by Cameron Scott

Created on: January 19, 2010

The International Skating Union (ISU) judging system has been used to judge all figure skating since 2004. It replaced the previous 6.0 system after the 2002 Winter Olympic Games judging controversy.

Under the 6.0 system, skaters had been judged relative to each other on technical merit, required elements, and presentation. The new ISU judging system is based on elements and program components. The scoring of the elements portion is completely independent of other skaters. However, the scoring of program components is based on a comparative scale against an “average” performance.

Elements

Elements are individual parts of the program, such as jumps and spins. Each type of element is identified by a technical specialist who assigns it a base value, using instant replay video if necessary. Small changes can change one element into another. Too long an interval between jumps can even convert a jump combination into a skating sequence, which has a much lower base value.

A panel of judges then assigns a grade of execution (GOE) ranging from -3 to +3. Starting an element from the wrong blade edge automatically makes the GOE negative. The GOE is converted into a value using the ISU table from rule 322. The highest and lowest scores are dropped, and the remainder are averaged. This number is added or subtracted from the base value to get the final value of that element. Adding together all the individual element scores gives the element score.

Olympic figure skating short programs have seven or eight required elements. Figure skating long programs have between twelve and fourteen elements. Although the number of elements in a program is fixed, Olympic figure skaters are free to choose the type of element within the requirements. Single skaters skating a short program can have a maximum of two solo jumps, but those jump elements could be a single, double, triple, or quadruple toe loop jump, axel jump, salchow jump, loop jump, flip jump, or lutz jump, or even a walley jump, split jump, or waltz jump. Other elements have even more options. Olympic figure skaters usually hone their programs to get the highest possible element value within their abilities.

In their short programs, single skaters are required to have one combination jump, two solo jumps, one spin combination, two solo spins, and one or two skating sequences. Pairs short programs must have two lifts, a throw jump, a side-by-side jump, a side-by-side spin combination, a pair spin combination,

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