Contents
Profile
GOE (Grade of Execution)
- Sport
- Figure skating
- Scale
- −5 to +5 (since 2018)
- Awarded by
- Judges
- Effect
- Percentage of base value
- System
- ISU Judging System
More than just success or failure
In the ISU judging system, every element has a fixed base value. A triple Lutz is worth more than a triple toe loop, and a higher-level spin more than a simple one. How well the element was performed is scored by the judges with the GOE.
The scale
Since the 2018/19 season, the GOE has ranged from −5 to +5. Before that, a scale from −3 to +3 applied. Each step corresponds to a percentage of the base value: a GOE of +5 increases an element's value considerably, a GOE of −5 reduces it accordingly. As a result, quality pays off more than before, and a difficult but poorly executed element can earn less than an easier one performed perfectly.
Criteria for plus points
For jumps, the ISU specifies criteria including:
- height and distance of the jump,
- a difficult or creative entry,
- good body position in the air,
- a landing with flow and a clear exit,
- effortlessness and matching the music.
Spins and step sequences have their own criteria, such as speed, centring and positions.
Reasons for deductions
Certain errors lead to fixed reductions or cap the GOE. These include falls, a hand on the ice, a two-footed landing, a wrong take-off edge as on the Lutz or flip, and incomplete rotation. A fall also carries its own point deduction.
How the score is calculated
Several judges award their GOE independently. The highest and lowest scores are dropped and the average is taken of the rest. This is converted into points and added to or subtracted from the base value. This limits the influence of individual judges.
Example
Two skaters jump a triple Axel with the same base value. One lands cleanly but without height, and the judges give +1. The other jumps high, with a long exit and in time with the music, and receives +4. Although it is the same jump, the second skater gets considerably more points.
Reading the protocol
After every competition, the ISU publishes detailed protocols. They show the base value for each element, the GOE from each individual judge and the result. Anyone who reads them quickly understands where points were won and lost.
GOE and program components
The GOE scores individual elements. In addition, the judges award program components for the overall impression.
Other names
- Abbreviation: GOE
Frequently asked questions
+What does GOE mean?
Grade of Execution, the execution score for every element.
+What scale is used for the GOE?
Since 2018, from −5 to +5.
+How is the GOE calculated?
The highest and lowest judges' scores are dropped and the average is taken of the rest.
Sources & further links
Editorially researched and checked against association and rulebook information. Found a mistake? Write to us via the Contact page.
Read more in the encyclopedia
Term
Figure skating judging system (IJS, GOE, PCS)
Since 2004, figure skating has been scored under the ISU Judging System (IJS). The total score is made up of the technical score (base value of the elements plus the GOE execution score) and the program components, minus any deductions, for example for falls.
Term
Short program in figure skating
The short program is the first segment of a singles or pairs figure skating competition. For seniors it lasts around two and a half minutes and contains a fixed number of required elements. Only the best skaters then qualify for the free skate.
Term
Free skate in figure skating
The free skate is the second and longer part of a figure skating competition. For seniors it lasts about four minutes. Skaters have more freedom in choosing elements than in the short program, but must observe maximum numbers and rules.
Term
Figure skating jumps: Axel, Lutz, flip & co.
Figure skating has six basic jumps: toe loop, Salchow, loop, flip, Lutz and Axel. They differ in the take-off – whether with the help of the toe pick (toe jump) or from the edge (edge jump). The landing is almost always backwards on the right foot (for anticlockwise rotators).
Sport
Figure skating
Figure skating combines athleticism and expression: skaters perform jumps, spins and step sequences to music, which a judging panel scores under the ISU judging system. Olympic disciplines are singles, pair skating, ice dance and the team event.