A demonstration of how skaters are scored under Code of Points.

The ISU Judging System (also called Code of Points (CoP) or the New Judging System (NJS)), is the scoring system currently used to judge the figure skating disciplines of men's and ladies' singles, pair skating, ice dancing, and synchronized skating. Figure skating is an athletic Sport in which individuals pairs or groups perform spins, jumps, footwork and other intricate and challenging Single skating is a discipline of Figure skating, wherein a single person skates alone Pair skating is a Figure skating discipline International Skating Union (ISU regulations describe pair teams as consisting of "one lady and one man Ice dancing is a form of Figure skating which draws from the world of Ballroom dancing. Synchronized skating, a large and fast-growing discipline consists of 8-20 athletes skating on ice at one time moving as one flowing unit at high speeds It was designed and implemented by the International Skating Union (ISU), the ruling body of the sport. The International Skating Union (ISU is the international governing body for competitive Ice skating disciplines including Figure skating, Synchronized This system of scoring is used in all international competitions sanctioned by the ISU, including the Winter Olympic Games. The Winter Olympic Games are a winter Multi-sport event held every four years

The ISU Judging System replaced the old 6. 0 system in 2004. This new system was created in response to the 2002 Olympic Winter Games figure skating scandal, in an attempt to make the scoring system more objective and less vulnerable to abuse. At the 2002 Olympic Winter Games held in Salt Lake City, the figure skating competition was the source of much controversy and one of the immediate causes for the

Previous judging system

Figure skating was formerly judged on a 6. 0 scale. This scale is sometimes called "the old scale", or "old system". Skaters were judged on "technical merit" (in the free skate), "required elements" (in the short program), and "presentation" (in both programs). The marks for each program ran from 0. 0 to 6. 0 and were used to determine a preference ranking, or "ordinal", separately for each judge; the judges' preferences were then combined to determine placements for each skater in each program. The placements for the two programs were then combined, with the free skate placement weighted more heavily than the short program. The lowest scoring individual (based on the sum of the weighted placements) was declared the winner.

Scandal and response

In 2004, after the judging controversy during the 2002 Winter Olympics, the ISU adopted the New Judging System (NJS), or Code of Points, which became mandatory at all international competitions in 2006, including the 2006 Winter Olympics. At the 2002 Olympic Winter Games held in Salt Lake City, the figure skating competition was the source of much controversy and one of the immediate causes for the The 2002 Winter Olympics, officially known as the XIX Olympic Winter Games were a Winter Multi-sport event which was celebrated in 2002 The 2006 Winter Olympics, officially known as the XX Olympic Winter Games, were a Winter Multi-sport event which was celebrated in

Technical details

The protocol for Evgeni Plushenko's free skate at the 2006 Winter Olympics. Evgeni Viktorovich Plushenko (also Romanized as Yevgeny Viktorovich Plyushchenko) (Евге́ний Ви́кторович Плю́щенко (born November 3 The Free Skating of Figure skating, sometimes called the "free skate" or "long program" is usually the second of two phases in major Figure skating The 2006 Winter Olympics, officially known as the XX Olympic Winter Games, were a Winter Multi-sport event which was celebrated in

The technical panel

Under the new system, technical marks are awarded individually for each skating element. Competitive programs are constrained to have a set number of elements. Each element is judged first by a technical specialist who identifies the specific element. The technical specialist uses instant replay video to verify things that distinguish different elements; e. g. the exact foot position at take-off and landing of a jump. The decision of the technical specialist determines the base value of the element. A panel of twelve judges then award a mark for grade of execution (GOE) that is an integer from -3 to +3. The GOE mark is then translated into a value by using the table of values in ISU rule 322. The GOE value from the twelve judges is then averaged by randomly selecting nine judges, discarding the high and low value, and averaging the remaining seven. This average value is then added (or subtracted) from the base value to get the value for the element. Skaters can receive deductions for things like falls and for lifts that go on for too long.

Elements

The number and type of elements in a skating program depends on the event and on the level of competition. At the senior international level, single and pairs short programs contain eight technical elements. The actual eight elements are detailed for single skaters in ISU rule 310. Each skater must attempt one combination jump, two solo jumps, three spins, and two skating sequences. Spins are an element in Figure skating where the skater rotates centered on a single point on the ice while holding one or more body positions The eight elements required for a senior pairs short program include two lifts, two jumps, two spins, one step sequence, and one death spiral (ISU rule 313).

Senior level free programs have 14 elements for pairs and men, and 13 elements for ladies. The details of the elements are given by ISU rules 320 and 321. Pairs do 4 lifts, 4 jumps, 4 spins, and 2 step sequences. Men do 8 jumps, 4 spins, and 2 step sequences. Ladies do 7 jumps, 4 spins, and 2 step sequences.

