First Competitions - You can compete in figure skating completions a lot sooner than you think. There are basic skills figure skating competitions held by clubs all over the world. These competitions group skaters by level and if there are enough skaters by age as well. At the lowest levels groups are small so just about everyone gets a ribbon or medal.

Organization - In the United States, figure skating competitions are usually sponsored by either the Ice Skating Institute (ISI) or the United States Figure Skating Association (USFS) Which organization sponsors them is based on the affiliation of the club holding the event. Most advanced figure skating competitions it the United States are sanctioned by USFS. The road to the US olympic figure skating team is also USFS.

International competitions are usually sponsored and governed by the the International Skating Union (ISU)

Qualifying vs Non Qualifying - In the U.S., qualifying figure skating competitions are those that are part of the competition structure leading to the U.S. Championships, U.S. Adult Championships, U.S. Synchronized Team Skating Championships, and U.S. Junior Championships. Qualifying competitions are all regional and sectional events.

ISU Judging System - In 2004, the International Skating Union (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. It is important for competitive skaters and coaches to understand this complicated system in order to achieve a high score for a figure skating program in competition.

Olympics -

Regionals, Sectionals, and Nationals

The figure skating competition season begins in the fall with regional figure skating competitions which usually take place in October of each year.
 

Novice, Junior, and Senior single skaters that place in the top four in regional events advance to sectional competitions. Juvenile and Intermediate level single skaters advance directly from regionals to the U.S. Junior National Figure Skating Championships.

  • EASTERN SECTION
    • New England
      • Connecticut
      • Maine
      • Massachusetts
      • New Hampshire
      • Rhode Island
      • Vermont
    • North Atlantic
      • New Jersey
      • New York
      • Pennsylvania (Erie)
    • 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 Chatanooga)
    • Upper Great Lakes
      • Illinois
      • Iowa
      • Michigan
      • (Upper Peninsula)
      • Minnesota
      • Missouri
      • (excluding Kansas City and St. Joseph's)
      • North Dakota
      • South Dakota
      • Wisconsin
    • Southwestern
      • Arkansas
      • Colorado
      • Kansas
      • Louisiana
      • Nebraska
      • New Mexico
      • Missouri
      • (Kansas City and St. Joseph's)
      • Oklahoma
      • Texas
  • PACIFIC COAST SECTION
    • Northwest Pacific
      • Alaska
      • Idaho
      • Montana
      • Oregon
      • Washington
      • Wyoming
    • Central Pacific
      • California (all cities north of and including Visalia)
      • Colorado (for synchronized only)
      • Hawaii
      • Nevada (excluding Las Vegas)
      • Utah
    • Southwest Pacific
      • Arizona
      • California  (all cities south of Visalia)
      • Nevada (Las Vegas)