[1] It was created by German professional skater Charlotte Oelschlägel and her husband Curt Neumann in the 1920s.

[2] Suzanne Morrow and Wallace Diestelmeyer from Canada were the first pair team to perform the death spiral one-handed (the man holding the woman in position with one hand), at the 1948 Olympic Games.

[9] Judges begin to count revolutions when both partners "are in the actual low death spiral position".

Throughout inside death spirals, her head and lowest buttock or hip must not be higher than her skating knee.

[16] Variations of pivot positions, either backward or forward, are allowed, as long as his buttocks are not higher than the knee of his anchored foot.

[15] Pair skaters earn a higher level of difficulty, and thus more points, for difficult entries immediately before the death spiral and exits.

[18] Both partners must execute positions "that affect the main body core and balance"[18] when performing difficult entries and exits.

Difficult exit positions can include commencing a lift immediately after the death spiral or performing a jump.