The COMPLETE Guide to Fixing the Scoring System and Improving Ice Skating

The COMPLETE Guide to Fixing the Scoring System and Improving Ice Skating

Competitive figure skating has lost its way, both as a sport and as a performance endeavor. The system desperately needs to be improved. After more than 10 years of CoP, there are still an embarrassing amount of flaws it in that continue to damage the sport, damage the audience appeal, and have little objective basis for how the sport should be scored and valued. Here is the complete list of everything that I currently see wrong with the judging system as it stands (for singles skating) and how I would change it.

This writing is very technical in nature (by necessity); if you don't have time to read this very lengthy compilation of necessary CoP changes, it can be summed up as thus - Skaters need to be penalized more heavily for making bad mistakes, the quality and choreographic importance of spins and footwork should be more important than cramming them full of difficulty (especially in the Freeskate), difficult jump combinations should be more rewarded, the Freeskate (aka Long Program) should allow for far more flexibility and creativity than it currently does, the Short Program should go back to having 8 required elements (rather than having a single step sequence that takes up 1/4 or more of the entire program), and judges need to be trained better and split up into technical element judges and program component judges, with each judge's score for every skater being displayed to the audience when the scores are announced.

I’ve separated all of this writing into two posts - this first post is specifically about jumps and spins; the second post is about everything else.

Jump combinations should be receiving a bonus to reflect their additional difficulty. Example: doing a 3Axel+3Loop and solo 3Toe is harder than doing a 3Axel+3Toe and a solo 3Loop, however the current system doesn't reward it. The current system actually rewards the easier jump layout more, because it is easier to get +GOE on 3Axel+3Toe than it is on a 3Axel+3Loop! The following lists are a finely tuned system of values that reward jumps and combinations as objectively and pragmatically as possible.

VALUES FOR JUMPS: (-GOE values are listed in order of the -1, -2, -3 intervals if more than one value is listed in that section)

4Lutz  14.5 (-3.0 / +1.0 for GOE)
4Flip  13.5 (-2.8 / +1.0 for GOE)
4Loop  13.0 (-2.7 / +1.0 for GOE)
4Sal  10.8 (-2.3 / +0.9 for GOE)
4Toe  10.5 (-2.2 / +0.9 for GOE)

3Axel  8.5 ( -1.8 / +0.9 for GOE)
3Lutz  5.7 (-1.4, -1.3, -1.3 / +.7 for GOE)
3Flip  5.0 (-1.2 / +.7 for GOE)
3Loop  4.7 (-1.1 / +.7 for GOE)
3Sal  3.6 (-1.0, -.9, -.9 / +.6 for GOE)
3Toe  3.4 ( -.9 / +.6 for GOE)

2Axel  2.6 ( -.7 / +.6 for GOE)
2Lutz  1.5 (-.4 / +.4 for GOE)
2Flip  1.3 (-.4, -.3, -.3 / +.4 for GOE)
2Loop  1.3 (-.4, -.3, -.3 / +.4 for GOE)
2Sal  1.0 ( -.3, -.3, -.2, / +.3 for GOE)
2Toe  1.0 (-.3, -.3, -.2, / +.3 for GOE)

1Axel  .8 (-.2 / +.3 for GOE)
1Lutz  .4 (-.1 / +.2 for GOE)
1Flip  .3 (-.1 / +.2 for GOE)
1Loop  .3 (-.1 / +.2 for GOE)
1Sal  .2 (-.1 / +.1 for GOE)
1Toe  .2 (-.1 / +.1 for GOE)

*An important change is the increased impact of negative GOE and a reduction of the penalty for falling on a technical elements to .5 (which wasn't stated above; if a fall in the program occurs on a non-technical element, it will still incur a full point deduction). The heightened -GOE penalty will serve to punish sloppily executed jumps and promote clean programs. The scoring system currently gives FAR too many points for flawed jumps. The reduction in fall penalty for technical elements is to properly punish other significant mistakes; if a skater messes up an element so badly that it deserves -3 GOE (such as heavily double-footing a jump, messily stepping out of the landing, and putting both hands down on the ice, all for the same jump) then that element should hardly be worth much more than if the skater fell on it.

BONUSES FOR JUMP COMBINATIONS: (note that all bonuses and deductions are additive rather than multiplicative)

*First Jump (for less than a Triple Axel) - receives no bonus if the second jump is a single, 5% bonus if it’s a Double, 8% bonus if it’s a Triple, 12% bonus if it’s a Quad.

*First Jump (for a Triple Axel) - receives no bonus if the second jump is a single, 10% bonus if it’s a Double, 15% bonus if it’s a Triple, 20% bonus if it’s a Quad.

*First Jump (for a Quad) - receives no bonus if the second jump is a single, 12% bonus it's a double, 18% bonus if it's a Triple, 24% bonus if it's a Quad.

*Second Jump (if it is a Toeloop or Salchow) - receives a 5% bonus if the first jump was less than a Triple, 10% bonus if the first jump was a Triple Toeloop or Triple Salchow, 15% bonus if the first jump was a Triple Loop, Triple Flip, or Triple Lutz, 25% bonus if the first jump was a Triple Axel, 30% bonus if the first jump was a Quad. If the second jump is a Quad, it receives an additional 15% bonus.

*Second Jump (if it is a Flip) - receives a 12% bonus if the first jump was less than a Triple, 17% bonus if the first jump was a Triple Toeloop or Triple Salchow, 22% bonus if the first jump was a Triple Loop, Triple Flip, or Triple Lutz, 32% bonus if the first jump was a Triple Axel, and 37% if the first jump was a Quad. If the second jump is a Quad, it receives an additional 15% bonus.

*Second Jump (if it is a Loop) - receives a 20% bonus if the first jump was less than a Triple, 25% bonus if the first jump was a Triple Toeloop or Triple Salchow, 30% bonus if the first jump was a Triple Loop, Triple Flip, or Triple Lutz, 45% bonus if the first jump was a Triple Axel, and 50% if the first jump was a Quad. If the second jump is a Quad, it receives an additional 15% bonus.

*Third Jump (MUST be a Loop jump or else the listed bonuses are cut in half) - The jump itself automatically receives a 25% bonus. If it is a Double the entire combination receives an additional 15% bonus. If it is a Triple the entire combination receives an additional 20% bonus.

*If a jump combination uses a half-loop to directly connect jumps, the half-loop shall not count as one of the jumps in the combination in terms of scoring. Example: a Triple Toeloop-half loop-Triple Salchow is considered a 2 jump combination (this type of combination is still not allowed in the Short Program, however) and a Triple Toeloop-Triple Toeloop-half loop-Triple Salchow would be considered a 3 jump combination. If the half-loop is not sufficiently rotated, the two jumps it connected will not receive bonus points. If skater's free foot presses onto the ice after executing the half-loop, then it has become a jump sequence rather than a combination (see sequence rules below).

*In a three-jump combination, single loops may be used to connect jumps in the combination. They will not receive any extra bonuses that the combination incurs, but they WILL raise the base value of the combination by their listed amount ( .3 ) for each one performed - a maximum of 3 can count. This can affectionately be called the “Marina Keillman” rule for the way Marina performed a 2Axel-1Loop-1Loop-2Loop-1Loop-2Loop combination in her 1993 Long Program that went wonderfully with the music (the base value of that jump combination under these rules would be 7.48 points).

