Figure skating is taking center stage at the Olympics this week. One of the more mysterious aspects is the judging. Let’s lift the veil and see what is going on behind the scenes.

Sasha Cohen provides our first insight to the judging – it is confusing:

Here is an older video, but it openly discusses the subjectivity of the system, which would help explain Cohen’s confusion:

The new ISU rules, put in place in 2008, try to remove a lot of that subjectivity.

The following video gets into just how technical the judging could be, if robots were doing the judging using extreme slow-motion video of each move:

But it is not robots doing the judging – It is human beings. These two videos explain the human system, developed by the ISU, that is in use today:

If you would like to read the ISU’s actual rules for judging and scoring, you can find them here:

ISU Rules

Here is the starting point for judging:

Each Skater, Pair, Couple, Team, will present an official form indicating the “planned program content”, including the elements with an approximate time code, for each event of the competition;

The judges do have a system to replay parts of the performance:

In ISU Events (ISU Championships, Senior Grand Prix of Figure Skating events and other events where available) and the Olympic Winter Games, the Judge will be equipped with a touch screen computer with the video replay system;

And then there is the points system that the prior two videos are trying to explain. If you cull through the documents, you can find a description like this of the points:

Rule 353
Determination and publication of results

1) Basic Principles of Calculation
a) Every “section” of a Compulsory Dance and every Required Element of the Short Program, Free Skating, Original and Free Dance has a certain base value indicated in the Scale of Value (SOV) chart in an ISU Communication;
b) Each Judge identifies for each section/element one of the seven grades of execution. Each grade has its own + or – numerical value also indicated in the SOV chart;
c) The panel’s Grade of Execution (GOE) is determined by calculating the trimmed mean of the numerical values of the Grades of Execution awarded by the maximum of nine (9) scoring Judges;
d) The trimmed mean is calculated by deleting the highest and the lowest values and calculating the average of the remaining maximum of seven (7) values.
e) This average will become the final Grade of Execution of an individual section/element. The panel’s GOE is rounded to two decimal places;
f) The panel’s score for each section/element is determined by adding the trimmed mean GOE of this section/element to its base value;
g) The panel’s scores for all the section/elements are added giving thus the Total Technical Score;
h) In Single and Pair Skating:
i) Jump combinations are evaluated as one unit by adding the base values of the jumps included and applying the GOE with the numerical value of the most difficult jump. The factored base value of the jump combination will be rounded to two decimal places;
ii) Jump sequences are evaluated as one unit by adding the base values of the two highest value jumps, multiplying the result by 0.8 and after that applying the GOE with the numerical value of the most difficult jump. The factored base value of the jump sequence will be rounded to two decimal places;
iii) Any additional element or elements exceeding the prescribed numbers will not be counted in the result of a participant. Only the first attempt (or allowed number of attempts) of an element will be taken into account;
iv) An innovative element, movement or transition may be granted with a special bonus of two (2) points. This bonus can only be obtained once for a program (see Rule 522, paragraph 1 e);
v) The bonus (if obtained) will be added to the sum of the panel’s score for all the elements giving thus the Total Technical Score;
vi) In the Free Skating of Single Skating the base values (but not the GOE’s) for all jump elements started in the second half of the program will be multiplied by a special factor 1.1 in order to give credit for even distribution of difficulties in the program. In Pair Skating the base value (but not the GOE’s) for all throw jumps, jump elements, lifts and twist lifts, started in the second half of the program will be multiplied by a special factor 1.1. Each factored base value for all jump elements (Single Skating) and for all throw jumps, jump elements, lifts and twist lifts (Pair Skating) performed in the second half of the Free Skating program will be rounded to two decimal places. The second half commences in the middle of the required time without taking into account plus or minus 10 seconds allowance;
i) In Ice Dance, combination Lifts are evaluated as one unit by adding the base values of the two first executed types of lifts, multiplying the result by 0.8 and afterwards applying the GOE with the numerical value of the most difficult type of lift. The factored base value of the combination lift will be rounded to two decimal places;
j) Each Judge also marks the Program Components on a scale from 0.25 to 10 with 0.25 points increments;
k) The panel’s points for each Program Component are obtained by calculating the trimmed mean of the maximum of nine (9) scoring Judges results for that Program Component. The trimmed mean is calculated in the manner described above in sub-paragraph d);
l) The trimmed mean of each Program Component Score is rounded to two decimal places;
m) In Single and Pair Skating:
i) The panel’s points for each Program Component are then multiplied by a factor as follows (same for Junior and Senior):
Men: SP: 1.0 FS: 2.0
Ladies: SP: 0.8 FS: 1.6
Pairs: SP: 0.8 FS: 1.6
The factored results are rounded to two decimal places and added. The sum is the Program Component Score.
ii) Deductions are applied for each violation as follows:
- time violation – 1.0 for every 5 seconds lacking or in excess;
- music violation – 1.0 for vocal music;
- illegal element violation – 2.0 for every illegal element;
- costume and prop violation – 1.0;
- falls -1.0 for every fall (in Pair Skating -1.0 for a fall of one partner and -2.0 for a fall of both partners); for interpretation of this Rule, a fall is defined as loss of control by a Skater with the result that the majority of his/her own body weight is on the ice supported by any other part of the body other than the blades e.g. hand(s), knee(s), back, buttock(s) or any part of the arm;
- deductions will be applied for interruption to the program: -1.0 for 11 – 20 seconds interruption, -2.0 for 21 – 30 seconds interruption etc
- deduction of -2.0 will be applied when appropriate in case of a fresh start (see Rule 551);
n) In Ice Dance:
i) The panel’s points for each Program Component are then multiplied by factors which are as follows:

