Skaters earn qualifying points at each Junior Grand Prix event.
At the end of the series, the six highest-placing skaters from each discipline advance to the JGP Final.
The event was first held in early March 1998 in Lausanne, Switzerland, following six qualifying competitions at the start of the season.
Eight skaters qualified in each singles' discipline, in addition to six pairs and six ice dancing teams.
Following the 2010–11 season, the International Skating Union reduced the number of qualifiers from eight to six in each discipline.