Contents
Profile
Figure skating judging system (IJS, GOE, PCS)
- Sport
- Figure skating
- Name
- ISU Judging System (IJS)
- Introduced
- 2004/05 season
- Predecessor
- 6.0 system
- GOE scale
- −5 to +5
- Panel
- Judges + technical panel
From 6.0 to a points system
Until 2004, judges in figure skating awarded marks up to a maximum of 6.0, from which a placement was determined. The system was relative: all that counted was who was ahead of whom. After the pairs scandal at the 2002 Olympic Games in Salt Lake City, the ISU developed a new points-based system, the ISU Judging System (IJS). It has been mandatory since the 2004/05 season.
The formula
Total score = technical element score (TES) + program component score (PCS) − deductions
The short program and free skate are scored separately and added together at the end.
Technical element score (TES)
Every element – every jump, spin, step sequence or lift – has a fixed base value from the ISU's "Scale of Values". A triple Axel earns considerably more than a double Axel, a quad Lutz more than a quad toe loop.
The technical panel (technical specialist, assistant and controller) identifies the elements and sets the level (base to level 4) for spins and step sequences. It also uses video replay to check whether jumps are sufficiently rotated.
The judges then award a GOE (Grade of Execution) from −5 to +5 for each element. Positive criteria include height and distance, an effortless landing or a creative entry. The highest and lowest GOE are dropped and the average is taken of the rest. Each GOE step changes the base value by 10 per cent.
Program components (PCS)
The program components assess the overall impression. Since 2022 there have been three components:
- Composition: structure, use of space and design of the program.
- Presentation: expression, projection and interpretation of the music.
- Skating skills: edge quality, speed, flow and effortlessness.
Each component is scored on a scale up to 10 and multiplied by a factor that varies by discipline and segment.
Deductions and bonuses
- Falls: at least one point deducted per fall, more for repeated falls.
- Time violations, music violations and costume violations also lead to deductions.
- Under-rotation: if a jump is not fully rotated, the technical panel marks it ("q", "<" or "<<" depending on the missing rotation) and it is downgraded.
- Wrong edge: on the flip or Lutz, an "e" is given (see jump types).
- Bonus: in singles, the last jump elements of a program (the last one in the short program, the last three in the free skate) receive a 10 per cent bonus on the base value if they are jumped in the second half of the program.
The kiss and cry area
After their skate, athletes wait with their coaches in the kiss and cry for their scores. The name describes the emotions often openly displayed there. The scoreboard shows TES, PCS, deductions and placing. The ISU publishes detailed protocols with every single GOE after each competition.
Frequently asked questions
+What does GOE mean in figure skating?
Grade of Execution: the execution score of an element from −5 to +5. It raises or lowers the base value by a fixed percentage.
+How many points does a fall cost?
A fall is penalised with a deduction of at least one point, and the element also receives the lowest GOE. Repeated falls are penalised more heavily.
+Why is there no more 6.0?
After the judging scandal at the 2002 Olympic Games, the ISU replaced the relative 6.0 system with a points-based system in which each element is scored individually.
Sources & further links
- ISU – Figure Skating Rules & Communications
- International Skating Union
- Wikipedia: ISU-Wertungssystem
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 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.
Discipline
Ice dance
Ice dance is an Olympic figure skating discipline in which a couple performs mainly step sequences, dance holds, twizzles and short lifts to music. Unlike pair skating, there are no throw jumps and no multi-rotation jumps.
Discipline
Pair skating
Pair skating is an Olympic figure skating discipline for one woman and one man. Typical are spectacular elements such as overhead lifts, throw jumps, twist lifts and the death spiral, plus single jumps performed in sync.