USFSA Qualification Rules | Golden Skate

USFSA Qualification Rules

luckyguy

Match Penalty
Joined
Jan 25, 2008
Can anyone post here the text of the USFSA Qualification Rules for Regionals, Sectionals and Nationals?

I cannot find it on the net.

Thanks.
 

mskater93

Record Breaker
Joined
Oct 22, 2005
This is for Singles only:
It should be on the USFS website, but for Juvenile, the skater (assuming a girl) must be 12 or under on the cut off date (usually 9/1) and must have passed their Juvenile FS but no higher.

For Intermediate, the skater must be 17 or under by the cut off date and must have passed their Intermediate FS but no higher.

For Novice-Senior, there is no age limit, but again, the appropriate FS test must be passed by the cut off date (and no higher if Novice/Junior).

Top 4 from Novice -Senior in FS advance to Sectionals. Top 4 at each respective Sectional plus skaters receiving byes advance to Nationals.

For Juvenile/Intermediate, the top 4-6 advance to Junior Nationals (depending on the number of entries in the Region compared to other Regions).

Note that Moves in the Field test have no bearing on the level a skater is at.
 

gkelly

Record Breaker
Joined
Jul 26, 2003
Is there a specific level and/or discipline that you're interested in, or are you looking for a general overview of the process?
 

luckyguy

Match Penalty
Joined
Jan 25, 2008
Is there a specific level and/or discipline that you're interested in, or are you looking for a general overview of the process?

I´m looking for a general overview. I found a text of 2002/2003

http://www.usfigureskating.org/content/COMBINEDROANov02andMay03.pdf
(p. 14-15),

but I think, it is no more valid:

NINE REGIONAL CHAMPIONSHIPS
• Events from juvenile to senior levels in men and ladies short program and free skating will be offered.
• Events will be offered from juvenile to novice levels in dance and pairs. All junior and senior pairs and dance will bypass the regional championships and go directly to the sectional championships. (Requires a rule change)
• The top four in each discipline at the novice level and the top four in ladies and men at the junior and senior levels will advance to one of the three sectional championships.
• All rules pertaining to four or fewer entries and fill-up provisions will be applicable to those events offered at the regional championships
• The top four juvenile and intermediate placements in each discipline will qualify for the U.S. Junior Championships

THREE SECTIONAL CHAMPIONSHIPS
• Events will be offered from novice to seniors in men, ladies, pairs and dance.
• All skaters must qualify by either:
o 1. Placing in the top four at a regional championships
o 2. Receiving an international bye.
o 3. Having four or fewer entries at regional championships.
o 4. Having won the same event the previous year.
o 5. By applying fill-up rules for sectionals
• Fill-up rules will apply for the U.S. Junior Championships and for the U.S. Championships for ladies, men, pairs and dance.
• The top four placements in each discipline will qualify for the U.S. Championships (senior, junior, novice levels)

U.S. JUNIOR FIGURE SKATING CHAMPIONSHIPS
• Events for intermediates and juveniles will be offered in men, ladies, pairs and dance.
• There will be 36 entries offered in each event with four from each region
• There will be no byes to the U.S. Junior Championships (Requires a rule change.)
• Fill-up rules will be considered from other sections when one of the sections has fewer than the maximum entries. At no time will a competitor who placed lower than 6th place at a regional championship be invited to compete at the U.S. Junior Championships even though the event may not have the required number of fifteen

U.S. FIGURE SKATING CHAMPIONSHIPS
• Championship (senior), junior, and novice events will be offered in men, ladies, pairs and dance.
• The top four placements in each discipline at the sectional championships will advance to the U.S. Championships.
• Skaters placing 1st through 6th in the previous U.S. Championships at the senior level in men, ladies, pairs and dance will receive an automatic invitation to the current U.S. Championships in the same discipline. There will be no replacements should skaters decline the invitation to compete at the current U.S. Championships. (Requires a rule change.)
• There will be no byes given except to those skaters that have a conflict with an international competition (Requires a rule change).
• Should a senior skater who did not place in the top six at the previous U.S. Championships, earn a berth in an ISU Grand Prix Final or the Junior Grand Prix Final, such skater shall receive a bye to the current U.S. Championships. (Also applies to a junior skater)
• If the above would occur, the number of skaters qualifying for the U.S. Championships would be four from each sectional championships plus the skater that received the bye because of earning a berth in an ISU Championship Series plus international byes.

