Figure skating words · Intermediate

The words that make the commentary make sense. They build on the beginner words.

I · Intermediate · 52 words · Step 2 of 2

General terms

Skate blade

Competition blades must be sharpened to a flat to concave cross section without changing the width between the two edges; a slight narrowing is permitted.

Clothing

Must be modest, dignified and appropriate for athletic competition, not garish or theatrical, and may reflect the character of the music. Men wear full-length trousers, accessories and props are not allowed, and decoration must not come off. A breach costs a 1.0 deduction.

Warm-up

6 minutes for Single and Pair Skating groups (at most six singles skaters or four pairs); 5 minutes for Rhythm Dance and Free Dance with at most five couples; pattern dances 3 minutes. A second warm-up follows an interruption of more than 10 minutes.

Late start

A start between 1 and 30 seconds late costs a 1.0 deduction.

Competition and officials

Technical Controller

Supervises the Technical Specialists and the Data Operator, authorises or corrects the deletion of elements, illegal elements and falls, and makes the final decision where the two Specialists disagree on an element or level.

Technical Specialist

Identifies and calls the performed elements and their Levels of Difficulty, illegal elements and falls, and deletes additional elements.

The ruleWho judges figure skating?

Data and Replay Operator

The Data Operator inputs the called elements and levels; the Replay Operator records each element so the panel, Referee and Judges can review it.

Panel of Judges

Judges mark independently, use the whole range of GOE and Program Component marks and may not use prepared marks. At the Olympic Winter Games the panel is nine Judges per segment.

Interruption

The period from when the skater stops or is ordered to stop until the program resumes. For music problems or adverse conditions unrelated to the skater there is no deduction. For a problem with the skater or equipment, an interruption of more than 10 and up to 40 seconds costs 1.0 to 3.0, and a further allowance of up to 3 minutes costs 5.0. A second interruption of more than 40 seconds means withdrawal.

Scoring terms

Trimmed mean

The panel's GOE or component mark: the highest and lowest Judges' values are deleted and the rest averaged. With fewer than five Judges none are deleted.

Composition

The intentional, developed or original arrangement of all types of movement into a meaningful whole by proportion, unity, space, pattern and musical structure. It considers use of space, connections between elements, choreography to the music, pattern and ice coverage, and unity.

Presentation

Engagement, commitment and involvement based on understanding the music and composition: expressiveness and projection, variety and contrast of energy, musical sensitivity and timing, and (for pairs and dance) oneness and awareness of space.

Skating Skills

The ability to execute the repertoire of steps, turns and skating movements with blade and body control: variety and clarity of edges and turns, balance and glide, flow, power and speed, and (for pairs and dance) unison.

Serious errors

Falls or mistakes that break the delivery of the program. With one serious error the maximum for each Program Component is 9.50, with two or more 8.75. An error by both partners counts as two.

Scoring detail terms

Level of difficulty

The rating given by the Technical Panel to spins, steps, pair lifts, twist lifts and death spirals by number of features: Basic with none, then Levels 1 to 4 for one, two, three and four or more. Choreographic elements are confirmed or not.

Second-half factor

In Single Skating the base value, not the GOE, of jump elements started in the second half of the program is multiplied by 1.1. Only the last jump element in the short program and the last three in free skating count. The second half starts at the middle of the required time without the 10-second allowance.

Also called: second-half bonus
See also: Program

Negative GOE

Judges reduce the GOE for errors: for example a fall is -5, a downgraded jump -3 to -4, an under-rotated jump -2 to -3, and elements done while no music is playing -1 to -4. Reductions add up, and for elements with errors the starting GOE cannot be higher than +4.

Technical panel

The Technical Controller, two Technical Specialists and the Data and Replay Operators. They identify and name every element and its Level of Difficulty, call illegal elements and falls, and delete extra elements.

Illegal element

Penalised with a 2.0 deduction, and the element is called Basic Level or no level. In Single and Pair Skating it is a lift with a wrong hold; in Ice Dance it includes sitting on a partner's head, standing on a partner's shoulder, certain swinging holds, dance jumps of more than one revolution and lying on the ice.

Well-balanced program

The set of elements a free skating program must contain. Senior singles: up to six jump elements (one an Axel type jump), up to three spins (a combination, a flying spin and a choreographic spin), one step sequence and one choreographic sequence.

Required element

An element prescribed for a segment. Short programs have seven; junior short programs rotate through three groups each season, and ice dance requirements are announced each year by the Ice Dance Technical Committee.

Jumps

Jump sequence

Two or three jumps in Single Skating (two in Pairs) in which the second or third is an Axel type jump, with a direct step from the landing curve into the take-off curve. Jumps in a sequence get their full value.

Euler

A non-listed jump with no value between two listed jumps in a combination or sequence, and not counted as one of the allowed jumps. It cannot be used in the short program, and only once in free skating.

Also called: half-loop
See also: Program, Short program, Jump, Listed jumps

Repetition of jumps

In singles free skating the same type of jump can be included at most three times regardless of revolutions, a double jump no more than twice, and only two triple or quadruple jumps may be repeated, one of which can be a quadruple. A solo jump repeated as a solo scores 80 per cent.

Jump and spin detail terms

Quad

A jump with four revolutions in the air. A senior man's short program may include a quadruple jump as the second jump, and senior free skating allows at most two triple or quadruple jumps to be repeated, only one of which can be quadruple.

Also called: quadruple jump
See also: Jump

Entry edge

The edge a skater takes off from. The Technical Panel checks the take-off edge of a Flip and a Lutz, and a wrong or unclear edge is marked 'e' or '!' and lowers the value or the GOE. Twizzles also have four entry edges: forward inside, forward outside, backward inside and backward outside.