Protocol details

Following an event, the complete judges scores are published in a document referred to as a protocol. There are specific notations used on the protocols.

If a skater attempts more than the allowed number of a certain type of element in a program, then the element is still described and called as such by the technical controller, but receives a base value of 0 as well as a GOE of 0, regardless of how judges may have marked it. On ISU protocol sheets, elements that have been nullified by this are denoted by an asterisk(*) next to the element name. If a jump has been called as having an incorrect take-off edge (for example, an inside edge on a lutz jump take-off), that jump is marked with an e, for incorrect edge. The Lutz is a Figure skating jump, named after Alois Lutz, an Austrian skater who performed it in 1913

Jumps done in combination are marked as a single element, with a base mark equal to the sum of the base marks for the individual jumps. However, a combination can be downgraded to a "sequence", in which case the base value is 0. 8 times the sum of the individual jumps. The jumps normally executed at the senior level, and their base values, are quad toe loop (9), triple Axel (7. The toe loop is one of the simplest jumps in Figure skating. It is usually the second jump learned after the salchow. The Axel is a Figure skating jump with a forward take-off It is named after the Norwegian skater Axel Paulsen, who first performed the jump in 1882 5), triple Lutz (6), triple flip (5. The Lutz is a Figure skating jump, named after Alois Lutz, an Austrian skater who performed it in 1913 The flip jump (usually just flip) is a Figure skating jump which takes off a backward inside edge with a toe pick assist and lands on the backward outside 5), triple loop (5), triple Salchow (4. The Loop is a Figure skating jump that takes off from a back outside edge and lands on the same edge The salchow is a Figure skating jump with a takeoff from a back inside edge and landing on the back outside edge of the opposite 5), triple toe loop (4) and double Axel (3. 5).

Abbreviations

All elements on a protocol sheet are abbreviated. The following is a list of the common ones. ^[1][2]

The level of a spin or footwork sequence is denoted by the number following the element abbreviation. The toe loop is one of the simplest jumps in Figure skating. It is usually the second jump learned after the salchow. The Axel is a Figure skating jump with a forward take-off It is named after the Norwegian skater Axel Paulsen, who first performed the jump in 1882 The salchow is a Figure skating jump with a takeoff from a back inside edge and landing on the back outside edge of the opposite The Loop is a Figure skating jump that takes off from a back outside edge and lands on the same edge The flip jump (usually just flip) is a Figure skating jump which takes off a backward inside edge with a toe pick assist and lands on the backward outside The Lutz is a Figure skating jump, named after Alois Lutz, an Austrian skater who performed it in 1913 A layback spin is an upright Figure skating spin in which the head and shoulders are dropped backwards and the back arched downwards toward the ice A camel spin, also known in Europe as a parallel spin, is one of the three basic Figure skating spins, along with the Sit spin and Upright spin The sit spin is one of the three basic Figure skating spin positions The number of rotations on a jump is denoted by the number preceding the element abbreviation. For example 3A denotes a triple axel, while SlSt4 denotes a level four straight line step sequence.

Program Components

The former presentation mark has been replaced by five categories, called program components. The components are (1) skating skills (SS), (2) transitions (TR), (3) performance/execution (PE), (4) choreography (CH), and (5) interpretation (IN). See also, Choreography (literally "dance-writing" from the Greek words "χορεία" (circular dance see chorea) and "γραφή" A detailed description of each component is given in ISU rule 322. 2. Each component is awarded a raw mark from 0 to 10 in increments of 0. 25, with a mark of 5 being defined as "average". The five raw marks are then translated into a program mark by multiplying by a factor that depends on the program and the level.

For senior ladies and pairs, the factor is 0. 8 for the short program and 1. 6 for the long program. For senior men, the factor is 1 for the short program and 2 for the long program. The factors are set so that the total score from the artistic marks will be about equal to the total score from technical marks. Senior men tend to have higher element scores than ladies because they have more jumping passes and attempt higher valued jumps, so their program components are factored higher to reflect the difference.

In ice dancing

Ice dancing judging is similar to pairs and singles, but uses a separate set of rules and table of values. Ice dancing is a form of Figure skating which draws from the world of Ballroom dancing. In the compulsory dance, steps are specified and "elements" are defined for each dance as subsets of the prescribed steps. For compulsory dance only, there is no program component score given for transitions and choreography. Instead there is a timing (TI) program component that is exclusive to the compulsory dance, leaving only four program components in the compulsory dance. In the original dance there are 5 marked technical elements. In the free dance, there are 9 marked technical elements. Unlike singles and pair skating, the different program components are weighted differently in each segment of the competition. The highest factored component(s) in each segment are skating skills and timing in the compulsory dance, interpretation in the original dance, and transitions in the free dance. The exact values of these factors are listed in ISU Rule 543. 1k.