Comparison of the effect on the size of our competitions
Current 9 region/3 section
Regional to sectional – top 4 each region x 3 regions to a sectional = 12 per section
Sectional to national – top 4 each section x 3 sections = 12 + 3 last year champs + byes (medical & int'l) = 18-22
Regional to junior national – top 4 each region x 9 regions = 36

Proposed 12 region/4 section (above proposal applied to the proposed change to the region/section structure)
Regional to sectional – top 4 each region x 3 regions to a sectional = 12 per section
Regional to junior national – top 3 each region x 12 regions = 36
Sectional to national – (Junior and Novice) top 4 each section x 4 sections = 16
Sectional to national – (Senior) top 3 ea. section x 4 sections = 12 + 6 last year champs = 18 + int'l byes = 20 +/-
 

Sylvia

Record Breaker
Joined
Aug 25, 2003
U.S. FIGURE SKATING CHAMPIONSHIPS
• Championship (senior), junior, and novice events will be offered in men, ladies, pairs and dance.
• The top four placements in each discipline at the sectional championships will advance to the U.S. Championships.
This part is still true.
• Skaters placing 1st through 6th in the previous U.S. Championships at the senior level in men, ladies, pairs and dance will receive an automatic invitation to the current U.S. Championships in the same discipline. There will be no replacements should skaters decline the invitation to compete at the current U.S. Championships. (Requires a rule change.)
It was top 6 for a few years but the current rule is top 5.

• There will be no byes given except to those skaters that have a conflict with an international competition (Requires a rule change).
This rule change eliminated the possibility of medical or injury byes being granted to advance a skaters through regionals or sectionals (no exceptions). The international competition bye applies if the assignment takes place 7 days before or after the skaters' Regionals or Sectionals (with a few exceptions).

• Should a senior skater who did not place in the top [six **now five] at the previous U.S. Championships, earn a berth in an ISU Grand Prix Final or the Junior Grand Prix Final, such skater shall receive a bye to the current U.S. Championships. (Also applies to a junior skater)
This is currently true as well.

Qualifying for Junior Nationals (Nationals for the Juvenile and Intermediate levels) has changed since 2002-03 and the proposed 12/4 revamping of the regionals/sectionals did not pass.
 
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gkelly

Record Breaker
Joined
Jul 26, 2003
Qualifying for Junior Nationals (Nationals for the Juvenile and Intermediate levels) has changed since 2002-03

And also for novice pairs and dance -- basically all the pairs and dance qualifying now starts at sectionals rather than regionals.
 

Sylvia

Record Breaker
Joined
Aug 25, 2003
U.S. JUNIOR FIGURE SKATING CHAMPIONSHIPS
• Events for intermediates and juveniles will be offered in men, ladies, pairs and dance.
• There will be 36 entries offered in each event with four from each region
The 36 entries number is no longer true because the number of Juvenile/Intermediate singles skaters advancing from each of the 9 Regionals to Junior Nationals now depends on a percentage formula (number of entries by region vs. total entries, as mentioned by mskater93 above). This past season at JNs, for example, there were 42 Intermediate ladies (3 qualifying groups, 18 advanced to the final round), 40 Intermediate men (2 qual. groups, 20 advanced to the final round), 20 Intermediate pairs (no qual. round needed), and 23 Intermediate dance teams (2 qual. groups, 10 advanced to the final round).
• Fill-up rules will be considered from other sections when one of the sections has fewer than the maximum entries. At no time will a competitor who placed lower than 6th place at a regional championship be invited to compete at the U.S. Junior Championships even though the event may not have the required number of fifteen
This part is outdated and no longer true.
 

Sylvia

Record Breaker
Joined
Aug 25, 2003
NINE REGIONAL CHAMPIONSHIPS
• Events from juvenile to senior levels in men and ladies short program and free skating will be offered.
Currently true, except that if there are 4 or fewer senior men (all would automatically advance to Sectionals), a senior men's event does not have be held at regionals unless the skaters choose to compete.

• Events will be offered from juvenile to novice levels in dance and pairs.
As gkelly mentioned above, 2009-09 will the first season in which "all the pairs and dance qualifying [juvenile/intermediate] now starts at sectionals rather than regionals."

All junior and senior pairs and dance will bypass the regional championships and go directly to the sectional championships. (Requires a rule change)
This rule now applies to novice pairs and dance, in addition to junior and senior.

• The top four juvenile and intermediate placements in each discipline will qualify for the U.S. Junior Championships
Currently the top 4 juvenile and intermediate SINGLES placements will advance; however, some regionals will advance more than 4 due to the percentage plan (mentioned in my previous post above).
 
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