Figure skating rules, for watching
Start with how a match works. Then the rules you see every few minutes, then the ones that change results.
Checked 14 October 2026
Settling an argument? Search all 19 rules
- How does figure skating competition work?
- How long is a figure skating program?
- How are jumps and spins scored in figure skating?
- What are the program components in figure skating?
- How many points do you lose for a fall in figure skating?
- How are ties broken in figure skating?
- What does under-rotated mean in figure skating?
- What counts as a jump combination in figure skating?
- How many times can a skater repeat a jump?
- What elements are in the figure skating short program?
- What must a figure skating free program contain?
- What are the rules for spins in figure skating?
- What are the rules for lifts in pair skating?
- What is a death spiral in figure skating?
- How is ice dance different from pair skating?
- What lifts are allowed in ice dance?
- Who judges figure skating?
- What happens if a skater stops during a program?
- What can figure skaters wear?
Where these rules come from
| Tag | Document |
|---|---|
| ISU with rule number, for example ISU 353 (1)(n) | ISU, Sports Rules: Single & Pair Skating and Ice Dance, as of 12 June 2026 |
| ISU 2788 | ISU Communication 2788, levels of difficulty and GOE guidelines, 2026/27 |
| R | "Why the rule exists", or a point reasoned from the rule, not stated in it |
| C | Common usage or general knowledge, not a rule |
Checked on 14 October 2026.
Not covered: the point values in the Scale of Values (Communication 2786; its tables did not extract as text), the season's ice dance requirements (Communications 2794 onwards, not saved), synchronized skating and the Olympic team event.