|
The
information on this page is intended as a general overview of the ISU
new judging system to help you understand the basics of the system.
U.S. Figure Skating is implementing the ISU judging system into a
portion of its qualifying events for the 2005-06 competition season.
Full implementation into the U.S. qualifying system is anticipated in
two more years. For more information, please check the U.S. action
plan.
For more detailed information check out the Technical
Documents section. That section provides links to all U.S./ISU
documents that delve deeply into the system, including grades of
execution, levels of difficulty, etc. If you are interested in all ISU
documentation, visit the ISU
web site.
Usage of the New System
The ISU judging system in the United States will be used at the three
sectional competitions, the 2006 State Farm U.S. Championships, the
three synchronized skating sectionals and the U.S. Synchronized Team
Skating Championships. This usage applies to the novice, junior and
senior levels only. Internationally for the 2005-06 season, usage of
the new system is mandatory for all ISU events, international
competitions and the 2006 Olympic Winter Games. ISU member nations are
free to use the system (or variation thereof) of their choice at
national events.
How the New System Differs from the
6.0 System
The new system is based on cumulative points rather than the 6.0
standard of marks and placement. It is different from the 6.0 system in
many ways, including the addition of new officials involved in the
process and the way scores are tabulated and displayed.
Under
the new system, points are awarded for a technical score combined with
points awarded for five additional components — skating skills,
transitions, performance/execution, choreography/composition and
interpretation. The exception to this is ice dancing, which also uses
one additional component — timing. In the new system there are no
penalties or deductions (except program length and other violations).
If a skater performs more than the defined “well-balanced program” elements,
there are no deductions, but the values of additional elements will not
be calculated into the skater's score. If a skater performs less than
the required elements, they receive less points, not deductions.
The
new system focuses on the skaters and not the judges. Judges no longer
have to use their memory to compare all aspects of every skater and
figure out where to place them, but they simply evaluate the qualities
of the performance. Starting order does not impact a skater's score; in
the old system starting early typically kept skaters' scores lower than
if they had performed later in the competition. A skater can win coming
from a much lower position as well — they no longer have to count on
another skater's mistakes to climb the standings.
Anonymity of Judges Under the New
System
At the 2005 Governing Council, U.S. Figure Skating passed the
implementation of the ISU judging system. U.S. Figure Skating has
maintained that the judges' identities would not be anonymous in U.S.
Figure Skating events. The judges' names and their scores are linked
together.
Snapshot of Officials and Scoring
The ISU judging system has new officials involved in the competition
scoring process. Below you will find who these new officials are in the
"Who's Who" section.
Who's Who
At competitions scored with the ISU judging system, there will now be
two panels of officials - the technical panel and the judging panel. To
start your understanding of the technical panel, let's find out who
they are and what they do.
The technical panel is generally made up of five persons: the technical
specialist, assistant technical specialist, technical controller, data
operator and video replay operator. This panel works in direct
communication with each other as each skater performs a program. In
real time as the skater performs, the technical specialist will
identify the element the skater is performing. For example, they will
identify a spin and the level of difficulty of that element based on
published pre-set criteria if applicable. If you would like to see what
makes an element a certain level of difficulty, click here to read the
criteria. The work of the technical specialist allows the judge to
concentrate on marking the quality of each element. Technical
specialists have had to meet certain qualifications and testing to be
qualified to be appointed to the position. Most technical specialists
are national and international skaters or coaches and are involved in
skating on a regular basis.
The
assistant technical controller and the technical controller
support the primary technical specialist to ensure that any potential
mistakes are corrected immediately. Any element can be reviewed by the
technical controller, the technical specialist and the assistant
technical specialist. The judges can call for a review of an element by
notifying the technical panel. All final decisions made on elements and
levels will be made from the majority opinion of the three technical
positions. Each of these people will be recorded with an audio tape
during each program, and video tape will be available to verify the
calls. The elements are available for review after a skater's
performance and scores can be changed accordingly. Review is over and
scores are final once they are posted and announced to the public.
The
video replay operator does exactly what it seems! If a video system is
being utilized at a competition, this person video tapes all the
elements that are scored. The video is available to the technical panel
for their review of any element to ensure that the correct assessment
of the element was made. If there is video replay available to the
judges, this videotape can be viewed by the judges for their analysis
of the quality and/or errors made on any given element. The data
operator enters all the coding for the elements onto either paper or
the computer as they are performed and the levels of difficulty are
assigned.
