It was created partially in response to the 2002 Winter Olympics figure skating scandal, in an attempt to make the scoring system more objective and less vulnerable to abuse.
A judging controversy occurred during a pair skating event at the 2002 Winter Olympics, which used scoring based on the 6.0 system.
[4] Under the ISU Judging System, the base value of each element performed by the skater is identified by the Technical Panel.
The purpose of this panel is to identify all of the elements performed by the skater in real time as they happen.
Each plus or minus step in the GOE results in increasing or decreasing the base value by 10 % in single and pair Skating and by 16 % in ice dance.
[5] In addition to the Technical Element Score, the judges award points on a scale from 0.25 to 10.00 with increments of 0.25 for different program components to grade the overall presentation of the performance.
Since the 2022–23 season, the judging panel evaluates three components: Composition (CO), Presentation (PR) and Skating skills (SK).
Before the system change, the judges evaluated five components: Skating skills (SS), Transitions (TR), Performance (PE), Composition (CO) and Interpretation (IN).
The number and type of technical elements included in a skating program depend on the event and on the level of competition.
[8]: Rule 612 The short program for senior pairs skaters for the season 2023-24 shall consist of the following required elements: (a) any hip lift take-off (hand to hip or upper part of the leg position), (b) double or triple twist lift, (c) double or triple throw jump, (d) double or triple solo jump, (e) solo spin combination with only one change of foot, (f) death spiral forward inside, and (g) step sequence.
[8]: Rule 621 The panel's points for each Program Component are multiplied by a factor depending on the event.
[8]: Rule 353(m) Following an event, the complete judges' scores are published in a document referred to as a protocol.
Jump elements performed after the halfway point of a program are marked with x and receive a 10% bonus added to their base value.
Every spring/summer the ISU releases rule updates which include a current Scale of Values (SOV) for different types of element.
[12] Click "show" below to view the abbreviations and codes for different figure skating elements.
Ice dance judging is similar to pairs and singles, but uses a separate set of rules and table of values.
Up to and including the 2017–2018 season, the Grade of Execution (GOE) scoring system for each program element ranged between –3 and +3.
Hence, the International Skating Union (ISU) have restarted all records from the 2018–2019 season and all previous statistics have been marked as "historical".
As judges, coaches, and skaters gain more experience with the new system, greater consensus may emerge.
[citation needed] This range of difference implies that "observer bias" determines about 20% of the mark given by a judge.
A skater's jump may look perfect, but the general public will not be aware that the competitor landed on an incorrect edge, therefore receiving fewer points for an element, resulting in the appearance of haphazard or biased judging.
However, problems with this system came to the forefront during the Sochi Olympics in 2014 following Russian skater Adelina Sotnikova's victory over Yuna Kim.