Brief Overview of the International Judging System (IJS)
The IJS was introduced following the 2002 Winter Olympics to address issues in figure skating judging. Figure skating is sort of back in the spotlight this week due to U.S. Nationals, which factors primarily in determining our nation’s Olympic team members.
You may be watching some of the events this week, and scratching your head over the scoring system. Gone are the days of the 6.0 scale in high level competitive figure skating. What you’ll see instead on your television while the skaters and coaches are sitting in the “kiss and cry” are two sets of much bigger numbers, the Technical Element Score (TES) and the Program Component Score (PCS).
The judging panel actually consists of more than just judges now. The panel is split into two groups: The technical panel, and the judging panel. In short, the job of the technical panel is to assign a base point value to every element, while the job of the judges is to determine how well that element was executed.
The technical panel uses video replay, if necessary, to determine the base point value of an element. Every element is worth a certain number of points. For example, a triple Axel has a higher starting value under the point system than does a triple Lutz, because the Axel is a more difficult jump to perform. The technical panel evaluates whether the element was done technically correct. For example, a triple jump requires the skater complete 2.75 rotations in the air, after both feet have left the ice. If the skater starts rotating before actually taking, they may underrotate the jump, and only be given the point credit for a double jump.
The technical panel uses published base points, strictly defined feature counts to assign levels of difficulty, etc. to determine a raw point value for each and every element in a program. Elements include jumps, spins, spirals, step sequences, lifts, and more. Each individual element is assigned this base point value by the technical panel. Then, the judges assign what is called a Grade of Execution (GOE) to each element. The GOE ranges between -3 and +3, and is an expression of how well an element was executed. Certain errors require certain deductions from the GOE, and the judges award positive GOE for features that are unique, special, or difficult.
The GOE is converted into points based on the specific element, and there are exhaustive tables published by the ISU for this conversion, called the Scale of Values. For example, let’s say that a skater performs a double Axel and a triple Lutz. The double Axel has a base value of 3.5, and the double Lutz has a base value of 1.9. For the sake of argument, let’s say that the technical panel awards full base value for each element, as they were done technically correct.
A judge awards a +1 GOE on the double Axel because the skater held his hands above his head in the air and because the element was performed to look effortless. Both of these extra features are actually written out in the guidelines for assigning GOE, and the fact there were two of them grants the +1.
The same judge thinks that the double Lutz wasn’t so special, but was just average. In fact, the judge thinks that the skater took too long to prepare for the jump, using too much of the ice surface to set up and actually launch. This is also a specifically listed item in the GOE guidelines, and warrants a -1 GOE.
Under the Scale of Values (SOV), a +1 GOE bumps the double Axel from 3.5 points to 4.5 points, as the +1 GOE contributes a full point. However, since the GOE point values are scaled based on the base value of a jump, the -1 GOE for the double Lutz only subtracts 0.3 points, making the total points for the double Lutz 1.6.
At the Olympic level, you’ll typically see Technical Element Scores ranging from the 40′s in to the 60′s. This makes sense, as skaters are limited to how many jumps, spins, and other elements they are allowed to perform, and can only repeat them so many times (otherwise, men would just do all triple Axels and maybe a quad if they can do one). Similarly, the rules stipulate the minimum and maximum number and type of spins, spirals, etc. For the pairs and singles short programs, there are defined required elements. For the free skates (“long program”), the rules are called “Well Balanced Freeskate requirements”, if you want to look them up.
Most triple jumps have base values in the 4 to 6 point range, except triple Axel, which is worth 8.2 because of it’s difficulty. Spins, flying spins, and combination spins are usually worth 2 to 3 points, depending on positions and difficulty. Step sequences and spiral sequences are usually worth 2 to 5 points, again depending on the level of difficulty. So, as you can see, eight jumps + two spins + 1 step sequence = 40 to 60 points if you add it all up.
The judges panel has one other major thing they need to assess: The Program Component Scores (PCS). The PCS is similar in nature to the Presentation Score under the old 6.0 system. The Program Component Score is based on the following items:
- Skating Skills
- Technical Transitions
- Performance/Execution
- Choreography/Composition
- Interpretation/Timing
Each of these program components is further sub-divided into additional bullet points for the judges to consider. As examples, the judges must consider balance, mastery of one foot skating, emotional involvement, intricacy of transitions, utilization of the ice surface, and use of finesse to reflect nuances in the music.
For each of the 5 areas, the judge awards a mark of 1 (very poor) to 10 (outstanding). Fractional intermediate values on the quarters are allowed (4.25, 6.50, 7.75). The marks from each judge are averaged together for each of the 5 program components, and then those five program compent scores are added together. The highest possible score for each component is 10.0, so thus the highest PCS possible is 50.
It is possible for a skater’s PCS to exceed his or her TES, based on how the base values for elements work out. However, this is rare amongst elite skaters.
Lastly, the huge number you see at the end of an event is the total competition score, where scores from the short program and the free skate are actually added together. This is why you will see overall competition scores in the high 100′s to low 200′s.
I hope that this brief overview of the IJS is helpful in understanding scores when you see them on TV this week and next month at the Olympics.