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Demystifying the Judging System: Roles, Rules & Report Cards (Part 3 of 3)

This is the final instalment in a three-part series about Demystifying the Judging System. Read Part 1: Roles and Part 2: Rules.

Part 3: Report Cards

Overview

You’re in the Kiss and Cry after you skated. You’re jubilant after a season’s best performance, devastated after your worst performance ever, or somewhere in between. You’re huddled as a team, filled with anxiety, and at that moment, there are only two numbers in the world that matter: your total score, and your ranking.

At some point after the celebration or consolation, you’ll look at your team’s report card. Many coaches, skaters, parents, and fans have become well-versed at interpreting the wall of codes and numbers it displays. Many people just want to see the difficulty levels (“calls”), and give up on the rest because it looks confusing. If you’ve ever looked at a report card and thought, “What does this all mean?” keep reading. (more…)

Demystifying the Judging System: Roles, Rules & Report Cards (Part 2 of 3)

This is the second instalment in a three-part series about Demystifying the Judging System. Read Part 1: Roles here.

Part 2: Rules

Overview

Like the other figure skating disciplines, synchronized skating is governed by rules and regulations created by the International Skating Union. The bad news is, there is no one single rule book that contains everything a coach or official needs to know. The good news is, all the documents that make up the rules are available online, for free. It just requires a little effort to find and organize them.

With so many different documents being published at different times during the year, it can be hard to know where to start when you need to look something up. I’m here to help point you in the right direction.  (more…)

Demystifying the Judging System: Roles, Rules & Report Cards (Part 1 of 3)

The “new” judging system for synchronized skating isn’t so new anymore. The first time it was used at the World Championships was in 2005, meaning 2018 ushers the judging system as we know it into its teen years. Despite its age, it’s still often met with misconception and confusion, and can be downright confounding for parents, skaters, and coaches who are new to the sport.

In giving feedback to teams throughout the season, I’ve found there are still a lot of misunderstandings about who does what, where to find the right rules, and how to interpret report cards. Consequently, I’ve written a three-part series that will hopefully bring some clarity to these aspects of the judging system. This is the first instalment; watch for the others in the coming weeks.    (more…)

From skates to stationery: competition prep from an official’s point of view

I bumped into a former teammate, who’s still skating, at my local convenience store this afternoon. We were both there gathering competition supplies–she, make-up, and I, travel-size toiletries for my carry-on luggage–and it struck me that though I no longer compete as a skater, I can’t help but find familiar comfort in still having pre-competition rituals. Most other officials I know are the same. We each have our own individual ways of preparing (though the seemingly interconnected consciousness of our collective officials’ brains creates some eerie coincidental similarities), but most of us former skaters just can’t kick our old habits. The double, triple, and quadruple skate-check has been replaced by an infinituple paperwork and pens-check. An official, especially we technical officials, can NEVER have too many highlighters. (more…)