Current World Records

These are the highest scores that have been posted under COP since its inception. It does not differentiate for changes made to the system. ^[3]

Men

Component	Skater	Score	Event
Short Program	Evgeni Plushenko	90. is the title of a series of unrelated short Manga collections by Mitsuru Adachi. Evgeni Viktorovich Plushenko (also Romanized as Yevgeny Viktorovich Plyushchenko) (Евге́ний Ви́кторович Плю́щенко (born November 3 66	2006 Olympic Winter Games
Free Skating	Daisuke Takahashi	175. The 2006 Winter Olympics, officially known as the XX Olympic Winter Games, were a Winter Multi-sport event which was celebrated in The Free Skating of Figure skating, sometimes called the "free skate" or "long program" is usually the second of two phases in major Figure skating Daisuke Takahashi (born March 16, 1986 in Kurashiki, Okayama Prefecture, Japan) is a Japanese Figure skater. 84	2008 Four Continents Championships
Combined Total	Daisuke Takahashi	264. The 2008 Four Continents Figure Skating Championships are the Four Continents Figure Skating Championships for the 2007/2008 season Daisuke Takahashi (born March 16, 1986 in Kurashiki, Okayama Prefecture, Japan) is a Japanese Figure skater. 41	2008 Four Continents Championships

Ladies

Component	Skater	Score	Event
Short Program	Kim Yu-Na	71. The 2008 Four Continents Figure Skating Championships are the Four Continents Figure Skating Championships for the 2007/2008 season is the title of a series of unrelated short Manga collections by Mitsuru Adachi. Personal life Kim Yu-Na was born in 1990 in Bucheon, South Korea and moved to Gunpo 95	2007 World Championships
Free Skating	Kim Yu-Na	133. The World Figure Skating Championships is an annual Figure skating competition sanctioned by the International Skating Union in which elite figure skaters The Free Skating of Figure skating, sometimes called the "free skate" or "long program" is usually the second of two phases in major Figure skating Personal life Kim Yu-Na was born in 1990 in Bucheon, South Korea and moved to Gunpo 70	2007 Cup of Russia
Combined Total	Mao Asada	199. The Cup of Russia is an annual elite international invitational Figure skating competition. Personal life Mao Asada was born in Nagoya Aichi, Japan. She attended Nagoya International 52	2006 NHK Trophy

Pairs

Component	Skaters	Score	Event
Short Program	Zhang Dan / Zhang Hao	74. The NHK Trophy is an international senior-level invitation-only Figure skating competition is the title of a series of unrelated short Manga collections by Mitsuru Adachi. Zhang Dan ( born October 4, 1985 in Harbin, China) is a Chinese Pair skater. Zhang Hao ( born July 6, 1984 in Harbin, China) is a Chinese figure skater. 36	2008 World Championships
Free Skating	Shen Xue / Zhao Hongbo	136. The 2008 World Figure Skating Championships is an annual event sanctioned by the International Skating Union in which elite figure skaters compete for the title of The Free Skating of Figure skating, sometimes called the "free skate" or "long program" is usually the second of two phases in major Figure skating Shen Xue ( born November 13, 1978 in Harbin China) is a Pair skater from China. Zhao Hongbo ( born September 22, 1973) is a Chinese Pair skater. 02	2004-2005 Grand Prix Final
Combined Total	Shen Xue / Zhao Hongbo	206. The Grand Prix of Figure Skating Final is an elite Figure skating competition. Shen Xue ( born November 13, 1978 in Harbin China) is a Pair skater from China. Zhao Hongbo ( born September 22, 1973) is a Chinese Pair skater. 54	2004-2005 Grand Prix Final

Ice Dancing

Component	Skaters	Score	Event
Compulsory Dance	Tatiana Navka / Roman Kostomarov	45. The Grand Prix of Figure Skating Final is an elite Figure skating competition. Compulsory dances are a part of Ice dancing in which all the couples perform the same standardized steps and holds to music of a specified tempo Tatiana Navka (Татьяна Навка (born April 13, 1975 in Dnepropetrovsk, Ukrainian SSR) is a Russian Ice dancer Roman Kostomarov (Роман Костомаров (born February 8, 1977 in Moscow) is a Russian ice dancer. 97	2005 World Championships
Original Dance	Tatiana Navka / Roman Kostomarov	68. The World Figure Skating Championships is an annual Figure skating competition sanctioned by the International Skating Union in which elite figure skaters The original dance is a part of an Ice dancing competition. It is usually the second of three programs sandwiched between the Compulsory dances and the Tatiana Navka (Татьяна Навка (born April 13, 1975 in Dnepropetrovsk, Ukrainian SSR) is a Russian Ice dancer Roman Kostomarov (Роман Костомаров (born February 8, 1977 in Moscow) is a Russian ice dancer. 67	2005 World Championships
Free Dance	Tatiana Navka / Roman Kostomarov	117. The World Figure Skating Championships is an annual Figure skating competition sanctioned by the International Skating Union in which elite figure skaters The free dance is a part of an Ice dancing competition. It is usually the third and final part of the competition to be contested after the Compulsory dances Tatiana Navka (Татьяна Навка (born April 13, 1975 in Dnepropetrovsk, Ukrainian SSR) is a Russian Ice dancer Roman Kostomarov (Роман Костомаров (born February 8, 1977 in Moscow) is a Russian ice dancer. 14	2003 Cup of Russia
Combined Total	Tatiana Navka / Roman Kostomarov	227. The Cup of Russia is an annual elite international invitational Figure skating competition. Tatiana Navka (Татьяна Навка (born April 13, 1975 in Dnepropetrovsk, Ukrainian SSR) is a Russian Ice dancer Roman Kostomarov (Роман Костомаров (born February 8, 1977 in Moscow) is a Russian ice dancer. 81	2005 World Championships