RULES FOR SCORING JUMP SEQUENCES:

*For jump sequences, defined by a maximum of 4 steps ("steps" include any hops or non-listed jumps) in total between jumps and no crossovers or forceful toe pushes, there will be a deduction of 8% rather than any bonuses (a particularly difficult or appealing transition between the jumps will count towards improving the +GOE score, however). If a difficult Triple jump (Loop, Flip, Lutz, Axel) is the second or third jump in the sequence, there is no penalty. If a skater does more than three jumps in sequence, only the highest three will be counted for scoring purposes and the sequence will use up the skater's optional three-jump slot in the program (see modified Long Program rules below).

*If a jump sequence includes a Double Axel, and no difficult Triple jumps come after the Double Axel, the deduction for the sequence will be 15%. If a difficult Triple jump comes after the Dobule Axel, the deduction will be only 5%. If a jump sequence with a Double Axel includes a Triple Axel or Quad jump, there is no deduction. This rule is needed to balance the amount of points skaters can receive by doing Double Axels in this manner (for example, a 3Toe+3Toe sequence and solo 2Axel should be worth more than a 3Toe+2Axel sequence and solo 3Toe).

*If a Triple Axel is performed as the second jump or third jump in a jump sequence, executed by directly stepping from the landing of the previous jump into the Triple Axel, that sequence will instead be scored as if it were a jump combination, with the Triple Axel counting as if it were a Flip jump for the purpose of assigning bonus points. The Triple Axel will only be scored as a combination in this manner once per program.

*If a skater performs a two-jump combination, plus another jump in sequence with that combination (making it a 3-jump sequence), the two-jump combination will receive its normal bonuses and the third jump will receive the normal applicable sequence deduction.

VALUES FOR UNDERROTATED JUMPS:
4Lutz  11.6 (-2.5, -2.5, -2.4 / +.9 for GOE)
4Flip  10.8 (-2.3 / +.9 for GOE)
4Loop  10.4 (-2.2, -2.2, -2.1 / +.9 for GOE)
4Sal  8.6 (-1.8 / +.9 for GOE)
4Toe  8.4 (-1.8, -1.8, -1.7 / +.9 for GOE)

3Axel  6.6 (-1.4 / +.8 for GOE)
3Lutz  4.1 (-1.1, -1.0, -1.0 / +.6 for GOE)
3Flip  3.6 (-1.0, -.9, -.9 / +.6 for GOE)
3Loop  3.4 (-.9 / +.6 for GOE)
3Sal  2.6 (-.7 / +.6 for GOE)
3Toe  2.4 (-.7, -.7, -.6 / +.5 for GOE)

2Axel  1.7 (-.5, -.5, -.4 / +.4 for GOE)
2Lutz  1.0 (-3, -.3, -.2, +.3 for GOE)
2Flip  .8 (-.2, +.3 for GOE)
2Loop  .8 (-.2, +.3 for GOE)
2Sal  .6 (-.2, -.2, -.1 +.2 for GOE)
2Toe  .6 (-.2, -.2, -.1, +.2 for GOE)

1Axel - .4 ( -.1, +.2 for GOE)
(all other underrotated single jumps are worth nothing)

Underrotated jumps should not inherently receive -GOE penalty. Only if the underrotation appears to be very drastic (nearly a full half turn short) and visibly hinders the flow of the jump should there be additional penalty in that regard. The same goes for fully downgraded jumps: for example, if a skater lands a full half turn short on a Triple Toeloop, but essentially lands the jump cleanly, it should be scored the same as a Double Toeloop without any additional penalty.

For all jumps, ONE-HALF turn of pre-rotation and ONE-QUARTER turn of underrotation is allowed before the jump is considered an underrotated jump. If a skater pre-rotates more than one-half turn, then the landing must also go further past the quarter-turn mark. 2.25 rotations in the air is the minimum amount of rotation required for a (non-axel) Triple jump. Less than that will cause the jump to be called as underrotated. The landing point of a jump should be considered as when the weight of the skate has started to press into the ice, NOT when the top of the toepick has just touched the ice.

If a skater pre-rotates less than one-half turn, but lands more than one-quarter turn short on the landing, leeway shall be given when deciding how to call the jump. If there is no pre-rotation at all (as such is the case for some Lutz and Flip jumps), then the landing will be allowed an extra 1/4 turn of leeway. If there is only 1/4 turn of pre-rotation, the landing will be allowed an extra 1/8 turn of leeway.

FLUTZES AND LIPS: (these mistakes will no longer be punished in the GOE scores but rather in the base values)

*For a Lutz jump that changes to a slight inside edge, or changes to moderate inside edge after starting on a deep outside edge, the base value shall be lowered by 15% (the -GOE values decrease by 12%). For a Lutz jump that changes to a deep inside edge, or changes to a moderate inside edge after starting on only a slight outside edge, the base value shall be lowered by 30% (the -GOE values decrease by 24%).

*For a Flip jump that takes off from more than a very slight outside edge, the base value shall be lowered by 10% (the -GOE values decrease by 8%). For a Flip jump that takes off from an obviously deep outside edge, the base value shall be lowered by 20% (the -GOE values decrease by 16%).

OTHER MISCELLANEOUS CHANGES RELATED TO JUMPS:

*If a skater performs a double or triple jump that rotates in a different direction than every other multi-rotation jump in the program, that jump will receive a 50% bonus. If that jump was executed in a jump sequence, the sequence will receive no sequence deductions (if any were applicable).

*If a skater performs a jump directly from the exit of a spin, the jump will receive a 30% bonus (40% bonus if it is a Salchow executed without a single step between the spin and the jump).

*A single-footed Axel (an Axel that takes off and lands on the same foot) shall be worth double the base value if it is executed in combination. This applies only to a Single Axel - not a Double Axel or Triple Axel. The purpose of this change is to allow the combination of a single-footed Axel into a Salchow or Flip jump to be worth enough for skaters to have incentive to perform it. A single-footed Axel into a Triple Salchow is of greater difficulty than the more standard Triple Salchow-Double Toeloop combination.

*If a skater performs too many jumps in combination, the extra jumps will simply be discounted (in whichever manner best benefits the skater’s score) instead of the entire jumping pass being discounted. There is no reason that a perfectly good jump should be worth 0 points just because a skater accidentally added a double toeloop onto the end of it.

Similarly, if a skater breaks the Zayak rule and performs the same Triple jump more than twice in their program, or repeats more than two types of Triple jumps, the extra Triple(s) will be downgraded to a Double rather than being completely discounted (in whichever manner that best benefits the skater’s score). A Double Axel being performed more than twice in a program will also be downgraded to a Single Axel in the same way.

CHANGES TO SPINS: the 5 values listed for each type of spin reflect the 5 levels of difficulty, starting with Base Level ("Level 0") and going up to Level 4.

*Spin in one position and no change of foot* - 1.0, 1.3, 1.6, 1.9, 2.1 (-.5 / +.7 GOE for Levels 2 through 4, GOE for Level 1 is -.4 / +7, GOE for Level 0 is -.3 / +.7 )

*Flying spin with no change of foot or position* and *Change of foot spin with no change of position* - 1.2, 1.5, 1.8, 2.1, 2.3 (-.5 / +.7 GOE for all levels except Level 0, the -GOE for that level is -.4)

The values listed for all spins up to this point are the base values for an upright spin. Add .1 to each base value for a Sit Spin, .2 for a Camel Spin, and .3 for a Layback Spin.

*Combination spin with no change of foot* -1.3, 1.6, 1.9, 2.2, 2.5 (-.5 / +.7 GOE for all levels except Level 0, the -GOE for that level is -.4)

*Combination spin with change of foot* - 1.5, 1.8, 2.1, 2.4, 2.7 (-.5 / +.7 GOE for all levels except Level 4, the -GOE for that level is -.6)

The negative GOE values for spins have been increased to more harshly punish spins that gain levels by adding “difficult” positions which are not well executed. The +GOE for all spins has been increased, adding to the idea that a “simpler” well-performed spin is to be favored over a complex spin that is awkward.

