ISU Judging System

The ISU Judging System is the scoring system that has been used since 2004 to judge the figure skating disciplines of men's and ladies' singles, pair skating, ice dance, and synchronized skating. It was designed and implemented by the International Skating Union (ISU), the governing body of the sport. This system of scoring is used in all international competitions sanctioned by the ISU, including the Olympic Games. The ISU Judging System replaced the previous 6.0 system. It was created, in part, in response to the 2002 Winter Olympics figure skating scandal. The IJS produces more detailed statistics and feedback to skaters and their coaches, better consistency among judges, and measures precise differences between skaters in competition. Competitors accumulate points based on the base value (BV) of each technical element, and on its element's grade of execution (GOE). They are judged in two areas: the total segment score in both the short program and the free skating program, and program component scores, which are based on their overall skating skills and performance level. The IJS is constructed into four parts: competition officials, which comprise the technical panel and the judges; the technical score (TES); the presentation score; and the final score.