Synchronized

Component	Skater	Score	Event
Short Program	Team Surprise	77. The World Figure Skating Championships is an annual Figure skating competition sanctioned by the International Skating Union in which elite figure skaters is the title of a series of unrelated short Manga collections by Mitsuru Adachi. Team Surprise is a Synchronized skating team from Sweden. They are five time World Champions. 54	2007 World Synchronized Skating Championships
Free Skating	Team Surprise	144. The World Synchronized Skating Championships is an annual event organized by the International Skating Union and attracts the most elite Synchronized skating teams The Free Skating of Figure skating, sometimes called the "free skate" or "long program" is usually the second of two phases in major Figure skating Team Surprise is a Synchronized skating team from Sweden. They are five time World Champions. 70	2007 World Synchronized Skating Championships
Combined Total	Team Surprise	222. The World Synchronized Skating Championships is an annual event organized by the International Skating Union and attracts the most elite Synchronized skating teams Team Surprise is a Synchronized skating team from Sweden. They are five time World Champions. 24	2007 World Synchronized Skating Championships

Subjectivity

Judging in figure skating is inherently subjective. The World Synchronized Skating Championships is an annual event organized by the International Skating Union and attracts the most elite Synchronized skating teams Subjectivity refers to a subject's perspective particularly feelings beliefs and desires Although there may be general consensus that one skater "looks better" than another, it is difficult to get agreement on what it is that causes one skater to be marked as 5. 5 and another to be 5. 75 for a particular program component. As judges, coaches, and skaters get more experience with the new system, there may emerge more consensuses. However, for the 2006 Olympics there were cases of 1 to 1. 5 points differences in component marks from different judges. This range of difference implies that "observer bias" determines about 20% of the mark given by a judge. Averaging over many judges reduces the effect of this bias in the final score, but there will remain about a 2% spread in the average artistic marks from the randomly selected subsets of judges.

Criticism

The ISU judging system moves figure skating closer to judging systems used in sports like diving and gymnastics. Diving off a deck into the Great South Bay of Long Islandjpg|thumb|A man dives into the Great South Bay of Long Island. Gymnastics is a Sport involving performance of exercises requiring physical strength agility and coordination It also has some features intended to make judging more resistant to pressure by special interests. However, there is debate whether the new system is an improvement over the old 6. 0 system.

Under the ISU rules, the judges' marks are anonymous, which removes any public accountability of the judges for their marks. The random panel selection procedure can change a skater's mark by several points and alter the outcome of competitions depending on which subset of judges are chosen. The United States Figure Skating Association has split with the ISU on these two issues. In the U. S. , the judges names remain associated with the marks. Also the U. S. uses only nine judges and counts all nine of their scores.

Ties

While COP has minimized the number of ties and the need for multiple tiebreaks like there was under 6. 0, ties still do occur. At the 2007 World Figure Skating Championships, Yukari Nakano and Carolina Kostner tied for 5th place with 168. The World Figure Skating Championships is an annual Figure skating competition sanctioned by the International Skating Union in which elite figure skaters Personal life Nakano was born on August 25 1985 in Konan City Personal life Carolina Kostner was born in Bolzano, Italy. Her mother Patrizia was 92 points overall. Nakano won 5th place on the tiebreak, which was the free skate placement, and Kostner dropped to 6th. ^[4] Ties for single segments of the competition also occur. At the 2004 Skate America, Alissa Czisny and Cynthia Phenuef tied in the short program at 50. Skate America is an international senior-level invitation-only Figure skating competition organized by the USFSA. Alissa Czisny (born June 25 1987 is an American Figure skater. Cynthia Phaneuf (born on January 16, 1988 in Contrecoeur Quebec) is a Canadian figure skater. 20, with both earning a TES score of 25. 40 and a PCS score of 24. 80. ^[5]

References

External links

• ISU Judging System Summary
• ISU Judging Systems
• How the ISU Judging System Works