For a combination spin with no change of foot, all 3 basic positions are only required for a Level 4. For example, if a skater were to do a difficult flying entrance into a sit spin with a difficult position and then pull up into a difficult upright spin, it would be Level 3. For a combination spin with change of foot in the Long Program, all 3 basic positions are only required for Level 3. In the Short Program, all 3 positions are required for Level 2.

*Holding a spin in one position for 7 revolutions will now count as a level feature (instead of formerly needing to hold it for 8 revolutions).

*In the Long Program, if a skater does two different spins in a single position, and one of them did not have a flying entrance or change of foot, the "7 revolutions in one position" feature may be used to gain a level in both spins.

*Performing a "classic" sit spin where the back is held straight (at least 30 degrees of being perpendicular to the ice) and the free leg is held straight forward without hand hold (at least 30 degrees of being parallel to the ice) will now count as a difficult variation.

*Performing a "classic" camel spin where the upper body is well-arched and nearly parallel to the ice, with the free leg well-arched and fully extended, will now count as a difficult variation.

*Performing a "classic" layback spin with the back well-arched and the free leg held in attitude position, with the free foot held parallel to the ice, will now count as a difficult variation. A layback position where the back is all the way parallel to the ice, with the head in upside down position, will count as another difficult variation. Utilizing arm/hand movements to the side of the body and/or in front of the body and/or above the body for at least 3 revolutions in total during a layback spin will now count as a level feature (the movements do not need to be executed in 3 consecutive revolutions and executing a catch-foot or ankle position does not count). Holding both arms clasped behind the back in a well-arched layback position, with the free foot held low to the ice, will now count as a difficult variation if it is held for at least 3 revolutions.

*Performing a "classic" scratch spin with a clear increase of speed in a simple upright position for at least 7 revolutions will now count as a difficult variation (the clear increase of speed and hold for 7 revolutions will not count against using those features for a level increase in other positions/spins). If the increase of speed is held for 14 revolutions, this will count as two level features. The revolutions are counted from the moment the clear increase starts and for as long as that amount of speed is held or increased. During a very fast scratch spin if the head is backwards for at least 2 revolutions, parallel to the ice, it will count as a difficult variation.

*For spins in one position with no flying entrance or change of foot, one intermediate position may be used to gain a level feature in the spin (this does not apply to the Layback in the Ladies Short Program).

*If a skater performs the Beillmann position or V position on both feet in the same spin (for at least 2 revolutions each), it will count twice as a level feature.

*When changing foot in a change of direction spin, up to two steps may be taken inbetween (one of them may be a crossover). If a skater changes foot and direction twice in a spin, it will count as two level features as long as one of the changes of position is directly from a camel, sit, or layback spin into another camel, sit, or layback spin.

*In the Long Program, if a skater starts a spin directly from the landing of a double or triple jump (no step inbetween) and the spin is called as a valid element, this entrance will count as two level features. It does not count against using another difficult flying entrance as a level feature in another spin.

*If a skater performs a level feature more times than is allowed to count in different spins, the skater will be credited for the feature in whichever spin benefits their score better.

SHORT PROGRAM CHANGES:

*The Short Program will return to having 8 required elements. Skaters will have the option of performing either a second footwork sequence or a spiral sequence.

*If a skater's first three technical elements are all jumps, the skater will automatically receive a half-point deduction.

*Jump elements that include a triple jump and are executed late in the program (at least 1:50 of the way through the program and at least the 6th required element of the program) will receive an 8% bonus. If the last jump element meets that criteria and is executed VERY late in the program (at least 2:20 of the way through and at least the 7th requirement element of the program) it will instead receive a 16% bonus. If these jump elements were a jump combination or a Triple Axel, the bonus sections shall instead be 10% and 20%, to reflect how difficult it is to place those elements so late in the program. For a Quad jump, these bonuses shall be 12% and 24%. The -GOE values for all jumps in the bonus sections are increased by the same amount, so as not to reward sloppy jumps later in the program.

*For the Ladies short program, the Beillmann position is not allowed to be used to increase the Layback level. This spin should be about the quality of the actual Layback, rather than a leg-pulling move.

*Negative GOE grades should not be used to punish these three Short Program mistakes: (1.) jump elements with less than the required rotation, ie - doing a Double jump instead of the required Triple, (2.) lacking steps/movements preceding the solo non-axel jump of the program, (3.) the combination jump not being achieved.

GOE grades should reflect only the quality of the elements. Instead, a 15% deduction will be imposed if there is more than a minor break in the transition before the jump that requires satisfactory linking movement or if the linking movement is questionable in difficulty. A 30% deduction will be imposed if there is no satisfactory linking movement at all or such a long break as to make it invaluable. A 15% deduction shall be imposed on jump elements with less than the required rotation and/or if there was no jump combination achieved.

When GOE grades are used to penalize these mistakes, we see cases of a skater falling on what was supposed to be the first part of their combination jump and then going on to add the combination to their planned solo jump. The planned combination jump thus becomes the solo jump and if it had no linking movement beforehand, then the skater isn't being penalized for it since the jump is already receiving -3 GOE for the fall.

FOOTWORK SEQUENCES:

*New values for Footwork sequences: 1.2, 1.6, 2.1, 2.7. The GOE values for each level are -.6 / +.7, except Level 1 where the -GOE value is -.5.

From the moment that a footwork sequence starts, a maximum of 25 seconds of movement will be counted for determining the level. A footwork sequence should have a clear rhythm and a discernible pattern, without significant deviation from a line or curve. Footwork should not be about traveling all over the ice and trying to cram in as many steps and turns as possible. Each pattern may only be used once per program for a footwork sequence.

Features for determining level (the number of features obtained equals the Level):

1.) Basic Variety (Level 1), Simple Variety (Level 2), Variety (Level 3), Complex Variety (Level 4). Mandatory.
2.) Use of core body movements for at least 1/3 of the pattern OR use of rhythmic/choreographic arm/hand movement/positions for at least 2/3 of the pattern.
3.) Quick changes of skating direction (forwards/backwards or clockwise/counterclockwise, at least 3 times) and quick changes from steps to turns / difficult turn to difficult step / difficult step to a different difficult step (at least 3 times in total for any mixture of types) OR full body rotation in each rotational direction for at least 1/4 of the pattern in each direction.
4.) Two different combinations of three difficult turns (bracket / rocker / counter / twizzle / loop) executed with a clear rhythm OR three different combinations of three difficult steps (choctaw / forward, sideways, or backward kick with leg going at least 30 degrees above hip level or turning kick with leg going at least 15 degrees above hip level or illusion turn / curve with change of edge / cross roll with free leg or foot extended at least to hip level at one point during the step / double non-stationary toe step / counter-rotational hop or leap / shoot-the-duck position or quick lunge / one-foot stop on the ice from moderate or high speed with controlled free leg and upper body) executed with a clear rhythm. One turn or non-difficult step may be executed in the difficult step cluster and up to two difficult turns may replace up to two difficult steps. 3 twizzles in a row in both directions will count as being two different combinations. A counter-rotational hitch kick counts as two difficult steps in the same movement. Kicks executed with double toe steps count as two difficult steps in the same movement. These combinations of steps/turns need to be different in each footwork sequence of the program in order to count for a level.

