news

New and Updated Synchronized Skating Rules

The ISU has released several Communications pertinent to synchronized skating in the past few weeks. At this time of year, revisions are published as quickly as new documents come out, so visit the ISU website often. You can avoid costly mistakes by ensuring you are following the most current set of rules as you design and refine your choreography.

Technical Requirements

Communication 2182 replaces 2159. This document explains all the things you need to do to get credit for the various difficulty levels. Think of it like a checklist of the requirements you need to meet to get a level called. (more…)

2018-19 Scale of Values for Synchronized Skating

The ISU has published the 2018-19 Scale of Values in Communication 2170. This replaces Communication 2116 from last season. Most interestingly, it gives us our first look at the -5 to +5 GOE points scale. More specific details about the new GOE criteria will be released this summer, but in the meantime, this scale can be used to help decide which difficulty levels to attempt by comparing base values.

For instance, take a look at Intersection Level 5 on page 3. All of these combinations will have the exact same base value (5.50 points): (more…)

2018-19 Technical Requirements Now Available

Updated July 28: Communication 2159 has been replaced by Communication 2182.

The ISU has released Communication 2159, which outlines Difficulty Groups for Elements and Additional Features (i.e., Technical Requirements) for the 2018-19 season. This Communication replaces 2121. Remember, this is the document that tells you what you have to do to get credit for a certain level. More documents will be released later that go into detail about the penalties for not executing something correctly. See Demystifying the Judging System: Roles, Rules & Reports Cards (Part 2 of 3) for more information on the order in which documents are usually released.

Presumably, there could be revisions to 2159 after Congress is held in June. If you’re up for some light reading, the 135-page Congress agenda and proposals can be found in Communication 2156.

2018 World Championships Quick Links

2018 ISU World Synchronized Skating Championships
April 6-7, 2018
Stockholm, Sweden