How is artistic roller skating scored?
B · Beginner · The sport and scoring · 2 of 4A technical panel of four names each element and its level. Each judge grades every element from +3 to -3 for quality and marks the artistic components from 0.25 to 10. The technical content and components make the program's value, from which penalties are taken. With more than three judges, the highest and lowest marks are dropped.
How it works
- Technical panel: specialist, assistant, controller and data operator.
- Judges panel: at least four judges and a referee.
- Element value: set by the element and level the panel calls.
- Quality of the element: +3 to -3 from each judge.
- Artistic components: 0.25 to 10, in steps of 0.25.
- Trimmed: highest and lowest dropped with more than three judges.
- Penalties: subtracted from the total.
- Ties: short program to the higher technical score, long program to the higher artistic score.
The glossary has the technical panel (artistic), the judges panel (artistic), the quality of the element, the artistic components, the technical content score and the placement (artistic).
Tricky cases
A skater does more jumps than allowed. Penalty?
No. The extra jumps are starred out and get no value, but are not penalised.
A skater lands a jump on the toe stop. What happens?
The judges give it a negative grade.
Who decides whether a jump was a Lutz?
The technical panel.
How is an overall tie broken?
By the higher long-program total, then the higher short-program total.
Why the rule exists
Splitting calling from judging lets specialists identify elements and judges focus on quality. Dropping extreme marks limits one judge's effect.
Where it differs
| Where | What changes | Source |
|---|---|---|
| More than three judges | Highest and lowest dropped | AG 4.2 |
| Three judges or fewer | Simple average | AG 4.2 |
| Figures | Marks out of 10, White System | AG 4.1 |
From the rule book
World Skate, General Rules for Artistic Skating (2026), sections 3.12 and 4.2. Checked 14 October 2026. Official documents: the World Skate artistic technical rules 2026.