The International Judging System (IJS) is the official scoring framework used in all ISU sanctioned figure skating competitions worldwide.

IJS was introduced in 2004, following the judging controversy at the 2002 Salt Lake City Olympics.

It replaced the old 6.0 system with a transparent, points based method designed to reduce subjectivity.

Every score became explainable to skaters, coaches, and fans. Not just visible on a scoreboard.

Under the old system, judges gave one mark for technical merit and another for presentation.

No detailed breakdown was available after the fact. Just a number between 0.0 and 6.0.

The IJS changed everything by assigning a specific value to every element a skater performs. Every score is now traceable and reproducible.

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Train for Every Scoring Element at Home With PolyGlide Ice

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At its core, the system divides a performance into two parts: the Technical Elements Score (TES) and the Program Components Score (PCS).

The TES measures what a skater does. Every jump, spin, and step sequence gets a base value plus a quality adjustment.

The PCS measures how a skater does it. The artistry, musicality, and skating quality that runs through the whole program.

The two scores are added together to produce the total segment score.

Mandatory deductions for falls, time violations, or costume failures are subtracted before competitors are ranked.

Understanding this framework helps skaters and coaches make intentional training decisions.

No more practicing aimlessly and hoping scores improve.

The Technical Elements Score

The TES is built from two numbers that apply to each element.

The first is the base value; the second is the Grade of Execution (GOE) adjustment.

Base values are set by the ISU and reflect the technical difficulty of each jump, spin, or sequence.

A panel of technical specialists works alongside the judges at every competition.

The panel includes one technical controller and two assistants.

They identify each element in real time, call its level for spins and sequences, and confirm the jump type landed.

Their calls are reviewed instantly using video, and any disputes are resolved before scores are posted.

Base values scale sharply with difficulty, which is why elite skaters invest years in upgrading their jump repertoire.

To illustrate: a Double Axel is worth 3.30 points, a Triple Lutz earns 5.90, and a Triple Axel sits at 8.00.

A Quadruple Toe Loop tops out at 9.50 points.

Spins and step sequences are graded from Level 1 to Level 4, with higher levels earning more base value.

A Level 4 camel spin earns significantly more than a Level 1.

Difficult variations like a change of position, a flying entry, or a back camel push the spin to higher levels.

Step sequences are evaluated on the variety and quality of turns, steps, and edge changes executed to the music.

Judges count intricate details like twizzles, brackets, and rocker turns that casual viewers miss entirely.

Choosing elements wisely is as important as executing them. Strategic program construction means selecting what you can perform cleanly. Not just what you can survive.

Expanding your vocabulary of essential figure skating moves gives you a broader technical menu when planning your program with a coach.

It also helps you understand which upgrades will produce the biggest scoring gains.

Deductions: What Costs Skaters Points

Beyond the TES and PCS, judges apply mandatory deductions that reduce a skater's total score before final rankings are calculated.

Every fall results in an automatic one-point deduction from the total segment score.

Falls are painful in two ways... they cost the deduction directly and almost always result in negative GOE on the element where the fall occurred.

Time violations carry their own penalties.

If a short program or free skate runs too long, the technical panel flags it and a deduction is applied.

Costume and prop violations also result in deductions if elements of the costume fall onto the ice or if illegal props are used during the program.

Music violations, such as using music with lyrics in events where it is not permitted, result in additional scoring penalties.

Skaters who manage risk intelligently choose elements they can land cleanly under pressure. One fall does not just cost a deduction... it collapses the GOE on that element too.

This is why coaches often advise athletes to attempt only the elements they can execute with 90 percent reliability in competition conditions.

Training that element to the point of automaticity at home... on low pressure sessions where repetition is unlimited... is how that reliability is built.

Grade of Execution (GOE)

The Grade of Execution (GOE) adjusts every element's base value up or down based on how well it was performed.

A panel of nine judges each assigns a whole number GOE between -5 and +5 for every element in the program.

The three highest and three lowest scores are trimmed, and the remaining three are averaged.

That average converts to a point adjustment using the ISU's GOE conversion table.

A +1 GOE adds roughly 10 percent of the base value; a +5 can add more than 50 percent.

The ISU publishes detailed criteria for each GOE level so skaters and coaches know exactly what judges are evaluating.

For jumps, positive GOE comes from a clean takeoff edge, maximum height and distance, and a secure landing on a strong edge.

Judges also reward good body alignment in the air and uninterrupted flow after the landing.

Negative GOE is assigned for a two foot landing, an unclear takeoff edge, a hand down, or a fall.

For spins, judges reward fast rotational speed that builds through the element.

They also look for a centered position with no travel, clean entries and exits, and difficult positions held with control.

A camel spin that wobbles or slows mid-rotation loses GOE that is very hard to recover elsewhere.

Consistently earning positive GOE separates good skaters from great ones. It starts with the fundamentals. Centered spins, clean edges, and strong landings.

Developing the technique that produces positive GOE in figure skating spins requires thousands of quality repetitions.