Basic Variety = 3 different types of steps/turns.
Simple Variety = 4 different types of steps/turns (at least one difficult type), with 3 types executed at least twice, and 1 type executed in both directions.
Variety = 5 different types of steps/turns (at least 2 difficult types), with 4 types executed at least twice, and 2 types executed in both directions.
Complex Variety = 3 different types of turns and 3 different types of steps (at least 2 difficult type of step), 5 types executed at least twice, with 2 types of these turns and 2 types of these steps executed in both directions (certain steps are forwards/backwards rather than rotational).

Types of steps and turns executed in both directions can only count once per program for increasing the footwork sequence level.

SPIRAL SEQUENCES:

*Four levels for Spiral Sequences, with base values of: 1.4, 1.7, 2.0, 2.3. The GOE values for each level are -.6 / +.7, except Level 1 where the -GOE value is -.5.

A minimum of 3 spiral positions (must be held for 1 second to be credited), with a minimum of 5 seconds total in spiral position, and at least one forward spiral and one backward spiral, are required in order for the sequence to be credited. The sequence must also last for a minimum of 12 seconds between the start of the first spiral and the end of the last credited spiral. Moves in the field, steps, turns, and non-listed jumps may be executed between spiral positions. Taking more than 3 crossovers between any spiral position will cause the sequence to be deemed as concluded. Taking more than 2 crossovers will drop the level by one place.

Features for determining level (the number of features obtained equals the Level):

1.) Two quick, successive changes of spiral or free leg position.
2.) Difficult transition before a spiral (split jump, stag jump, falling leaf, any difficult turn, any two combinations of difficult steps or spread eagle or ina bauer or cantilever, spread eagle/ina bauer/cantilever/shoot-the-duck count on their own if held for a minimum of 2 seconds). Counts up to three times per program for each different difficult transition; only one transition counts before a spiral. A transition before the first spiral of the sequence counts.
3.) Change of edge while in spiral position, with a spiral position maintained for a minimum of 2 seconds before and after the change.
4.) A difficult variation of position (charlotte, beillmann, full split, Arabesque with free leg at least 45 degrees above the hip, V position with free leg extended at least 60 degrees above the hip, fan position with free leg extended at least 45 degrees above the hip and no hand hold) held for a minimum of 2 seconds. Counts up to three times in a single sequence for each feature used; different variations must be used to increase level more than once in a program. Arabesque counts twice if performed in a different position or held for a minimum of 4 seconds in one position. V position counts twice in the same position if the hand hold is released after maintaining position for at least 2 seconds and the free leg remains at least 60 degrees above hip level for at least 2 seconds.

A Charlotte position will count as a Spiral when it is performed on the flat of the blade, if the free leg is extended further than 145 degrees for at least 2 seconds during the entire duration of the Charlotte position. A Spiral position with a turn, where the free leg is in full split position, will also count when performed on the flat of the blade (for the duration of the turn and 1 second afterward). All other Spiral positions must still be performed on an inside or outside edge to receive credit.

LONG PROGRAM CHANGES:

The required elements for the Long Program shall be modified to allow for the following minimums:

*5 jumping passes for female programs and 6 jumping passes for male programs, with 2 of them being a two-jump combination or sequence (if a skater does not do a jump combination/sequence there is no penalty for it. Repeating a Triple/Quad jump and not doing it in combination/sequence will still cause the jump to use up a combination/sequence slot and the jump will receive the 8% sequence deduction)

*3 spins, one of them must be in one position only, one of them must have a change of foot, and all 3 basic positions must be shown or else one of the spins will be scored as only base level. In the Long Program, any spin position that would normally need to be held for 2 revolutions to count towards the spin level only needs to be held for 1.5 revolutions to count. This emphasizes the usage of spins as choreography in the Long Program, letting skaters change positions quicker to interpret the music. Of the 3 required spins in the program, skaters may not perform more than one change-of-foot combination spin. One optional slot in the program may be used to execute an additional spin of that type. 3 combination spins in total are allowed. There are no limitations on other spin types.

*1 choreographic step sequence, defined as being any type of moves in the field, turns, steps, rhythmic skating movements, or non-scored jumps that cover a circle/oval pattern in one section of the rink, or some type of a serpentine/curve/figure across a sizable section of the rink, or a straight line across the rink length (for a full spread eagle sequence, such as what Brian Boitano did in his 1988 Olympic Long Program, the pattern is allowed to be a little smaller than normal). Any number of spiral positions that last for at least 5 seconds total also meet the requirement of being a choreographic step sequence (they do not need to adhere to the pattern requirements stated above).

This element should be judged primarily based upon choreographic/interpretative impact and execution of the chosen movements. The difficulty of the movements should be a secondary concern. Skaters may execute a jumping pass in the middle of a choreographic step sequence. This element will have a base value of 2.1 and a GOE scaling of -.6 / +.7 -- If a skater performs a choreographic step sequence that meets the level requirements of a Level 4 footwork sequence or a Level 4 spiral sequence, the skater will receive the appropriate base value increase.

*After those minimum requirements, skaters will have 4 optional slots available. They can use these flexible slots to add anything they want to the program - spins, choreographic step sequences, jumping passes, or extra jump combinations/sequences (doing a 3jump combination/sequence instead of a 2jump combination/sequence would count as a slot...additionally note that something like a 3Toe/half loop/3Sal would count as a 2jump combination).

The limitations would be as follows:

*A maximum of 2 choreographic step sequences can be counted as a Level 4 spiral sequence in the program and different features must be used to increase the level each time. If a skater chooses to perform more than 2 choreographic step sequences in the program, one of them is not allowed to include any spirals at all.

*A maximum of 2 slots can be used to add additional combination/sequence jumps to the program (and only 1 three-jump combination/sequence may be attempted; also note that performing two 2-jump combinations and one 3-jump combination has used up two optional slots).

*A maximum of 3 slots can be used to add additional jumping passes to the program. If 3 slots ARE used for extra jumping passes, then the lowest base value jumping pass will receive a 40% penalty to its base value (adding this many extra jumping passes can make it too easy to gain points, so there has to be a balance).

If a skater does more elements than allowed, the lowest scoring elements of the program will be "deleted", in such a way that the skater still meets the minimum and maximum allowed elements. The Long Program, aka Freeskate, should allow a skater to do anything they want without worrying about if they broke a certain rule.

These changes will allow for more variety within the Long Programs, letting skaters set themselves apart from each other and have greater control over what elements they can include in their programs to best interpret the music. I firmly believe the sport needs to have this freedom in the Long Program so that skaters are able to perform "on the fly" and consistently create programs that will thoroughly interest audiences. We need to be left guessing what a skater will do next. We need to see different skaters doing vastly different technical layouts. We need to see programs change more throughout the season, as skaters experiment with different elements and ideas. CoP currently does not allow people to make as many choices as they should be able to. Choices are interesting.

*Difficult Triple jumps (Loop/Flip/Lutz or Toeloop/Salchow if they are done in combination with another jump of 2Axel difficulty or higher) that are executed late in the program (at least 60% of the way through the program) will receive an 8% bonus. Additionally, difficult Triple jumps placed VERY late in the program (at least 90% of the way through) will receive a 16% bonus. For a Triple Axel, these bonuses shall instead be 12% and 24%, to reflect how difficult it is to place this jump so late in the program.

Double jumps and easy triple jumps will receive bonuses of 4% and 8% when placed within those specified later parts of the program. For Quads, the bonuses will be 15% and 30%. The -GOE values for all jumps in the bonus sections are increased by the same amount, so as not to reward sloppy jumps later in the program.

