ISU Single and Pairs Required Short Program Elements for 2021-22 Season

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The ISU has listed the required elements for Junior singles and and Junior and Senior short programs for 2021-22.

Rule 611 3. The Junior Short Program shall consist of the following required elements shall consist of the following required elements, which form three groups. The groups that are effective on July 1st of each year are: 2021-2022 Men a) Double or triple Axel Paulsen; b) Double or triple Flip jump; c) Jump combination consisting of a double and a triple jump or two triple jumps; d) Flying sit spin; e) Camel spin with only one change of foot; f) Spin combination with only one change of foot; g) Step sequence fully utilizing the ice surface.

Ladies a) Double Axel Paulsen; b) Double or triple Flip jump; c) Jump combination consisting of two double jumps or one double and one triple jump or two triple jumps; d) Flying sit spin; e) Layback / sideways leaning spin or camel spin without change of foot; f) Spin combination with only one change of foot; g) Step sequence fully utilizing the ice surface.

Rule 620 2. The Senior Short Program shall consist of the following required elements, which form three groups. The groups that are effective on July 1st of each year are: 2021-2022 a) Any hand to hand lift take-off (Group Four); b) Twist lift (double or triple); c) Throw jump (double or triple); d) Solo jump (double or triple); e) Solo spin combination with only one change of foot; f) Death spiral backward outside; g) Step sequence fully utilizing the ice surface;

3. The Junior Short Program shall consist of the following required elements, which form three groups. The groups that are effective on July 1st of each year are: 2021-2022 a) Any hand to hand lift take-off (Group Four) b) Twist lift (double or triple) c) Double or triple Salchow throw jump d) Double Flip or double Axel solo jump e) Solo spin combination with only one change of foot f) Death spiral backward outside g) Step sequence fully utilizing the ice surface

 

[Frau Muller]

Thanks. I don’t see any changes to the Senior Singles program elements, ie, nothing about allowing quads for ladies. So the Senior Singles requirements do not change?

 

[tony]

Thanks. I don’t see any changes to the Senior Singles program elements, ie, nothing about allowing quads for ladies. So the Senior Singles requirements do not change?

They aren’t going to change the season of the Olympics.

 

[Frau Muller]

They aren’t going to change the year of the Olympics.

Thanks. But they did for Senior Pairs, it seems, even in an Olympic year (see the 3rd of 4 parags above)...not sure exactly what...maybe the type of death spiral?

 

[honey]

Thanks. But they did for Senior Pairs, it seems, even in an Olympic year (see the 3rd of 4 parags above)...not sure exactly what...maybe the type of death spiral?

They rotate the type of lift and death spiral required every year don’t they?

 

[Sylvia]

They rotate the type of lift and death spiral required every year don’t they?

Yes. The Senior Pairs SP elements that change for 2021-22 are underlined in ISU Communication No. 2382:

a) Any hand to hand lift take-off (Group Four);
b) Twist lift (double or triple);
c) Throw jump (double or triple);
d) Solo jump (double or triple);
e) Solo spin combination with only one change of foot;
f) Death spiral backward outside;

 

[Sylvia]

SPECIAL REGULATIONS & TECHNICAL RULES SINGLE & PAIR SKATING and ICE DANCE 2018 as accepted by the 57th Ordinary Congress June 2018: https://www.isu.org/figure-skating/rules/fsk-regulations-rules/file

ISU Rule 611 (pages 104-105)

Short Program Singles
1.
a) The Short Program for Single Skating (Senior and Junior) consists of seven (7) required elements. The sequence of the elements is optional;
b) The program shall be skated in harmony with the music chosen by the Competitor. The music is chosen by each Competitor, vocal music with lyrics is permitted;
c) If an unprescribed or additional element (performed) substitutes a required element (not performed), the respective box will be blocked and this performed element will be considered as not according to the requirements (no value).
d) Unlisted or additional elements such as jumps, spins, steps or repetitions, even of failed elements, are not marked and consequently do not block a “box” (spot) of another type of elements.

2. The Senior Short Program shall consist of the following required elements [no changes for 2021-22 season]:

Men
a) Double or triple Axel Paulsen;
b) Triple or quadruple jump;
c) Jump combination consisting of a double jump and a triple jump or two triple jumps or a quadruple jump and a double jump or a triple jump;
d) Flying spin;
e) Camel spin or sit spin with only one change of foot;
f) Spin combination with only one change of foot;
g) Step sequence fully utilizing the ice surface.

Ladies
a) Double or triple Axel Paulsen;
b) Triple jump;
c) Jump combination consisting of a double jump and a triple jump or two triple jumps;
d) Flying spin;
e) Layback/sideways leaning spin or sit or camel spin without change of foot;
f) Spin combination with only one change of foot;
g) Step sequence fully utilizing the ice surface.

 

[kwanfan1818]

Meh, the requirements for Ladies and Men and should be the same for their age groups, IMO.

 

[Vagabond]

It's so nice that if the Men can't do a triple jump, they can do a quadruple instead.

