🏛️Official — ISU
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Winter Sports
1 players
indoor
skate, rink
10 essential rules
Figure skating is one of the oldest Winter Olympic sports, first appearing at the 1908 London Summer Olympics before the Winter Games existed. It became a permanent fixture of the Winter Olympic program from the inaugural 1924 Chamonix Games. The sport combines athletic prowess with artistic expr...
Figure skating boots are constructed of stiffened leather or synthetic materials, rising above the ankle to provide lateral support. The boot is mounted with a steel blade attached via a sole plate and heel plate.
ISU Rule 501 governs competition attire. Key requirements: Costumes must be modest, dignified, and appropriate for athletic competition. They must not create the illusion of excessive nudity.; Men must wear full-length trousers (no tights alone). Women may wear skirts, trousers, or unitards; skir...
Music with lyrics has been permitted in all disciplines since the 2014–2015 season.; Music must be submitted electronically in advance to the organizing committee. A backup copy (CD or USB) is required at competition.; Music must not contain offensive language or content inappropriate for a sport...
Competitions are held on regulation ice rinks conforming to ISU specifications: Ice surface: 56–60 m × 26–30 m (184–197 ft × 85–98 ft).; Preferred Olympic/ISU Championship size: 60 m × 30 m (197 ft × 98 ft).; Corner radius: 7–8.5 m (23–28 ft), producing rounded corners.
Ice temperature: Maintained at -3°C to -5°C (23°F to 27°F). Slightly harder ice is preferred for figure skating to provide better grip for edge work and jump landings.; Ice thickness: Approximately 3–5 cm (1.2–2 in) of quality ice over the refrigerated slab.; Resurfacing: The ice is resurfaced wi...
The rink must have adequate lighting (minimum 1400 lux for televised events) distributed evenly across the ice surface.; A dedicated Kiss and Cry area adjacent to the ice where skaters and coaches await scores.; Separate warm-up area or practice rink recommended for ISU Championships and Olympic ...
Singles: One individual skater per entry.; Pairs: One man and one woman skating together. Both partners must be from the same ISU member federation (nation).; Ice Dance: One man and one woman. Same nationality requirement as pairs.
Skaters must reach the age of 17 before July 1 of the preceding year to compete at the Olympic Games and ISU Senior Championships (rule updated for the 2024–2025 season, raised from 15). Junior competitors must be at least 13 and under 19.
The Technical Panel identifies and confirms every technical element performed. It consists of: Technical Specialist (TS): Calls each element in real time (jump type, number of revolutions, spin level, etc.).; Assistant Technical Specialist (ATS): Independently verifies element calls and may chall...
A panel of nine judges scores each performance. Judges are selected from different ISU member federations to ensure international representation.
Clear center ice when a skater calls their music in practice
During shared practice sessions, when a skater signals they are running their full program (typically by calling for their music), all others are expected to move to the perimeter and yield center ice. Interrupting or cutting through someone's run-through is considered a serious breach of rink etiquette at every competitive level.
Enforced informally by coaches and senior skaters; violations can create lasting rink tensions.
Do not jump or execute spins directly in another skater's path on warm-up ice
On the shared six-minute warm-up ice at competitions, skaters are expected to maintain spatial awareness and never set up jumps that will land in the path of another skater already mid-element. The unwritten rule is to 'read the ice' and yield to a skater already committed to a jump trajectory.
Warm-up collisions and near-misses have occurred at high-profile events; intentional path interference is treated as a serious cultural violation.
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