Home practice sessions on synthetic ice make that volume consistently possible.

Every tenth of a point matters at the competitive level.

Refining GOE on existing elements is often more effective than chasing harder ones with lower execution marks.

Program Components Score

The Program Components Score (PCS) evaluates five artistic and performance qualities.

They run through the entire program from the first note of the music to the final pose.

Each component is scored from 0.25 to 10.00 in increments of 0.25 by all nine judges.

The highest and lowest judge scores for each component are trimmed, and the remaining scores are averaged.

Those averages are multiplied by a discipline factor that varies by event and program type.

The free skate carries a higher multiplier, making PCS worth more in the longer program.

The five components are evaluated as follows:

Skating Skills reflects the overall quality of skating, including edge control, flow, blade use, and the ability to generate and maintain speed.

Transitions captures the quality of linking moves between required elements, including the variety of turns, steps, and footwork patterns that fill the non-element portions of the program.

Performance assesses the physical, emotional, and intellectual involvement of the skater, including presence, projection, and physical control throughout the program.

Composition evaluates the intentional arrangement of all movements within the program, including the use of space, pattern, and phrasing relative to the music.

Interpretation of Music addresses the relationship between the skater's movement and the music, including rhythm, nuance, and expression of the music's character.

Judges assess all five components while watching the full program, not just the moments around big jumps.

A skater who stands still between elements or ignores musical phrasing will score poorly in Composition and Interpretation.

Technical jump quality alone cannot save those marks.

The PCS rewards skaters who move beautifully through the entire program. The artistry between jumps is just as visible to judges as the jumps themselves.

Building genuine skating quality (deep edges, fluid crossovers, expressive footwork, and musical sensitivity) takes years of deliberate practice.

It develops best through consistent ice time in a low-pressure environment.

Reading Your Score Sheet After Competition

Every skater who competes under the IJS receives a detailed protocol sheet after their event.

That document shows every element attempted, the base value assigned, the GOE scores from each judge, the trimmed average, and the final point total for each element.

The protocol sheet also displays each judge's PCS marks for all five components and the final factored totals.

Learning to read this sheet is one of the most valuable skills a competitive skater can develop.

It shows exactly where points were gained and lost... not just the final number.

A skater who reviews their protocol after every competition quickly identifies patterns.

Consistent negative GOE on a specific jump signals a technical flaw worth addressing immediately.

Low Skating Skills marks across multiple events point to a foundational edge quality issue that no amount of jump difficulty will fix.

The protocol sheet is your coach's most precise diagnostic tool. Skaters who study it improve faster than those who only remember their final score.

Use your PolyGlide Ice home sessions to drill directly on the weaknesses your protocol sheet reveals.

Targeted home practice... guided by real competition data... produces faster improvement than general training alone.

How to Improve Your Scores With Home Practice

Consistent daily practice is the most reliable path to higher IJS scores.

More sessions mean more repetitions of the technical and artistic elements that judges evaluate.

The challenge for most competitive skaters is access.

Rink time is expensive, limited, and often scheduled at inconvenient early morning or late night hours.

A PolyGlide Synthetic Ice Starter Kit brings a real training surface into your home or garage.

You can work every day without the cost or logistics of additional rink time.

PolyGlide panels provide genuine blade feedback. The resistance, edge engagement, and body position cues that judges measure in the PCS.

The surface is particularly effective for elements that produce the most scoring impact per practice minute.

For spins, centering requires constant blade feedback, and PolyGlide delivers it every session.

Daily home practice builds the muscle memory needed to produce a Level 4 spin under competition pressure.

For step sequences, slow deliberate repetition away from a busy rink is enormously valuable.

Breaking down individual turns (brackets, counters, rockers, choctaws) builds the technical vocabulary that judges reward with high level calls and positive GOE.

For edge quality, even basic stroking patterns on a home panel improve hip alignment, knee bend, and blade engagement.

These are the building blocks of strong Skating Skills marks across every PCS component.

Skaters who add home practice sessions regularly accumulate significantly more deliberate repetitions than those limited to rink only training.

Over a competitive season, that volume difference shows up in cleaner spins and tighter GOE margins.

It also builds the natural skating quality that judges recognize and reward in the PCS.

Running through program sections at home (even without full jumps) trains pacing, spatial patterns, and musical phrasing.

These lift Composition and Interpretation marks, the components most skaters neglect in rink side training.

Home ice is not a replacement for the rink. It is the competitive advantage you use between sessions to accumulate the repetitions that separate good scores from great ones.

Conclusion

Understanding how figure skating is scored transforms the way you watch the sport and the way you train.

Every jump, spin, and step sequence you practice (at home or at the rink) builds toward the marks judges evaluate under the IJS.

The skaters who score highest aren't just talented. They understand the system, train to its criteria, and show up with more quality repetitions than their competitors.

A home practice setup on PolyGlide Synthetic Ice gives you the reps you need, whenever you need them.

Know the system. Train with intention. Build the habits that move the scoreboard in your favor.