*If a skater sufficently executes each type of Triple jump (double or triple for the Axel jump, Quads count as a Triple of that type), they will be awarded a bonus point. "Sufficient" will be determined by vote of the technical specialist and technical judges. A jump should not have more than a very minor problem on the landing in order to qualify; a hand down on the ice is automatic disqualification. If a jump is underrotated or has an edge violation (not both), but was still executed very well otherwise, it will qualify at the discretion of the judges. A Lutz jump with a severe edge violation will automatically be disqualified.

IMPROVING JUDGING QUALITY AND VISIBILITY:

*The composition of judges at competitions will be changed to 1 technical specialist, 6 technical judges, and 6 program component judges. The technical specialist will be in charge of calling all elements and deductions and determining which technical elements of a skater's program will be counted for points in the final score. For footwork sequences, the technical specialist and each individual technical judge will be given a different criteria to look for in the sequence to determine the level (judges will not examine their specified criteria until the performance has concluded). The technical specialist and each individual technical judge will vote upon whether or not a jump should be called as underrotated, or if it should receive an edge violation.

*The program component judges are necessary for this aspect of programs to be judged accurately; the program needs to be looked at on its own without being influenced and distracted by also scoring technical elements at the same time. Judges need to start separating the 5 program components properly; it would be perfectly fine for a skater to receive a '9' on skating skills but a '6' for interpretation (or vice versa), if that's what happened in the performance. Judges need to examine choreography not for how many transitions are in the program, but based upon the actual intellectual concept, visual appeal, and cohesiveness of the movement itself. There will no longer be a "judging corridor" that judges must worry about. All program component judges must have a firm mathematical understanding of what their scores mean (ie - you can't just say "this skater had better transitions" and score them .25 higher in that component. There must be a clear differential between the scores given to each skater for each performance, if that is what the performances merit).

*All judges must have extensive historical training. A trained judge will have watched hundreds and hundreds, if not thousands, of high-level performances across a wide spectrum of decades. This basis is absolutely necessary for having an objective opinion of what constitutes good figure skating in the many different forms it can take. Technical judges MUST have the proficiency of a technical specialist. Technical specialists MUST receive training on the scientific method of determining jump rotation, examining the takeoff point and landing point, so that calls can be made more accurately.

*All judges' scores will be announced and displayed (first technical element, then program component) for the audience, before the skater's total score is announced. For technical element judges, their total score of the elements (including all half-point deductions for falls and possible bonus point for a complete jump repertoire) will be divided by 10 and displayed as their individual technical element score for the skater. These scores will be rounded to the nearest hundredth, in order to easily announce them to the audience. For all program component judges, the factored average of the 5 program component scores they gave will be divided by 10 (again rounded to the nearest hundredth if necessary) and displayed as their individual program component score for the skater.

*The GOE of elements and the scores of program components will still be determined by dropping the lowest score and the highest score of the judges. All scores on the protocol will be calculated to the thousandth place (a jump could be worth 5.244 points or the averaged transitions score from the judges could be 8.875) in order to provide the most accurate score possible. Competitions can be decided by less than a tenth of a point, so there is no reason to drop off scores that could make a difference.

*Judges should be spread throughout the entire rink, rather than all being placed on one side board.

ASSIGNING GRADES OF EXECUTION:

*Judges can give “half” of a GOE value to any element. In other words: -2.5, -1.5, -.5, +.5, +1.5, +2.5 are now GOE values which can be assigned to an element. A good technical judge should have an extensive working knowledge of the quality of elements throughout the history of skating and be able to precisely ascertain small details in the elements they are judging. A +3 GOE grade should not be given unless the judge feels the element is truly at the highest level of what they've ever seen.

*New guidelines for giving +GOE on jumps:

1. Good height (amazing height counts double)
2. Good distance (amazing distance counts double)
3. Difficult entry (extremely difficult entry counts double)
4. Difficult air position / delay in rotation
5. Rotation completed entirely in the air
6. Excellent flow out of landing
7. Excellent extension on landing / difficult exit
8. Matched to the musical structure and good control throughout

Each of these points must be balanced against all negative GOE points. A jump that is "in the positive" by 2 points can receive a +.5 GOE grade. For each additional positive point, the GOE grade can increase by an additional +.5, up to 6 points equaling +2.5 GOE. 8 points should be achieved for +3 GOE.

Any jump element with a hand down on the ice must receive a final GOE of no better than -.5 and two hands down on the ice for a solo jump must receive a minimum of -2.0 final GOE. When these mistakes are made, a total loss of flow on the landing and/or a badly tilted upper body (how much of the skater's body weight is being propped up on the ice?) should also be taken into account for further -GOE penalty.

Judges must give a minimum of -2.5 GOE for a fall on a jump element (and this should only be given if the jump was excellent and the skater had momentary control of the landing before the fall), with two exceptions:

1.) If the fall was caused by running into the boards and the jump was strong and cleanly landed otherwise, then a deduction of only -2.0 may be sufficient.

2.) For jump combinations and sequences, where the second or third jump is only a double and another jump before it was much more difficult, falling on that double jump may merit only a -2.0 GOE deduction if the first part of the combination was superb and the double jump had momentary control of the landing before the fall.

My reading for the next two weeks is cut out for me.

Oh wow.... this is awesome!

This adds a lot of complexity where none is needed, particularly on jump combinations. I think the scoring should go in the other direction, removing some of the detail where none is necessary, perhaps by having only one PCS score out of 100 and scaling it appropriately.

drivingmissdaisy said:

This adds a lot of complexity where none is needed, particularly on jump combinations. I think the scoring should go in the other direction, removing some of the detail where none is necessary.

Click to expand...

No complexity is added where it isn't needed by this ruleset. Removing unncessary complexity is indeed the focus, along with adding far more freedom and rewarding great skating.

Giving bonuses to jump combinations only looks complex on paper. The numbers are calculated automatically by a computer anyway.

In practice it is very intuitive - if you do a difficult jump combination you will be rewarded for it. Skaters know that doing a back-end 3Loop is much more difficult or that doing a 3Lutz+3Toe and solo 2Axel is more difficult than a 2Axel+3Toe and solo 3Lutz. The exact amount of points it's worth is not something that would be dwelled upon. The idea is that it's actually worth doing and a skater should go out there and perform to the best of their ability without worrying about restrictions.

Doing the useless 3-jump combos with +2Toe+2Toe on the end would become extinct, which is good. The majority of skaters would not do a 3-jump combo at all in their Long Program. This is also good. We need variety.

I guess from now on GS forum will have a different version of scores whenever the results of each competition are out.
Thank you BoP!

Thank you BoP. I only got through the free skate one yet, but I will come back and read through the rest of your posting in due course. Thank you for your efforts once again!

Bravo Bravo:agree::agree::yay::yay:

Meoima said:

I guess from now on GS forum will have a different version of scores whenever the results of each competition are out.

Click to expand...

That is our plan. Little by little, people will come to rely on the Golden Skate rules to determine the winner. The ISU will gradually fade away. Then the IOC will come courting…

Mathman said:

That is our plan. Little by little, people will come to rely on the Golden Skate rules to determine the winner. The ISU will gradually fade away. Then the IOC will come courting…

Click to expand...

Sounds promising, biggest conspiracy ever in figure skating history. :agree:

Find a way to get to the Congress in June

Blades of Passion said:

SHORT PROGRAM CHANGES:

*The Short Program will return to having 8 required elements. Skaters will have the option of performing either a second footwork sequence or a spiral sequence.

*If a skater's first three technical elements are all jumps, the skater will automatically receive a half-point deduction.

