Personal life:...
and Kristine MusadembaKristine MusadembaKristine Musademba is an American figure skater. She is the 2008 U.S. Junior pewter medalist and the 2007 U.S...
tied in the overall score, with Diggs winning the tiebreak on the free skate placement.
- At the 2009 World Figure Skating Championships2009 World Figure Skating ChampionshipsThe 2009 World Figure Skating Championships were the World Figure Skating Championships for the 2008–2009 season. Commonly called "Worlds", they are an annual figure skating competition in which elite figure skaters compete for the title of World Champion...
, Sergei VoronovSergei VoronovSergei Evgeneyvich Voronov is a Russian figure skater. He is the 2006 World Junior silver medalist and the 2008 & 2009 Russian National Champion...
and Jeremy AbbottJeremy AbbottJeremy Abbott is an American figure skater. He is the 2008 Grand Prix Final Champion, a two-time Four Continents bronze medalist and two-time U.S. national champion. He represented the United States at the 2010 Winter Olympics, where he placed ninth.-Personal life:Jeremy Abbott was born in...
tied with a score of 72.15 in the men's short program. The tie was broken by the technical mark and so Voronov placed 9th in that segment and Abbott 10th.
- At the 2009 ISU World Team Trophy in Figure SkatingISU World Team Trophy in Figure SkatingThe ISU World Team Trophy in Figure Skating is a figure skating team competition sanctioned by the International Skating Union. The World Team Trophy was held for the first time in Tokyo, Japan from April 16 to 19, 2009. Traditionally, the competitive skating season had concluded with the World...
, Joannie RochetteJoannie RochetteJoannie Rochette is a Canadian figure skater. She is the 2010 Olympic bronze medalist, the 2009 World silver medalist, the 2008 and 2009 Four Continents silver medalist, the 2004 Grand Prix Final bronze medalist, and a six-time Canadian national champion.-Personal life:Rochette was born in...
and Miki AndoMiki Andois a Japanese figure skater. She is the 2007 and 2011 World Champion, 2011 Four Continents Champion, 2004 World Junior Champion, and a three-time Japanese National Champion....
tied with a scored of 62.08 in the ladies short program. The tie was broken by the technical mark, so Rochette placed 2nd in that segment, while Ando was 3rd.
Judge Reduction in 2008
In 2008, the International Skating UnionInternational Skating Union
The International Skating Union is the international governing body for competitive ice skating disciplines, including figure skating, synchronized skating, speed skating, and short track speed skating. It was founded in Scheveningen, Netherlands in 1892, making it one of the oldest international...
ruled to reduce the number of judges from 12 to 9. Ottavio Cinquanta
Ottavio Cinquanta
Ottavio Cinquanta , is currently President of the International Skating Union and a member of the International Olympic Committee.He has held the ISU position since 1994 and the IOC position since 1996....
cited economic difficulties as the prime reason for this change. Because the top and bottom extreme scores are dropped and two more scores are dropped at random, the scores of 5 judges will determine the outcome of competitions.