The
judging panel remains unchanged. There are the judges and the referee
as usual. The judges focus totally on scoring the quality of each
element and the five program components. Their marks will be based on
specific criteria for each element and will provide a comprehensive
assessment of each skater's skills and performance. The computer will
keep track of comparative scores, record results and calculate totals
to determine rankings. The referee judges the competition along with
the judging panel and is assigned specific tasks in the running of the
event.
Technical Score
In the technical score, each element of a skater's program is assigned
a base value. These element base values give the skaters credit for
every element they perform. A group of experts, including experienced
skaters and coaches, has determined the element base value of each
technical element. These base values are published and are known as the
scale of values. Click here to see the scale of values.
Some
elements such as spins and footwork sequences have been assigned a
level of difficulty. These elements are assigned their base value
depending on the level of difficulty. This means that once the
competition is over a skater will see that a difficult spin performed
well receives more points than an easier spin.
During
the program, judges evaluate or give a "grade of execution"
(GOE) to each element within a range of +3 to -3. These grades or GOEs
are not 1, 2 or 3 points, but rather the judges give these plus or
minus grades to impact the value of the element. The + or - numerical
values are calculated together and then are added to or deducted from
the base value of the element. This creates the skater's score for that
element.
Let's
look at an example. When a skater executes an element, the technical
specialist, monitored by the technical controller, identifies the
element. The judge then grades the quality of the element. The skater
performs a triple Axel, and that jump's base value is 7.5. If the
skater performs the triple Axel exceptionally well, the skater has the
potential to earn 10.5 points for that jump. If the jump is performed
very badly or there is a fall, the skater can earn as little as 4.5.
The sum of all performed elements together with the grade of execution
forms the technical score, aka the "total element score" or
TES.
Program Components
In addition to the technical score, the judges will award points on a
scale from 0 to 10 with increments of 0.25 for the program components
to express the overall presentation and technical mastery of figure
skating. The program component score (PCS) is calculated and factored
by specified percentages.
In
ladies, men's and pairs, the following five components are scored in
the qualifying round, the short program and the free skate. In ice
dancing, the following five components are scored in the original dance
and the free dance:
Skating
Skills
Definition: Overall skating quality: edge control and flow over the ice
surface demonstrated by a command of the skating vocabulary (edges,
steps, turns, etc.), the clarity of technique and use of effortless
power to accelerate and vary speed.
Criteria:
·
Balance, rhythmic knee action and
precision of foot placement
·
Flow and effortless glide
·
Cleanness and sureness of deep
edges, steps, turns
·
Power/energy and acceleration
·
Mastery of multi-directional
skating
·
Mastery of one-foot skating
·
Equal mastery of technique by both
partners shown in unison (pairs and ice dancing)
Transitions/Linking
Footwork & Movement
Definition: The varied and/or intricate footwork, positions, movements
and holds that link all elements. In singles, pairs and synchronized,
this also includes the entrances and exits of technical elements.
Criteria:
·
Variety
·
Difficulty
·
Intricacy
·
Quality (including unison in pairs
and ice dancing)
·
Balance of workload between
partners (pairs and ice dancing)
·
Variety of holds (not excessive
side by side and hand in hand in ice dancing)
·
Conformity to pattern and stop
requirements in ice dancing, original dance only
Performance/Execution
Definition: Performance is the involvement of the skater/couple/teams
physically, emotionally and intellectually as they translate the intent
of the music and choreography. Execution is the quality of movement and
precision in delivery. This includes harmony of movement in pairs and
ice dancing.
Criteria:
·
Physical, emotional and
intellectual involvement
·
Carriage
·
Style and individuality/personality
·
Clarity of movement
·
Variety and contrast
·
Projection
·
Unison and “oneness” (pairs and ice
dancing)
·
Balance in performance (pairs and
ice dancing)
·
Spatial awareness between partners
— management of the distance between partners and management of changes
of hold (pairs and ice dancing)
Choreography/Composition
Definition: An intentional, developed and/or original arrangement of
all types of movements according to the principles of proportion,
unity, space, pattern, structure and phrasing.