*Jump elements that include a triple jump and are executed late in the program (at least 1:50 of the way through the program and at least the 6th required element of the program) will receive an 8% bonus. If the last jump element meets that criteria and is executed VERY late in the program (at least 2:20 of the way through and at least the 7th requirement element of the program) it will instead receive a 16% bonus. If these jump elements were a jump combination or a Triple Axel, the bonus sections shall instead be 10% and 20%, to reflect how difficult it is to place those elements so late in the program. For a Quad jump, these bonuses shall be 12% and 24%. The -GOE values for all jumps in the bonus sections are increased by the same amount, so as not to reward sloppy jumps later in the program.

*For the Ladies short program, the Beillmann position is not allowed to be used to increase the level. This spin should be about the quality of the actual Layback, rather than a leg-pulling move.

*Negative GOE grades should not be used to punish these three Short Program mistakes: (1.) jump elements with less than the required rotation, ie - doing a Double jump instead of the required Triple, (2.) lacking steps/movements preceding the solo non-axel jump of the program, (3.) the combination jump not being achieved.

GOE grades should reflect only the quality of the elements. Instead, a 15% deduction will be imposed if there is more than a minor break in the transition before the jump that requires satisfactory linking movement or if the linking movement is questionable in difficulty. A 30% deduction will be imposed if there is no satisfactory linking movement at all or such a long break as to make it invaluable. A 15% deduction shall be imposed on jump elements with less than the required rotation and/or if there was no jump combination achieved.

When GOE grades are used to penalize these mistakes, we see cases of a skater falling on what was supposed to be the first part of their combination jump and then going on to add the combination to their planned solo jump. The planned combination jump thus becomes the solo jump and if it had no linking movement beforehand, then the skater isn't being penalized for it since the jump is already receiving -3 GOE for the fall.

FOOTWORK SEQUENCES:

*New values for Footwork sequences: 1.2, 1.6, 2.1, 2.7. The GOE values for each level are -.6 / +.7, except Level 1 where the -GOE value is -.5.

From the moment that a footwork sequence starts, a maximum of 25 seconds of movement will be counted for determining the level. A footwork sequence should have a clear rhythm and a discernible pattern, without significant deviation from a line or curve. Footwork should not be about traveling all over the ice and trying to cram in as many steps and turns as possible. Each pattern may only be used once per program for a footwork sequence.

Features for determining level (the number of features obtained equals the Level):

1.) Basic Variety (Level 1), Simple Variety (Level 2), Variety (Level 3), Complex Variety (Level 4). Mandatory.
2.) Use of core body movements for at least 1/3 of the pattern OR use of rhythmic/choreographic arm/hand movement/positions for at least 2/3 of the pattern.
3.) Quick changes of skating direction (forwards/backwards or clockwise/counterclockwise, at least 3 times) and quick changes from steps to turns / difficult turn to difficult step / difficult step to a different difficult step (at least 3 times in total for any mixture of types) OR full body rotation in each rotational direction for at least 1/4 of the pattern in each direction.
4.) Two different combinations of three difficult turns (bracket / rocker / counter / twizzle / loop) executed with a clear rhythm OR three different combinations of three difficult steps (choctaw / forward, sideways, or backward kick with leg going at least 30 degrees above hip level or turning kick with leg going at least 15 degrees above hip level or illusion turn / curve with change of edge / cross roll with free leg or foot extended at least to hip level at one point during the step / double non-stationary toe step / counter-rotational hop or leap / shoot-the-duck position or quick lunge / one-foot stop on the ice from moderate or high speed with controlled free leg and upper body) executed with a clear rhythm. One turn or non-difficult step may be executed in the difficult step cluster and up to two difficult turns may replace up to two difficult steps. 3 twizzles in a row in both directions will count as being two different combinations. A counter-rotational hitch kick counts as two difficult steps in the same movement. Kicks executed with double toe steps count as two difficult steps in the same movement. These combinations of steps/turns need to be different in each footwork sequence of the program in order to count for a level.

Basic Variety = 3 different types of steps/turns.
Simple Variety = 4 different types of steps/turns (at least one difficult type), with 3 types executed at least twice, and 1 type executed in both directions.
Variety = 5 different types of steps/turns (at least 2 difficult types), with 4 types executed at least twice, and 2 types executed in both directions.
Complex Variety = 3 different types of turns and 3 different types of steps (at least 2 difficult type of step), 5 types executed at least twice, with 2 types of these turns and 2 types of these steps executed in both directions (certain steps are forwards/backwards rather than rotational).

Types of steps and turns executed in both directions can only count once per program for increasing the footwork sequence level.

SPIRAL SEQUENCES:

*Four levels for Spiral Sequences, with base values of: 1.4, 1.7, 2.0, 2.3. The GOE values for each level are -.6 / +.7, except Level 1 where the -GOE value is -.5.

A minimum of 3 spiral positions (must be held for 1 second to be credited), with a minimum of 5 seconds total in spiral position, and at least one forward spiral and one backward spiral, are required in order for the sequence to be credited. The sequence must also last for a minimum of 12 seconds between the start of the first spiral and the end of the last credited spiral. Moves in the field, steps, turns, and non-listed jumps may be executed between spiral positions. Taking more than 3 crossovers between any spiral position will cause the sequence to be deemed as concluded. Taking more than 2 crossovers will drop the level by one place.

Features for determining level (the number of features obtained equals the Level):

1.) Two quick, successive changes of spiral or free leg position.
2.) Difficult transition before a spiral (split jump, stag jump, falling leaf, any difficult turn, any two combinations of difficult steps or spread eagle or ina bauer or cantilever, spread eagle/ina bauer/cantilever/shoot-the-duck count on their own if held for a minimum of 2 seconds). Counts up to three times per program for each different difficult transition; only one transition counts before a spiral. A transition before the first spiral of the sequence counts.
3.) Change of edge while in spiral position, with a spiral position maintained for a minimum of 2 seconds before and after the change.
4.) A difficult variation of position (charlotte, beillmann, full split, Arabesque with free leg at least 45 degrees above the hip, V position with free leg extended at least 60 degrees above the hip, fan position with free leg extended at least 45 degrees above the hip and no hand hold) held for a minimum of 2 seconds. Counts up to three times in a single sequence for each feature used; different variations must be used to increase level more than once in a program. Arabesque counts twice if performed in a different position or held for a minimum of 4 seconds in one position. V position counts twice in the same position if the hand hold is released after maintaining position for at least 2 seconds and the free leg remains at least 60 degrees above hip level for at least 2 seconds.

A Charlotte position will count as a Spiral when it is performed on the flat of the blade, if the free leg is extended further than 145 degrees for at least 2 seconds during the entire duration of the Charlotte position. A Spiral position with a turn, where the free leg is in full split position, will also count when performed on the flat of the blade (for the duration of the turn and 1 second afterward). All other Spiral positions must still be performed on an inside or outside edge to receive credit.

LONG PROGRAM CHANGES:

The required elements for the Long Program shall be modified to allow for the following minimums:

*5 jumping passes for female programs and 6 jumping passes for male programs, with 2 of them being a two-jump combination or sequence (if a skater does not do a jump combination/sequence there is no penalty for it. Repeating a Triple/Quad jump and not doing it in combination/sequence will still cause the jump to use up a combination/sequence slot and the jump will receive the 8% sequence deduction)

*3 spins, one of them must be in one position only, one of them must have a change of foot, and all 3 basic positions must be shown or else one of the spins will be scored as only base level. In the Long Program, any spin position that would normally need to be held for 2 revolutions to count towards the spin level only needs to be held for 1.5 revolutions to count. This emphasizes the usage of spins as choreography in the Long Program, letting skaters change positions quicker to interpret the music. Of the 3 required spins in the program, skaters may not perform more than one change-of-foot combination spin. One optional slot in the program may be used to execute an additional spin of that type. 3 combination spins in total are allowed. There are no limitations on other spin types.

