But if the viewers don't understand the rules, then we have a problem...
If
judges don't understand the rules - then we have a problem
The rules exist for the athletes and viewers to know who won and to establish a ranking. It's a competition after all.
Did you read what I just posted before? Again, even most experienced viewers, who knows ISU rules to a letter- often don't have a clue what final score will be. And what is especially interesting - they can predict PCS score almost always perfectly. It's TP calls - what gives them trouble.
That's the thing - there is strong demand for transparent tech rules - which noone is gonna bother to fulfill. There is ambiguity in how URs are determined by different judges - one prefer to make call when pick touches the ice; another - when skater puts weight on the blade. One watches curve of landing trace, other watches angle of boot pick in relation to direction of a jump. There isn't any rule about it in any rulebook - if even judges doesn't know themselves how to make UR calls - what do you expect from viewers?
But's that's "easy stuff". Real deal begins when we talk about edges. Again, there isn't any rule at what exact moment one should watch edge incline in a lutz/flip, how long and until what moment skater should keep that incline, what degree of deepness/shallowness that incline shoud be to still qualify for the jump to be correct. Again, different judges have different preferences - but noone knows for sure. There isn't any rule about it in any rulebook - if even judges doesn't know themselves how to make edge calls - what do you expect from viewers?
What is the most outrageous though - is practice of some judges to make edge calls when they don't and can't see anything. Because very often many lutzes/flips are available only from the side view - and from that angle they can seem as flat when in fact they are not. But if caller really want to make a call - he will do it under pretense that he had seen it as such - and what you can say against it? There isn't even rule forbidding judges to make edge calls when they don't have frontal/rear view of a jump! )
Returning to what I said about neccessity of such rules in first place - I see edge rules in particular as redundant and detrimental. What gain figure skating viewer (casual or experienced - it doesn't matter) are getting from that rule? Nothing. One can say that you can enjoy "correct" technique more - but that's hypocrisy. Noone is able to make out edge incline in real time - unless it's very severe. And even if they can - jumping from one edge or another doesn't make any jump more beautiful or more ugly. In real time they are all the same. From perspective of making this sport enjoyable - the edge rule isn't needed.
Ok, you can say that it's needed for athletes to make various jumps to avoid getting too much advantage by "zayaking" one jump four times - and that if we don't have that rule - everyone will be jumping from flat edges and that's it. You know what? It's hypocrisy as well. Let's see what statistics we have for all time fs exists. Among those who are jumping lutzes/flips -
majority are jumping them from flat/wrong edge. And no, noone was able to fix it ever - and most didn't even bother to do it. For example, among top ladies of current generation only Kihira and Honda didn't have any edge calls for all their career (junior and senior). All others were having various calls throughout all competitions. Edges are not URs - they can't occur randomly - it's constant condition. You either have them or not. What's that tells us? That edge rule is useless in making skaters to correct their jumps - and it's useless to prevent giving any kind of advantage by "zayaking" as well. Why the latter, you ask? Easy, due to build-in inconsistency of edge calls. To make some sense from that rule - it should be applied everytime to all lutzes/flips everywhere (but even then it's doesn't improve anything in fs - it just will make all protocols look more dirty). But it's impossible in practice - because very often judges can see these jumps only from the side - and majority of judges are still not that shameless to make calls from such angle. That, and the fact that only part of jumps are reviewed - usually those who have problematic landing - and edge incline doesn't have anything with landing quality. In other words existing of edge rule=
built-in unavoidable inconsistency and unfair scores.
Considering the above - that brings us to single beneficiary of that rule - judges. Indeed, this rule is root of current system inconsistency and ambiguity. It's key rule to make possible for judges to have any scores manipulation they want. Almost everyone have problems with edges which is skaters constant trait? Excellent - then it's a matter of noticing or not when it's convenient for you. This skater is too clean and gonna get too much for your taste? Ok, let's see how he jumped lutzes then. That skater with flutz should be helped with not so good skate? Ok, let's pretend that he corrected his jumps for that particular competition. Etc.
The reason why viewers are never going to understand TES cutting after the skate or their final placement - whether they will learn the rules or not? See the above. In the end we should determine for whom this sport exists in the first place - for viewers, athletes or judges? And consider existing rules from that point of view. As a fan of fs I see that there are rules which bring more troubles to this sport - than benefits.
I appreciate it.
. We're lucky witness this historical period in ladies skating imo.
