ISU Technical Chiefs Explain Figure Skating Rule Changes

Fewer jumps, more room to vary programs

The men’s and women’s free skate now permits six jumps rather than seven. The change has prompted concern that technically strong skaters, particularly men who build programs around multiple quadruple jumps, could lose opportunities to display that skill. Leena Laaksonen, chair of the ISU Technical Committee for Single and Pair Skating, said skaters still have room to demonstrate their jumping ability.

The Euler has also been removed from the list of jumps. Skaters may still use it as a link between jumps, including to add another jump within a combination or sequence. New limits on repeated jump types encourage variety, while the overall change shifts attention toward how technical elements are distributed across a complete program.

Scoring changes offset the jump reduction

The ISU has raised the base values for spins, step sequences and choreographic elements. The stated purpose is to balance the program’s different components as the jump allowance falls. Laaksonen said the higher values for some elements help offset the difference, while the Euler’s revised role leaves skaters another way to include a jump in a combination or sequence.

That adjustment also matters when scores are compared across seasons. Changes to rules and the scale of values can affect totals and make comparisons with earlier records less straightforward. Laaksonen said the committee reviews what is working and what is not, while weighing record comparisons alongside the sport’s longer-term development and skaters’ needs.

Choreographic elements gain prominence

The changes introduce a choreographic spin in singles, as well as a choreographic lift and choreographic pair spin in pairs. These elements are intended to give skaters more freedom to connect movement with music and create distinctive moments. For the choreographic spin, Laaksonen said skaters must look beyond technical difficulty and consider musical interpretation and the element’s overall quality.

Pairs are also adapting at different rates. Laaksonen said teams have used the new choreographic lift in varied ways, while some choreographic pair spins still resemble the former pair combination spin, with lifts added within the spin. She expects skaters’ approaches to develop as they gain experience during the season.

Technical chiefs defend the wider purpose

Some critics questioned whether reducing the jump allowance would disadvantage leading jumpers or make top men easier to beat. Laaksonen rejected the idea that the changes were aimed at one skater, saying the rules are made for the global skating community. She argued that jumps had come to dominate programs and that a strong performance should bring together multiple skills, not rely on one alone.

The committee has gathered feedback from coaches and skaters at European and World Championships, and through coaches’ seminars and open-house sessions. Laaksonen said the aim is to strengthen that dialogue and develop rules with coaches, choreographers and skaters rather than simply announce changes to them. The balance between technical content, performance and audience engagement is central to that process.

Ice dance changes point to ballroom roots

Michela Cesaro, chair of the Technical Committee for Ice Dance, described a longer-term effort to bring the discipline closer to its ballroom roots. The return of pattern dance and key points in the senior rhythm dance are part of that direction. Cesaro said rhythm dance is intended to have a clearer identity grounded in modern ballroom and other structured dance styles.

By contrast, the free dance is intended to retain wider creative scope for couples to explore styles, musical interpretation and storytelling. Cesaro described this season as the first stage of the plan and said a more significant step is expected next season. The singles and pairs changes therefore sit within a broader ISU effort to define how each discipline balances structure, difficulty and expression.

Takeaway: The ISU’s changes reduce the free-skate jump allowance while raising the value and creative role of other elements across singles, pairs and ice dance.