*1 choreographic step sequence, defined as being any type of moves in the field, turns, steps, rhythmic skating movements, or non-scored jumps that cover a circle/oval pattern in one section of the rink, or some type of a serpentine/curve/figure across a sizable section of the rink, or a straight line across the rink length (for a full spread eagle sequence, such as what Brian Boitano did in his 1988 Olympic Long Program, the pattern is allowed to be a little smaller than normal). Any number of spiral positions that last for at least 5 seconds total also meet the requirement of being a choreographic step sequence (they do not need to adhere to the pattern requirements stated above).

This element should be judged primarily based upon choreographic/interpretative impact and execution of the chosen movements. The difficulty of the movements should be a secondary concern. Skaters may execute a jumping pass in the middle of a choreographic step sequence. This element will have a base value of 2.1 and a GOE scaling of -.6 / +.7 -- If a skater performs a choreographic step sequence that meets the level requirements of a Level 4 footwork sequence or a Level 4 spiral sequence, the skater will receive the appropriate base value increase.

*After those minimum requirements, skaters will have 4 optional slots available. They can use these flexible slots to add anything they want to the program - spins, choreographic step sequences, jumping passes, or extra jump combinations/sequences (doing a 3jump combination/sequence instead of a 2jump combination/sequence would count as a slot...additionally note that something like a 3Toe/half loop/3Sal would count as a 2jump combination).

The limitations would be as follows:

*A maximum of 2 choreographic step sequences can be counted as a Level 4 spiral sequence in the program and different features must be used to increase the level each time. If a skater chooses to perform more than 2 choreographic step sequences in the program, one of them is not allowed to include any spirals at all.

*A maximum of 2 slots can be used to add additional combination/sequence jumps to the program (and only 1 three-jump combination/sequence may be attempted; also note that performing two 2-jump combinations and one 3-jump combination has used up two optional slots).

*A maximum of 3 slots can be used to add additional jumping passes to the program. If 3 slots ARE used for extra jumping passes, then the lowest base value jumping pass will receive a 40% penalty to its base value (adding this many extra jumping passes can make it too easy to gain points, so there has to be a balance).

If a skater does more elements than allowed, the lowest scoring elements of the program will be "deleted", in such a way that the skater still meets the minimum and maximum allowed elements. The Long Program, aka Freeskate, should allow a skater to do anything they want without worrying about if they broke a certain rule.

These changes will allow for more variety within the Long Programs, letting skaters set themselves apart from each other and have greater control over what elements they can include in their programs to best interpret the music. I firmly believe the sport needs to have this freedom in the Long Program so that skaters are able to perform "on the fly" and consistently create programs that will thoroughly interest audiences. We need to be left guessing what a skater will do next. We need to see different skaters doing vastly different technical layouts. We need to see programs change more throughout the season, as skaters experiment with different elements and ideas. CoP currently does not allow people to make as many choices as they should be able to. Choices are interesting.

*Difficult Triple jumps (Loop/Flip/Lutz or Toeloop/Salchow if they are done in combination with another jump of 2Axel difficulty or higher) that are executed late in the program (at least 60% of the way through the program) will receive an 8% bonus. Additionally, difficult Triple jumps placed VERY late in the program (at least 90% of the way through) will receive a 16% bonus. For a Triple Axel, these bonuses shall instead be 12% and 24%, to reflect how difficult it is to place this jump so late in the program.

Double jumps and easy triple jumps will receive bonuses of 4% and 8% when placed within those specified later parts of the program. For Quads, the bonuses will be 15% and 30%. The -GOE values for all jumps in the bonus sections are increased by the same amount, so as not to reward sloppy jumps later in the program.

*If a skater sufficently executes each type of Triple jump (double or triple for the Axel jump, Quads count as a Triple of that type), they will be awarded a bonus point. "Sufficient" will be determined by vote of the technical specialist and technical judges. A jump should not have more than a very minor problem on the landing in order to qualify; a hand down on the ice is automatic disqualification. If a jump is underrotated or has an edge violation (not both), but was still executed very well otherwise, it will qualify at the discretion of the judges. A Lutz jump with a severe edge violation will automatically be disqualified.

IMPROVING JUDGING QUALITY AND VISIBILITY:

*The composition of judges at competitions will be changed to 1 technical specialist, 6 technical judges, and 6 program component judges. The technical specialist will be in charge of calling all elements and deductions and determining which technical elements of a skater's program will be counted for points in the final score. For footwork sequences, the technical specialist and each individual technical judge will be given a different criteria to look for in the sequence to determine the level (judges will not examine their specified criteria until the performance has concluded). The technical specialist and each individual technical judge will vote upon whether or not a jump should be called as underrotated, or if it should receive an edge violation.

*The program component judges are necessary for this aspect of programs to be judged accurately; the program needs to be looked at on its own without being influenced and distracted by also scoring technical elements at the same time. Judges need to start separating the 5 program components properly; it would be perfectly fine for a skater to receive a '9' on skating skills but a '6' for interpretation (or vice versa), if that's what happened in the performance. Judges need to examine choreography not for how many transitions are in the program, but based upon the actual intellectual concept, visual appeal, and cohesiveness of the movement itself. There will no longer be a "judging corridor" that judges must worry about. All program component judges must have a firm mathematical understanding of what their scores mean (ie - you can't just say "this skater had better transitions" and score them .25 higher in that component. There must be a clear differential between the scores given to each skater for each performance, if that is what the performances merit).

*All judges must have extensive historical training. A trained judge will have watched hundreds and hundreds, if not thousands, of high-level performances across a wide spectrum of decades. This basis is absolutely necessary for having an objective opinion of what constitutes good figure skating in the many different forms it can take. Technical judges MUST have the proficiency of a technical specialist. Technical specialists MUST receive training on the scientific method of determining jump rotation, examining the takeoff point and landing point, so that calls can be made more accurately.

*All judges' scores will be announced and displayed (first technical element, then program component) for the audience, before the skater's total score is announced. For technical element judges, their total score of the elements (including all half-point deductions for falls and possible bonus point for a complete jump repertoire) will be divided by 10 and displayed as their individual technical element score for the skater. These scores will be rounded to the nearest hundredth, in order to easily announce them to the audience. For all program component judges, the factored average of the 5 program component scores they gave will be divided by 10 (again rounded to the nearest hundredth if necessary) and displayed as their individual program component score for the skater.

*The GOE of elements and the scores of program components will still be determined by dropping the lowest score and the highest score of the judges. All scores on the protocol will be calculated to the thousandth place (a jump could be worth 5.244 points or the averaged transitions score from the judges could be 8.875) in order to provide the most accurate score possible. Competitions can be decided by less than a tenth of a point, so there is no reason to drop off scores that could make a difference.

*Judges should be spread throughout the entire rink, rather than all being placed on one side board.

ASSIGNING GRADES OF EXECUTION:

*Judges can give “half” of a GOE value to any element. In other words: -2.5, -1.5, -.5, +.5, +1.5, +2.5 are now GOE values which can be assigned to an element. A good technical judge should have an extensive working knowledge of the quality of elements throughout the history of skating and be able to precisely ascertain small details in the elements they are judging. A +3 GOE grade should not be given unless the judge feels the element is truly at the highest level of what they've ever seen.