Flying spin

A spin with a flying entrance and no change of foot or position in one position. A clear, visible jump is required, marked 'V' if missing. In the short program it needs at least eight revolutions in the landing position.

Combination spin

A spin that changes position, with at least two different basic positions of at least two revolutions each. It needs all three basic positions for full value. The change of foot may be a step over or a jump, and a spin with a change of foot needs a minimum number of revolutions on each foot.

Also called: spin combination
See also: Spin

The ruleWhat are the rules for spins in figure skating?

Change of edge

A feature that counts for the level of a spin: a clear change of edge in a sit (only from backward inside to forward outside), camel, layback, Biellmann or difficult upright variation. In ice dance it is a step that goes from one curve and edge to another.

Choreographic sequence

An element that enhances the choreography and matches the music, with at least two different skating movements such as spirals, arabesques, spread eagles, Ina Bauers, hydroblading or jumps of at most two revolutions. It has a fixed base value and is judged in GOE only.

Downgraded jump

A jump with half a revolution or more missing, marked '<<', valued as the same jump with one revolution fewer. A jump landed on the quarter ('q') keeps full value with a GOE reduction.

Layback spin

An upright spin in which the head and shoulders lean backward with the back arched. The position of the free leg is optional. A Biellmann may follow it.

Choreographic spin

A spin that enhances the choreography and matches the music, with at least three consecutive revolutions on one or two blades in any position. It has a fixed base value and is judged in GOE only.

Level features (spins)

Features that raise a spin's Level include difficult variations, change of foot by jump, difficult entrance or exit, clear change of edge, both directions in sequence, clear increase of speed, at least eight revolutions in one position and windmills. Level 4 needs one of the listed hard features.

See also: Jump, Change of edge, Spin, Edge

Spins and footwork

Step sequence levels

At least two difficult turns and steps on clean edges are needed for Basic. Features include variety of difficult turns, rotations, body movements for a third of the pattern, and two combinations of three difficult turns on different feet with continuous flow.

Pair skating elements

Lift groups

Group One: armpit hold. Group Two: waist hold. Group Three: hand to hip or upper leg. Group Four: hand to hand, press lift type. Group Five: hand to hand, lasso lift type. The group is decided by the hold when the woman passes the top of the man's head.

Carry lift

A lift that is just a simple carry, with at most half a revolution of the man at take-off or exit. It has no value, is not limited in number, and counts under Composition.

Pair spin

A pair spin combination has at least two basic positions of two revolutions each by both partners, at least one change of position and one change of foot by both, and at least eight revolutions. A solo spin combination is done by both partners separately.

Solo jump (pairs)

Both partners jump at once. If their revolutions are unequal the jump is called with the lesser number. A senior short program requires a double or triple solo jump.

Choreographic pair lift

A lift that enhances the choreography, ascending and descending while moving across the ice, at least one rotation, with the lifting partner's arms straight or almost straight above the head at some point. Fixed base value, judged in GOE only.

Choreographic pair spin

A spin of at least three consecutive revolutions by at least one partner that enhances the choreography. Fixed base value, judged in GOE only.

Pair free skating program

A senior well-balanced pair program has at most two lifts (not both from one group), one choreographic pair lift, one twist lift, two different throw jumps, one solo jump, one jump combination or sequence, one choreographic pair spin and one death spiral different from the short program one.

See also: Program, Short program, Jump, Spin, Lift

Ice dance

Dance lift

A movement in which one partner is elevated with active or passive help from the other, held for at least 3 seconds and set down. Short lifts are stationary, straight line, curve and rotational; combination lifts combine two different short lifts. A lift longer than permitted costs 1.0.

Dance spin

A spin skated by the couple together in any hold on the spot around a common axis on one foot, with or without changes of foot. Basic positions are upright, sit and camel.

Set of twizzles

A series of two twizzles for each partner done at the same time, each at least one full rotation on one foot. Synchronized: up to four steps between twizzles. Sequential: up to one step between.

Dance step sequence

A series of steps, turns and movements in a Rhythm Dance or Free Dance, in hold or not touching. Group A is straight line (midline or diagonal), Group B curved (circular or serpentine) and Group C a pattern-dance-type sequence.

Dance holds

Hand-in-hand, closed or waltz hold (partners directly opposite), open or foxtrot hold, outside or tango hold (partners offset), and the Kilian holds, where partners face the same direction side by side.

Rhythm dance rules

The pattern must proceed in a generally constant direction without crossing the long axis except once at each end. Partners may separate only for changing hold, some required elements and transitional turns, within two arm lengths. Touching the ice with the hands is not allowed, and kneeling, sliding on both knees or sitting is called a fall.

Ice dance music

ISU Ice Dance music is used for pattern dances unless the couple provides it. Rhythm Dance music has an audible beat and a constant specified tempo, and Free Dance music must have at least one change of tempo or rhythm. Failing the music requirements costs 2.0 per program.

Format and team terms

Team event

At the Olympic Winter Games a team event involving Single & Pair Skating and Ice Dance may be added, with the Council and the IOC setting the conditions. The ISU also calculates team results by ISU Member from individual results. The rules give no further detail on the Olympic team event.

Rhythm dance

The first segment of Ice Dance at ISU Events: a dance to music with designated rhythms or themes chosen each season, 2 minutes 50 seconds, with required elements announced annually. It must be skated primarily to the rhythmic beat, and the music must have an audible beat, a constant tempo and the specified tempo.

Ice dance deductions

Extra elements cost 1.0 each, music requirement breaches 2.0 per program, tempo breaches 1.0 per program, choreography restrictions 1.0 per program and a dance lift over the permitted time 1.0 per lift.