Go Figure Skating

Figure Skating ISU Judging System

By Go Figure Skating · Last reviewed November 9, 2026

After the judging scandal at the 2002 Winter Olympics, the International Skating Union (ISU) replaced the old 6.0 system with the ISU Judging System (IJS), sometimes called the Code of Points. It was adopted in 2004 and was first used at the Olympics in Turin in 2006. Today it is used at all ISU events and the Olympics, and in the U.S. at every qualifying competition and at non-qualifying short programs and free skates from Juvenile up. (Lower U.S. levels may use the simpler Component Judging System.)

Each program gets two scores, which are added together, minus any deductions:

  • the Technical Element Score (TES), for the jumps, spins and sequences, and
  • the Program Component Score (PCS), for the skating and the program as a whole.

A skater's total for the competition is the sum of their short program and free skate scores.

Technical Element Score (TES)

A program is made up of elements: jumps, spins, step sequences and choreographic sequences (plus lifts, throws, twists and death spirals in pairs). The rules for each level say how many of each are allowed. For example, from 2026-27 a senior free skate has at most six jump elements, three spins (a combination spin, a flying spin and a choreographic spin), one step sequence and one choreographic sequence.

Calculating points

  • Every element has a base value, listed in the ISU's Scale of Values (SOV). A double toe loop is worth 1.30, a triple Axel 8.00 and a quad toe loop 9.50.
  • A technical panel identifies each element: which jump it was, whether it was fully rotated, the level of a spin or step sequence, and so on.
  • Each judge then marks the quality of the element, its grade of execution (GOE), on a scale from −5 to +5. Each step is worth 10% of the element's base value.
  • The judges' GOEs are averaged after dropping the single highest and single lowest mark (a trimmed mean), and rounded to two decimal places. With fewer than five judges nothing is dropped. Championship panels have nine judges.
  • Base value plus panel GOE is the score for that element, and the scores for all elements are added up to give the TES.
  • Jump combinations and jump sequences are each scored as one element: the base values of all the jumps are added together, and the GOE is applied using the most difficult jump. Jumps in a sequence now get their full value (the old 80% rule for sequences has gone).
  • Second-half bonus: in singles, jumps started in the second half of the program get their base value (not the GOE) multiplied by 1.1, to reward skaters who spread the difficulty through the program. Only the last jump element in the second half counts in the short program, and only the last three in the free skate. There is no bonus in pairs.

Deductions (ISU rules)

  • Falls: in senior singles, −1.0 for each of the first two falls, −2.0 each for the third and fourth, and −3.0 for each fall after that. Junior singles: −1.0 per fall. Pairs: −1.0 when one partner falls, −2.0 when both do. A fall is a loss of control where most of the skater's body weight ends up on the ice, supported by anything other than the blades (hands, knees, back, seat or arms).
  • Time: −1.0 for every 5 seconds (or part of it) too short or too long.
  • Illegal element or movement: −2.0 each.
  • Costume or prop violation: −1.0 per program. A costume part or decoration falling on the ice: −1.0.
  • Late start: −1.0.
  • Interruptions: −1.0 for 11-20 seconds, −2.0 for 21-30 seconds, −3.0 for 31-40 seconds. An interruption where the skater is allowed up to three minutes to recover and resume costs −5.0.

Vocal music is allowed. The old −1.0 deduction for music with lyrics no longer exists. U.S. Figure Skating uses smaller deductions at lower domestic levels.

Program Component Score (PCS)

Since the 2022-23 season there are three program components (there used to be five). Each judge marks each component from 0.25 to 10.00 in steps of 0.25. As with GOE, the highest and lowest marks are dropped and the rest averaged. Each component's average is then multiplied by a factor, so that technical and component scores carry roughly equal weight. If a program has serious errors, such as falls, the components are capped (9.50 for one serious error, 8.75 for two or more).

Discipline (Senior and Junior) Short program factor Free skate factor
Men 1.67 3.33
Women 1.33 2.67
Pairs 1.33 2.67

Composition

The intentional, developed and original arrangement of all the program's movements into a meaningful whole. Judges look at:

  • Multidimensional movement and use of space
  • Connections between and within elements
  • Choreography that reflects the musical phrasing and form
  • Pattern and ice coverage
  • Unity: the program hangs together as one idea

Presentation

The skater's engagement, commitment and involvement, based on an understanding of the music and the composition. Judges look at:

  • Expressiveness and projection
  • Variety and contrast of energy and movement
  • Musical sensitivity and timing
  • Unison, oneness and awareness of space between partners (pairs)

Skating Skills

The skater's ability to execute steps, turns and skating movements with blade and body control. Judges look at:

  • Variety of edges, steps, turns, movements and directions
  • Clarity of edges, steps, turns, movements and body control
  • Balance and glide
  • Flow
  • Power and speed

The old components (Skating Skills, Transitions, Performance, Composition and Interpretation of the Music) were folded into these three: Transitions became part of Composition, and Performance and Interpretation became Presentation.

What changed for 2026-27

  • Free skate layout (senior and junior singles): at most six jump elements (down from seven), one of them an Axel-type jump. Three spins, one of which is a new choreographic spin with a fixed base value, judged on GOE only. Juniors have a choreographic sequence but no step sequence in the free skate. No jump type may appear more than three times, and no double more than twice.
  • Euler: the half loop used in jump combinations is now an unlisted jump worth 0 points, allowed once in the free skate between two listed jumps.
  • Pairs: new choreographic pair lift and choreographic pair spin; the choreographic sequence was removed from the pairs free skate.
  • Base values: the Scale of Values was updated. A double Lutz, for example, is now worth 2.10.

Where judges find the details

The full rules are spread across several ISU documents that are updated every season: the Sports Rules for Single & Pair Skating and Ice Dance, the Scale of Values and the Levels of Difficulty and GOE guidelines (published as ISU Communications), and the Handbook for Referees and Judges and Technical Panel Handbooks. These handbooks replaced the old quick-reference "Judges First Aid" sheet, and are worth reading if you want to know exactly what the panel is looking for.

Sources

ISU Sports Rules, Single & Pair Skating and Ice Dance, June 2026 (rules 353, 501-504, 515, 612), ISU Communication 2786, Scale of Values 2026-27, ISU Communication 2788, Levels, GOE and Program Components 2026-27 (U.S. Figure Skating's annotated copy), the ISU Technical Panel Handbook, Single Skating 2026-27, the ISU handbooks page and the U.S. Figure Skating 2026-27 Rulebook (rule 1041).