Figure Skating Competitions (Qualifying)

In the U.S., qualifying competitions are the ones that lead to a national championship. For singles, pairs and ice dance, U.S. Figure Skating lists five: the National Qualifying Series (NQS), the Sectional Singles Finals, the U.S. Pairs Final, the U.S. Ice Dance Final and the U.S. Figure Skating Championships. Synchronized teams qualify through the Synchronized Sectional Championships for the U.S. Synchronized Skating Championships, and adults through the Adult Sectional Championships for the U.S. Adult Figure Skating Championships.

Singles, step by step

1. National Qualifying Series (mid-July to early October). The NQS is a set of regular competitions, spread around the country, whose results also count for qualifying. A skater has to post a score at one or more NQS events of their choice, and is ranked within their region and section by their best score. For 2026-27 the NQS ran from July 9 to October 4, 2026. A few skaters (for example U.S. skaters with international assignments) get a bye and skip this step.

The NQS replaced the old regional championships, which used to open the season every October. See regionals for what changed.

2. Sectional Singles Final (November). Eighteen skaters per level go to each of the three sectional finals (Eastern, Midwestern and Pacific Coast): the top four NQS scores from each of the section's three regions, plus the next six best in the section. Senior skaters must also reach a minimum technical score. See sectionals.

3. National championships (January).

• Junior: the top four at each sectional final go to the U.S. Figure Skating Championships.
• Senior: the U.S. Championships field is capped at 18. Places go first to skaters with byes (the previous year's top five, World Team members, Grand Prix Final qualifiers and others), then to the top two at each sectional final, then to the next best sectional scores nationwide.
• Juvenile, Intermediate and Novice: from 2027 these levels no longer go to the U.S. Championships or a separate junior nationals. The top four at each sectional final go to the new U.S. Figure Skating Development Team Championships, held right after the U.S. Championships.

Pairs and ice dance

Pairs and dance teams also post scores in the NQS, but are ranked by section and nationwide rather than by region. Eighteen teams per level go to the U.S. Pairs Final and the U.S. Ice Dance Final (the top four in each section, plus the next six nationwide). From there, Juvenile, Intermediate and Novice teams go to the Development Team Championships (top eight pairs, top ten dance teams), and Junior and Senior teams to the U.S. Championships (up to 12 pairs and 15 dance teams per level).

Why the 2027 finals happen in 2026

The sectional finals are named for the U.S. Championships they lead to, not the year they are held. The 2027 Eastern Sectional Singles Final, for example, was held in November 2026, because it qualifies skaters for the 2027 U.S. Championships in January. NQS events, on the other hand, are named for the year they are held (for example Cactus Classic 2026). Rules and handbooks use the season name, such as 2026-27.

Regions and sections

The country is divided into three sections and nine regions. Regions no longer hold their own championships, but they still matter: singles skaters are ranked by region in the NQS, and the top four in each region advance to their sectional final.

• EASTERN SECTION
  • New England: Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Rhode Island, Vermont
  • North Atlantic: New Jersey, New York, Erie (Pennsylvania)
  • South Atlantic: Delaware, District of Columbia, Florida, Georgia, Maryland, North Carolina, Pennsylvania (excluding Erie), South Carolina, Virginia, West Virginia, Chattanooga (Tennessee)
• MIDWESTERN SECTION
  • Eastern Great Lakes: Alabama, Indiana, Kentucky, Michigan (Lower Peninsula), Mississippi, Ohio, Tennessee (excluding Chattanooga)
  • Upper Great Lakes: Illinois, Iowa, Michigan (Upper Peninsula), Minnesota, Missouri (excluding the Greater Kansas City area and St. Joseph), North Dakota, South Dakota, Wisconsin
  • Southwestern: Arkansas, Colorado (except synchronized teams), Kansas (including the Greater Kansas City area and St. Joseph, Missouri), Louisiana, Nebraska, New Mexico, Oklahoma, Texas
• PACIFIC COAST SECTION
  • Northwest Pacific: Alaska, Idaho, Montana, Oregon, Washington, Wyoming
  • Central Pacific: California (Visalia and all cities north of it), Hawaii, Nevada, Utah, and Colorado for synchronized skating only
  • Southwest Pacific: Arizona, California (all cities south of Visalia)

Sources

U.S. Figure Skating 2026-27 Rulebook (qualifying competitions, rule 1022; regions, rules 1010-1014; singles, pairs and dance advancement, rules 2470-2504), the 2026-27 NQS Participant Handbook and the 2026-27 NQS calendar. The qualifying rules change from season to season; check the current handbook before you plan a season.