 

[mjb52]

So long as they keep double sals an option for pairs.

 

[barbk]

It's so nice that if the Men can't do a triple jump, they can do a quadruple instead.

Yeah. Weird that it is ok for ladies to do a double or triple Axel in the short - but not a quad.

 

[VGThuy]

They don’t want select women to run away with the competiton in the SP just yet. Once more women have quads in their arsenal, then they will make it an option. It took a long time for the ISU to allow men to do quads in the SP, and the solo jump in the women’s SP used to be a double for quite some time until the 1994-1995 season.

 

[tony]

I'm sure the usual suspects will vote against any kind of suggestion to allow quads in the ladies SP, but the reality is that we weren't going to see this change really get discussed until post-Beijing anyways. I say do it- the ladies were able to try a triple Axel in the short (as part of a combination) long before the solo triple became the only option to not incur deduction in 2003.

If the quads start becoming more commonplace, then you run into the issues of PCS factoring still being at 0.8 and some ladies running away technically - we already see it happening in Russia. They really are going to have to figure out a balance, and moving the factors to 1.0 and 2.0x don't necessarily solve it if judges still hand out high PCS as a result of difficult jumps attempted.

 

[AngieNikodinovLove (ANL)]

I say less worry about quads and more emphasis on an Angela layback and a Nicole spiral and pronto!!!!!!

Oh and raise the age in seniors to 18!

Tee-hee

⛸

 

[VGThuy]

I'm sure the usual suspects will vote against any kind of suggestion to allow quads in the ladies SP, but the reality is that we weren't going to see this change really get discussed until post-Beijing anyways. I say do it- the ladies were able to try a triple Axel in the short (as part of a combination) long before the solo triple became the only option to not incur deduction in 2003.

If the quads start becoming more commonplace, then you run into the issues of PCS factoring still being at 0.8 and some ladies running away technically - we already see it happening in Russia. They really are going to have to figure out a balance, and moving the factors to 1.0 and 2.0x don't necessarily solve it if judges still hand out high PCS as a result of difficult jumps attempted.

I guess the difference was that the triple axel wasn’t against the rules of the ladies SP. The rules at the time allowed them to do any triple in combination and a triple axel is a triple. The rules right now don’t allow for quads for ladies at all.

 

[tony]

I guess the difference was that the triple axel wasn’t against the rules of the ladies SP. The rules at the time allowed them to do any triple in combination and a triple axel is a triple. The rules right now don’t allow for quads for ladies at all.

Of course it was because of the rules, but the men found a loophole in.. 1990? I want to say so that their short programs consisted of 3A, 3A+3T, 2A as the jumps and that was quickly fixed. Pretty incredibly to think about, actually! If they really didn't want the ladies trying the Axel, they could've shut that down but they probably thought so few could do it, so why bother?

Russia is going to be full-force to get the rule in, and I don't know that any other nation will be so eager to want it.

 

[VGThuy]

Right, but I don’t see any loophole here that would allow for a quad since the rules are explicit about how the ladies can only do Triples at the most, so they can’t just do it. When Harding and Mao planned the triple axel the rules allowed for it, they just had to do a double axel as well until that rule changed.

 

[Vagabond]

If the quads start becoming more commonplace, then you run into the issues of PCS factoring still being at 0.8 and some ladies running away technically - we already see it happening in Russia. They really are going to have to figure out a balance, and moving the factors to 1.0 and 2.0x don't necessarily solve it if judges still hand out high PCS as a result of difficult jumps attempted.

I don't think factoring is the solution. There should be some way of making TES and PCS equally important, albeit with the tiebreakers that still exist under COP but so rarely come into play. The 6.0 system looks worse and worse in hindsight, but it did a better job than COP in balancing technique and "artistry."

 

[Marco]

Ito's first 3axel in international competition was in 1989. IIRC the axel requirement allowed for a triple some time between 2010 and 2014 - which is weird considering at that time only 5 ladies had landed it ever and only 1 was active. All in all it was 10+ years after the first one was done.

Ito's first 3/3 in international competition was as early as 1984. But a 3/3 wasn't allowed in the ladies short until 1996-7 (I think?) so again roughly 10+ years after the first one.

I don't know how we count for the quads considering Surya's attempt didn't get ratified. Did Ando's count? If yes it is probably about time since she 'landed' it circa 2004, although she only did it once or twice and then for a long time no one else landed one. If Ando's don't count, then it isn't until 2018-9 when the Russian girls and Tursy made a run with those quads, and it will probably take at least 10 years for this to be incorporated into the short.

My guess is the ISU can't propose to add the quad into the ladies short program without being outright rejected until more senior ladies from OTHER countries start landing them regularly in the free. If we see one or two at Worlds from non-Russians (Rika?), then we are talking.

 

[VGThuy]

Ito's first 3axel in international competition was in 1989. IIRC the axel requirement allowed for a triple some time between 2010 and 2014 - which is weird considering at that time only 5 ladies had landed it ever and only 1 was active. All in all it was 10+ years after the first one was done.

