I think that the dictionary of the ISU is too restrictive and does not reflect the richness of the history and traditions of the discipline.
All is grist that comes to our mill. Give me a Russian split jump and a delayed Axel.
But instead we have triple flip, 4.90. Triple flip, 5.30. Delayed Axel, 1.10. Split jump 0.00. Delayed Axels and Split jumps have been written out of the dictionary. I think that this impoverishes the sport and prevents it from being all that it could be.
The split jump is written out of the scale of values. The delayed axel (or full-revolution split-flip) are included in the scale at a low base value so even though the air position variation should earn them high GOE, that's still not enough points to be worth giving up a rotational jump.
However, these elements are permitted and rewarded in the Choreographic Sequence, which "Consists of any kind of movements like steps, turns, spirals, arabesques, spread eagles, Ina Bauers, hydroblading,
any jumps with a maximum of two revolutions, spins, etc."
And the half-revolution split jump can be used as a transitional move anywhere in the program. We still see it approximately as often as any other eye-catching transitional move.
In that sense they're still part of the vocabulary of available moves to include in the program and be rewarded the choreo sequence GOE and in the program components -- especially Composition now that there's no more Transitions score.
How could such moves be "written in" to the scoring better, so skaters would have more incentive to include them?
One approach would be to take every individual move that has ever been done and named in the past hundred years and assign it a base value, with guidelines for positive and negative GOE from the judges, and perhaps with level features to be assigned by the tech panel.
That approach would leave out any new and original move that a skater might come up with that doesn't quite fit into the definitions of any of the specified individual moves.
Or there could be categories of moves (e.g., "low-revolution jumps with extended air positions" or "spiral" or "hydroblading") with a general base value for the category and then GOE guidelines and maybe levels for any element in that category, whether it's a familiar one with a familiar name or a new variation that didn't have a name yet.
Or there could be a new kind of leveled sequence element that takes various kinds of moves that are currently relegated to the unleveled choreo sequence. E.g., a "low-revolution jump sequence" or a "field moves sequence" -- with features for the sequence that these known or novel moves and the ways they're combined within the sequence could fill to earn a high level and high base value for that sequence element.
Or the Transitions component could be reinstated.
And/or there could be more latitude given for judges to score the current unleveled choreo sequence based on all the current bullet points and also on variety and difficulty of the moves that are included.
The question is whether it's better to standardize and quantify these kinds of moves, so that the Scale of Values and the Tech Panel handbook would require dozens or hundreds of pages to specify every way skaters can earn points by including them and exactly how many points each variation or combination would be worth.
Or, as now, to reward them in PCS and leave it up to the skaters to decide how athletically adventurous and creative they want to get with their transitions and choreo sequence, and up to the judges how to reward them within the current handful of relevant criteria.
because well, how low did she get in that awkward position and was it really effortless etc.
I am not trying to get overly political here, but no, the justice system is not one you want to model yourself on when it comes to fairness. Even if in figure skating the lives of people aren't on the line.