Compulsory Dance
Skating Skills 0.75
Performance 0.50
Interpretation 0.50
Timing 0.75

Original Dance
Skating Skills 0.80
Transitions/Linking Footwork/Movements 0.80
Performance/Execution 0.60
Composition/Choreography 0.60
Interpretation/Timing 1.00

Free Dance
Skating Skills 1.25
Transitions/Linking Footwork/Movements 1.75
Performance/Execution 1.00
Composition/Choreography 1.00
Interpretation/Timing 1.00

The factored results are rounded to two decimal places and added. The sum is the Program Component Score.

ii) Deductions are applied for each violation as follows:
• Program time violation: -1.0 for every 5 seconds lacking or in excess;
• extra elements: -1.0 per violation;
• illegal element/movement violation: -2.0 per violation;
• costume and prop violation: – 1.0;
• Lifts exceeding permitted duration: – 1.0 per lift;
• Falls*: -1.0 for every fall of one partner and -2.0 for every fall by both partners.

For Compulsory Dances: if a fall occurs during the introductory and/or concluding steps/movements only the Technical Panel makes appropriate deduction; if a fall occurs during the Section of dance the Technical Panel and Judges make appropriate deduction;

For the Original and Free Dance only: if a stumble or fall causes interruptions to the program that exceed 5 seconds, an additional deduction will be applied as follows:
-1.0 (for 6-15 seconds interruption) and
-2.0 (for 16-30 seconds interruption).
* A fall on a Required Element/Section may be further reflected in the Judges’ assessment (GOE & Components) and by the Technical Specialists’ assignment of the Level for that element/section;
For interpretation of this Rule, a fall is defined as loss of control by a Skater with the result that the majority of his/her own body weight is on the ice supported by any other part of the body other than the blades e.g. hand(s), knee(s), back, buttock(s) or any part of the arm.

2) Determination of Results in each part of the Competition
a) The Total Segment Score for each Skater/Couple in each part of a competition (Short Program, Free Skating, Compulsory Dance(s), Original Dance and Free Dance) is calculated by adding the Total Technical Score and the Program Component Scores, subtracting any deductions for violations described in sub-paragraph 1 m) ii) and 1 n) ii) respectively;
b) In Ice Dance, for events with two (2) Compulsory Dances the Total Score for each dance will be multiplied by a factor of 0.5;
c) The Skater/Couple with the highest Total Segment Score is placed first, the Skater/Couple with the next highest Total Segment Score is placed second and so on;
d) if two or more Skaters/Couples will have the same result, the Total Technical Score will break the tie in the Short Program and the Compulsory Dance(s). The Program Components Score will break the tie in the Free Skating, Original Dance and Free Dance. If these results are also equal, the Skaters/Couples concerned will be considered as tied.

3) Determination of the Combined and Final Result
a) The Total Segment Score of the Short Program and Free Skating respectively the Compulsory Dance(s), Original Dance and Free Dance are added and the result constitutes the Final Score of a Skater/Couple in an event. The Skater/Couple with the highest Final Score is first etc;
b) In cases of ties after the Combined Result or the Final Result the Skater/Couple with the highest score for the last skated segment is placed first etc. In Ice Dance, if two Compulsory Dances are to be skated, both dances are even in value. There are no tie-breaking criteria for the second dance;
c) If there is a tie for this segment, the placement of the previously skated segment will count for the better place etc. If there is no previous segment, Skaters/Couples are tied.

4) Publication of Results
a) The placing in each segment of each competition or Championships must be published immediately after that segment has been completed by all Skaters/Couples;
b) Following each segment the Total Technical Score, the Panel’s points obtained in each Program Component, the Program Component Score, the deductions and the Total Segment Score of every Skater/Couple must be published;
c) Following each segment a printout “Judges’ Details for each Skater”, which indicates the Base Values of all the elements and the GOE and Points for the Program Components from every Judge will be issued. For ISU Championships, Olympic Winter Games, Senior Grand Prix of Figure Skating events and Final, the Judges’ scores are listed in a random sequence without any reference to specific Judges’ names (anonymity);
d) The final result must be published as soon as possible after the conclusion of the event. This must include for each Skater/Couple:
• the final place;
• separately, the placing in each segment of an event;
e) On conclusion of the event the total points (Final Score) of each Skater/Couple must be published;
f) Items in sub-paragraphs a)-e) must be included in the protocol of a Competition or Championships.

One thing to keep in mind about figure skating is that it can be surprisingly violent – this is not a beautiful sport when things go wrong. The speed and the twists and the height mean that basic physics can be brutal to the athletes, as compiled here:

That danger is lurking around every move.

Here is a preview of several of the male and female stars in 2010:

Would you like to begin figure skating yourself? Here are a couple of videos to get you started on a new career path:

For more info see: How Competitive Figure Skating Works