I remember some Yuna Kim fans complaining at the time that the rule change in the SP, coupled with no longer allowing for more than two double axels in the LP, and ridding the ladies of a spiral sequence was all done to make Mao more competitive against Yuna since Mao could now attempt a SP with nothing but triples to counteract against Yuna’s GOE and PCS advantage and Yuna had two less elements she could now do where she almost always gained an advantage over Mao on in terms of GOE prior.

 

[Frau Muller]

They don’t want select women to run away with the competiton in the SP just yet. Once more women have quads in their arsenal, then they will make it an option. It took a long time for the ISU to allow men to do quads in the SP, and the solo jump in the women’s SP used to be a double for quite some time until the 1994-1995 season.

Ah, so it’s the “Let’s try to fend-off Russian Ladies” decision?

 

[VGThuy]

Ah, so it’s the “Let’s try to fend-off Russian Ladies” decision?

Same reason it took a while for the quads for the men’s’ side. Like at junior worlds some years, only a few men could do multiple quads. I remember when Vincent Zhao won his junior worlds, he was quite behind when the elements were equal in the SP but then made up for it in the LP by some way with his multi-quad program.

 

[allezfred]

Ito's first 3axel in international competition was in 1989.

1988.

https://youtu.be/i4O2yrKsKKE

I don't know how we count for the quads considering Surya's attempt didn't get ratified. Did Ando's count? If yes it is probably about time since she 'landed' it circa 2004, although she only did it once or twice and then for a long time no one else landed one.

Yes, Ando’s quad Salchow at the 2002 JGPF was homologated by the ISU.

https://youtu.be/IhGBjulfUfk

 

[gkelly]

There was never going to be a change in the senior singles SP requirements for 2022. Major changes of that sort need to get passed at the ISU Congress, which always takes place in even-numbered years, not just imposed by the technical committee or ISU council, and they usually go into effect the following season.

The changes to the senior pairs and junior singles and pairs SPs are cyclical changes of rotating elements that have been taking place every year, announced now for clarity, but not new decisions.

This communication does not represent a new decision.

If there had been a 2020 ISU Congress as normal in 2020, major changes would either have gone into effect immediately for this season (2020-21) or been delayed until 2022-23 if they involve substantive changes that will take time to phase in.

The 2020 Congress was postponed to 2021, but don't expect big changes to program content to go into effect at the last minute in the Olympic season.

There will probably be some big decisions introduced at the postponed 2020 Congress this coming spring, or at the 2022 Congress. Adding quads to SPs will likely be on the table -- it remains to be seen whether such a proposal will pass. Or even be voted on -- even bigger changes to the structure of competitions post 2022 might make anything to do with short programs moot.

 

[gkelly]

Ito's first 3/3 in international competition was as early as 1984.

Earlier than that if you count juniors:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z7a1tCxqch0

But a 3/3 wasn't allowed in the ladies short until 1996-7 (I think?) so again roughly 10+ years after the first one.

Yes. Well more than 10.

 

[Dave of the North]

Of course it was because of the rules, but the men found a loophole in.. 1990? I want to say so that their short programs consisted of 3A, 3A+3T, 2A as the jumps and that was quickly fixed. Pretty incredibly to think about, actually! If they really didn't want the ladies trying the Axel, they could've shut that down but they probably thought so few could do it, so why bother?

Russia is going to be full-force to get the rule in, and I don't know that any other nation will be so eager to want it.

This was similar to Kurt Browning's jump layout in 1990. At Worlds in Halifax he did TA-DT, popped the TA into a double and had to convert the DA at the end into a triple axel. (At Canadians it was a very messy TA-DT, TA, popped the double axel into a single)

 

[MacMadame]

even bigger changes to the structure of competitions post 2022 might make anything to do with short programs moot.

What?

 

[Orm Irian]

What?

I think gkelly is referring to the proposed change to a 'technical' and 'artistic' program of equal length. Hence no more 'short' programs.

 

[MacMadame]

I think gkelly is referring to the proposed change to a 'technical' and 'artistic' program of equal length. Hence no more 'short' programs.

I completely missed that. How likely is it to pass?

 

[Sylvia]

This is a machine translated excerpt from a sport-express.ru article published in January 2020:

Another [2020 ISU Congress] proposal that the source claims passed the technical committee is truly revolutionary. This is the division of figure skating programs into technical and artistic - instead of short and free. In the summer, ISU vice-president Alexander Lakernik told SE about this idea:

- There is an idea to change the competition so that the short and free programs are much more different from each other and have the same weight in order to give the same medals for them. The work is in progress. But how successful this development will be is the question. If everything works out, then new disciplines will really appear, medals at the Olympics.

The bottom line is that in the technical program, the elements will be evaluated with a weight of 60%, and the components will be 40%, and in the artistic program it will be the other way around. Moreover, there is hope that this will generate a drawing of new sets of medals at the Olympics. It is not known how the IOC will react to the ISU initiative and how the Congress itself will vote, but at least in this case the organizers will not need to expand the schedule. It's just that now a separate medal will be awarded for each rental [segment].