Programs and scoring
Pairs and singles skaters are judged on the basis of two programs: the short and the long program. According to ISU regulations, both programs must be performed to instrumental or vocal music. If the competition requires a qualifying round because of the number of skaters participating, the program first skated is a long program. Those skaters who qualify for the final round then skate a short and another long program.
The short program
The short program is made up of required elements. Singles skaters at the senior level are required to complete eight designated elements set to music lasting no longer than 2 minutes and 40 seconds. For example, in the 2001–02 season the elements chosen for U.S. senior women were a flying spin and a layback or sideways spin that contains at least eight revolutions, a spin combination, a spiral step sequence, a footwork step sequence, a double axel, a double or triple jump preceded by connecting steps, and a jump combination consisting of a double-double, triple-double, or triple-triple. Skaters choose their costume and music and may perform the elements in any sequence they choose, but they cannot repeat an element if they miss it.
The long program
The long program (also called the free skate) is designed to display skill and grace as well as jumping ability. Senior men skate four and a half minutes, while women skate for four minutes. Although there are no required elements, judges are looking for balanced programs that showcase the technical and artistic talent of the skater. Particular attention is paid to the difficulty of the jumps and how well the skater performs in harmony with the instrumental music. Elite women will include up to six different triples, some in combination, in their programs, and elite men perform at least seven triples, with some also in combination, and often one or two quads. The skaters choose their own spins but must demonstrate four different types. Pairs skaters at the senior level must include three different lifts (but no more than five) including one twist lift, at least one solo jump, a jump sequence, a throw jump, and only one solo spin.
Ice-dance competitions include two compulsory dances to prescribed music and steps. The second phase of a competition at the senior level is the two-and-a-half-minute original dance, which is performed to a previously announced rhythm, such as the cha-cha, mambo, waltz, tango, or fox trot. The music is chosen and the choreography created by the skaters, often with the help of choreographers. The final phase, the four-minute free dance, is a long program performed to music and choreography of the skaters’ choice, but the music must feature a dance rhythm.
Scoring
Figure skating events are scored on the points-based International Judging System (IJS) that the ISU introduced in 2004, which replaced the “6.0 system” that was often controversial because it depended upon the subjectivity of judges. (The 6.0 system is still used in some lower-level competitions not overseen by the ISU.) The IJS consists of two parts: the technical score and the presentation score. The technical score is determined by a five-member Technical Panel that assigns a “grade of execution” (+3, +2, +1, 0, −1, −2, or −3) for each element of a skater’s performance. This grade is then added to or subtracted from each element’s preassigned point value (which varies based on the difficulty of each element), and the results are added together to create the technical score. The presentation score is determined by a group of up to nine judges, who grade the presentation based on five components: skating skills, transitions, performance, composition, and interpretation of the music/timing. The judges grade each component on a scale of 0.25 to 10 points in 0.25-point increments. The technical and presentation scores are then added together to give the final score for a performance.
Judges
Judges are barred from coaching, and in the United States they receive no compensation for their work. To master the rules and regulations of skating, judges attend special schools and seminars, complete course work and exams, and demonstrate their ability during trial judging, test judging, and competition judging. The various levels of judging require specific expertise that increases with each rung of the hierarchy. To advance, judges must demonstrate ability at the level below the one for which they seek application. For instance, to apply as a national judge and mark senior skaters at the U.S. national championships, a judge must have judged senior events elsewhere and done trial judging at the regional and sectional competitions. The judge must also have judged novice and junior-level skaters at U.S. national championships.
In general, judges reward singles skaters for big clean jumps, fast spins, coverage of the ice, speed, grace, good stroking and power, impressive choreography, and the ability to perform in harmony with the music. In pairs they want to see similar skills but also unison skating and athleticism in the difficult throw jumps and overhead lifts. In ice dancing they are looking for precision dance steps, speed, timing, and expression.