*New guidelines for giving +GOE on jumps:

1. Good height (amazing height counts double)
2. Good distance (amazing distance counts double)
3. Difficult entry (extremely difficult entry counts double)
4. Difficult air position / delay in rotation
5. Rotation completed entirely in the air
6. Excellent flow out of landing
7. Excellent extension on landing / difficult exit
8. Matched to the musical structure and good control throughout

Each of these points must be balanced against all negative GOE points. A jump that is "in the positive" by 2 points can receive a +.5 GOE grade. For each additional positive point, the GOE grade can increase by an additional +.5, up to 6 points equaling +2.5 GOE. 8 points should be achieved for +3 GOE.

Any jump element with a hand down on the ice must receive a final GOE of no better than -.5 and two hands down on the ice for a solo jump must receive a minimum of -2.0 final GOE. When these mistakes are made, a total loss of flow on the landing and/or a badly tilted upper body (how much of the skater's body weight is being propped up on the ice?) should also be taken into account for further -GOE penalty.

Judges must give a minimum of -2.5 GOE for a fall on a jump element (and this should only be given if the jump was excellent and the skater had momentary control of the landing before the fall), with two exceptions:

1.) If the fall was caused by running into the boards and the jump was strong and cleanly landed otherwise, then a deduction of only -2.0 may be sufficient.

2.) For jump combinations and sequences, where the second or third jump is only a double and another jump before it was much more difficult, falling on that double jump may merit only a -2.0 GOE deduction if the first part of the combination was superb and the double jump had momentary control of the landing before the fall.

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Brilliant!

Blades of Passion said:

No complexity is added where it isn't needed by this ruleset. Removing unncessary complexity is indeed the focus, along with adding far more freedom and rewarding great skating.

Giving bonuses to jump combinations only looks complex on paper. The numbers are calculated automatically by a computer anyway.

In practice it is very intuitive - if you do a difficult jump combination you will be rewarded for it. Skaters know that doing a back-end 3Loop is much more difficult or that doing a 3Lutz+3Toe and solo 2Axel is more difficult than a 2Axel+3Toe and solo 3Lutz. The exact amount of points it's worth is not something that would be dwelled upon. The idea is that it's actually worth doing and a skater should go out there and perform to the best of their ability without worrying about restrictions.

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To an extent I agree, because I feel like a 3Z/3T plus a solo 3T should have a higher BV that a 3T/3T with a solo 3Z. However, although this adjustment would be easy for a computer to do, it makes it harder for the commentators to explain these details to the viewers. I think simplicity is better from this perspective.

This all makes sense and seems great, but I think that the 1/2 loop should be given bonus points - a triple toe half loop triple salchow is harder IMO than a triple salchow triple toe because you need to make sure that the half loop gets you in the perfect position but doesn't go too high and lose any speed.

drivingmissdaisy said:

To an extent I agree, because I feel like a 3Z/3T plus a solo 3T should have a higher BV that a 3T/3T with a solo 3Z. However, although this adjustment would be easy for a computer to do, it makes it harder for the commentators to explain these details to the viewers.

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How is it hard for commentators to explain? They just say "look at this difficult combination the skater did, they will be rewarded for it." That's exactly what was said during 6.0 judging (and it's still what is said about most CoP moves), except that back then nobody was sure exactly how it would be rewarded. Skaters just went out there and hoped for the best.

Macassar88 said:

This all makes sense and seems great, but I think that the 1/2 loop should be given bonus points - a triple toe half loop triple salchow is harder IMO than a triple salchow triple toe because you need to make sure that the half loop gets you in the perfect position but doesn't go too high and lose any speed.

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Well it really depends on the skater. Joannie Rochette found it easier to do 3Toe+half loop+3Sal than she did a 3Sal+3Toe. Yuka Sato could do 3Sal in combo like that as well, but could definitely never do a back-end 3Toe. People would want to do both a back-end 3Toe and a back-end 3Sal in combo anyway under this system (or something even more difficult), so I think it would definitely be sufficiently rewarded.

There are some great ideas here! :yes: As soon as I have time, I will post my thoughts about some specific parts
Could you try to calculate the TES of some famous performances basing on your rules (I'm not talking about the changes in the structure of the progams, obviously) and see how they change?

Blades of Passion said:

Jump combinations should be receiving a bonus to reflect their additional difficulty. Example: doing a 3Axel+3Loop and solo 3Toe is harder than doing a 3Axel+3Toe and a solo 3Loop, however the current system doesn't reward it. The current system actually rewards the easier jump layout more, because it is easier to get +GOE on 3Axel+3Toe than it is on a 3Axel+3Loop! The following lists are a finely tuned system of values that reward jumps and combinations as objectively and pragmatically as possible.


From the moment that a footwork sequence starts, a maximum of 25 seconds of movement will be counted for determining the level. A footwork sequence should have a clear rhythm and a discernible pattern, without significant deviation from a line or curve. Footwork should not be about traveling all over the ice and trying to cram in as many steps and turns as possible. Each pattern may only be used once per program for a footwork sequence.


IMPROVING JUDGING QUALITY AND VISIBILITY:

*The composition of judges at competitions will be changed to 1 technical specialist, 6 technical judges, and 6 program component judges. The technical specialist will be in charge of calling all elements and deductions and determining which technical elements of a skater's program will be counted for points in the final score. For footwork sequences, the technical specialist and each individual technical judge will be given a different criteria to look for in the sequence to determine the level (judges will not examine their specified criteria until the performance has concluded). The technical specialist and each individual technical judge will vote upon whether or not a jump should be called as underrotated, or if it should receive an edge violation.

*The program component judges are necessary for this aspect of programs to be judged accurately; the program needs to be looked at on its own without being influenced and distracted by also scoring technical elements at the same time. Judges need to start separating the 5 program components properly; it would be perfectly fine for a skater to receive a '9' on skating skills but a '6' for interpretation (or vice versa), if that's what happened in the performance. Judges need to examine choreography not for how many transitions are in the program, but based upon the actual intellectual concept, visual appeal, and cohesiveness of the movement itself. There will no longer be a "judging corridor" that judges must worry about. All program component judges must have a firm mathematical understanding of what their scores mean (ie - you can't just say "this skater had better transitions" and score them .25 higher in that component. There must be a clear differential between the scores given to each skater for each performance, if that is what the performances merit).

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These are the best things for me :yes:
For the other sections, I like the idea of GOEs having more importance, while I think that there aren't a lot of changes compared to the existent rules, and that in some parts (creating separate addional bunoses/penalties for each specific jump etc.) you're really really accurate. I personally don't have anything against complex rules (even if they involve complex calculations or if the "casual viewer" can't understand them), as long as they're useful, but I know that a lot of people have problems with this

FSGMT said:

I personally don't have anything against complex rules (even if they involve complex calculations or if the "casual viewer" can't understand them), as long as they're useful, but I know that a lot of people have problems with this

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From my perspective -- a somewhat more than "casual" viewer who loves both the artistry and the athleticism of figure skating -- complex rules and calculations don't bother me if I can trust the integrity of the people doing the judging. Ultimately, I just want a fair result regardless of whether my favorites win or not.

The problem is, PCS guidelines is so vague and subjective. Personally I think PCS, must be like TES, is judged live and by the quality of the performance at that very moment. Skaters have their on and off days so their PCS couldn't stay the same for every competition or just raise gradually despite the quality. A skater might get 70 PCS at skate america because, then 90 PCS in GPF, then 80 PCS at worlds. Personally I think it's possible and more reasonable than constant 90s PCS in every competition.