Warm-Up Groups vs Practice Ice: What Changes?

The difference affects how you use the ice: a warm-up is for preparing to compete alongside other skaters, while practice ice allows more focused rehearsal. The exact format can vary by event.

This guide explains what changes in the session structure, how to plan your time on the ice, and what to check in the event schedule before you arrive.

How does a competition warm-up differ from practice ice?

A competition warm-up is a scheduled period on the event ice immediately before skaters perform their programs; practice ice is a separate session used to adjust to the surface and surroundings.

Practice ice gives you time to get used to the competition surface before your segment. It may take place on the event ice before the event, so you can check how the ice feels and orient yourself to the setting without using the brief pre-program warm-up for every adjustment.

A warm-up group shares the ice with other skaters and has a defined place in the event schedule. The group’s time is not an open practice session: it is the final on-ice period before the skaters in that group perform.

• Practice ice: a separate session for broader adjustment to the surface and surroundings.
• Competition warm-up: scheduled event ice shared by a group immediately before its programs.

The event schedule determines when the warm-up happens. Your usual training routine or preferred timing does not move it; check the schedule for your segment’s warm-up period, then use any practice-ice session to acclimate more broadly.

How do draw order and warm-up groups relate?

Competition warm-up groups are tied to the draw, while practice groups do not change based on it, according to the USA Figure Skating Rulebook for 2019–20.

The rulebook describes a warm-up group as defined by the draw: the start order for each event segment. That makes the draw relevant to competition warm-up assignments, but it does not establish that every part of the group structure must change whenever the draw does.

What to check for your event

Use the event’s current schedule and official instructions to confirm the warm-up assignment for the segment you are skating. The schedule is the practical reference for the applicable group and timing; do not assume that the rulebook’s draw-based definition answers every scheduling detail.

What can you do during each kind of ice time?

Practice ice lets you test the competition surface before the event; the scheduled warm-up is for feeling the ice and preparing to skate your program.

Before the segment

Use a practice-ice session to get accustomed to the actual event surface and make measured adjustments before competing. For a first-time competitor, skating there beforehand can reduce uncertainty about how the ice feels underfoot. Treat the session as preparation, not a reason to overhaul a program.

• Practice ice: Check how the competition surface feels while skating, then make any needed adjustments before the event.
• “Watch one”: Observe an event before your own to become more familiar with the competition environment.

During the shared warm-up

The scheduled warm-up gives you a brief chance to feel the ice and prepare for your program. Use it for that immediate preparation; it is not a substitute for a separate practice session.

• Scheduled warm-up: Focus on the ice and getting ready to perform.
• Separate practice: Use practice ice beforehand if you need time to adjust to the event surface.

How do competition sessions fit around practice ice?

Practice ice is separate from a competition’s warm-up groups: it may be scheduled on the event ice the day before or on the morning of the event, while the warm-up group belongs to the event schedule. Availability and timing depend on the competition, so check its official schedule and practice-ice information for competitor access.

At the 2026 U.S. Figure Skating Championships, single-session tickets for Sessions 1, 3, 5 and 7 cost $31 to $68 after taxes and fees. These are spectator ticket prices, not practice-ice fees.

• Sessions 1, 3, 5 and 7: $31 to $68 after taxes and fees.
• Sessions 2 and 4: $41 to $79 after taxes and fees.
• Sessions 6 and 8: $51 to $116 after taxes and fees.

The session prices help spectators compare event tickets; they do not tell competitors whether practice ice is available or when they can use it. For that, check the championships’ official schedule and practice-ice information.

When does practice ice not settle the warm-up question?

Practice ice cannot confirm how a specific competition will arrange its warm-up groups because practice sessions and competition warm-ups serve different purposes. Practice ice lets a skater acclimate to the event surface; the competition warm-up is part of the event schedule.

The USA Figure Skating Rulebook’s draw-based description is useful for understanding how groups relate to skating order, but it does not establish that every competition uses the same warm-up-group structure. Check the event’s schedule and official instructions rather than treating another competition’s format as a template.

What to check if there is no practice ice

• Warm-up duration: Use the time listed for your event; do not assume it matches another competition.
• Ice access: Follow the event’s instructions for who may use the ice and when.
• Acclimatisation: If no practice-ice session is available, you still have the scheduled competition warm-up, but you have less opportunity to get used to the ice beforehand.

Before travelling, check the latest event schedule and official instructions for your segment, including its warm-up time and any practice-ice arrangements.

Frequently asked questions

Key takeaways

• Competition warm-up groups are tied to the draw and segment start order in the USA Figure Skating Rulebook for 2019–20.
• Practice ice does not change with the draw, according to that rulebook.
• Practice ice helps skaters acclimate to the event surface; the warm-up is brief, scheduled preparation before performing.
• Verify practice-ice access and warm-up details in the specific competition’s official schedule.