Criteria:
·
Purpose (idea, concept, vision)
·
Proportion (equal weight of parts)
·
Unity (purposeful threading)
·
Utilization of personal and public
space
·
Pattern and ice coverage
·
Phrasing and form (movements and
parts structured to match the phrasing of the music)
·
Originality of purpose, movement
and design
·
Shared responsibility in achieving
purpose (pairs and ice dancing)
Interpretation
Definition: The personal and creative translation of the music to
movement on ice.
Criteria:
·
Effortless movement in time to the
music
·
Expression of the music's style,
character, rhythm
·
Use of finesse* to reflect the
nuances of the music
·
Relationship between the partners
reflecting the character of the music (pairs and ice dancing)
·
Appropriateness of music in ice
dancing, original dance and free dance
*Finesse
is the skater's refined, artful manipulation of nuances. Nuances are
the personal artistic ways of bringing variations to the intensity,
tempo and dynamics of the music made by the composer and/or musicians.
Ice Dancing exception, compulsory dance
In ice dancing, the compulsory dance(s) are scored on only four program
components: skating skills, performance/execution, interpretation (see
above), as well as a unique component: timing.
Timing
Definition: The ability of the couple to skate strictly in time with
the music and to reflect the rhythm patterns and prescribed beat values
of the compulsory dance.
Criteria:
·
Skating in time to the music
·
Skating on the strong beat
·
Skating the prescribed beat values
for each step
·
Introductory steps (dance starting
on the correct measure of the music)
Totaling the competition score
The technical score is added together to the program components, which
are factored differently for the different disciplines (see below).
Additional points may be awarded for innovative elements, and
deductions will be taken for rule violations. The result is the segment
score.
The
sum of all segment scores (for example, short program plus free skate),
is the total competition score, aka "TCS." No segment scores
are weighted, they are simply added together cumulatively to reach the
competition score. The exception to this is qualifying segments
(ladies, men and pairs), which are factored by 0.25. The skater with
the highest competition score is declared the winner.
Factoring the Program Components Ladies, Men
and Pairs
In ladies, men's and pairs, all five program components are factored
equally, then added together. The idea behind this is to make the
perfect program score level with the perfect technical score, hence
granting equal importance to each. Since the perfect program components
score is 50, this number is factored to roughly equal what each
discipline is capable of scoring in the technical score. For example,
in the ladies short program, women today are capable of scoring around
40 in the technical score. So the program components are factored by
0.8, lowering the 50 down to a 40, leveling the importance of technical
and presentation. In the men's free skate, men today are capable of
scoring around 100 in the technical score. So the program components
are factored by 2.0, raising the 50 up to 100, and again leveling
technical and presentation. The following chart illustrates how each
discipline factors program components:
Short
Program
Free Skate Ladies 0.8 1.6 Men 1.0 2.0 Pairs
0.8 1.6
Ice Dancing
In ice dancing, all five (or four) program components are factored
separately, and then added together. The idea behind this is to place
more emphasis on the factors that are most important to each dance. For
example, interpretation/timing is factored the highest in the original
dance because interpretation of the rhythm is considered the most
important piece to an original dance. And in the free dance,
transitions are factored the highest because how skaters connect
everything together is considered the most important. The following
chart illustrates how each program component is weighted in each dance:
|
|
Compulsory
Dance
|
Original
Dance
|
Free
Dance
|
|
Skating Skills
|
0.75
|
0.80
|
1.25
|
|
Transitions
|
—
|
0.80
|
1.75
|
|
Performance/Execution
|
0.50
|
0.60
|
1.00
|
|
Choreography/Composition
|
—
|
0.60
|
1.00
|
|
Interpretation
|
0.50
|
1.00
|
1.00
|
|
Timing
|
0.75
|
—
|
—
|
|
|
|
|
|
Conclusion
The ISU judging system does not change how you watch skating whether
you are watching singles, pairs, ice dancing or synchronized. What it
does for the skater is to allow for all the elements performed to have
a score and a numerical value that is published. The particular value
is impacted by the judges' evaluation of the quality of the element as
performed. At the end, the entire performance is assessed through the
five program components. The skater, at the end of the competition, is
given a piece of paper which tells the skater exactly what the
evaluation was on each aspect of the program - the technical elements
and the program components. The viewer sees skating judged by a scoring
system that has given a value to all elements and pre-set criteria for
analysis by both the technical panel and judging panel.
|
