Law 1: Disciplines and the competition

Single and pair skating consist of a Short Program and a Free Skating; the Rhythm Dance, Free Dance and Pattern Dances belong to ice dance.

Source: ISU Sports Rules S&P/ID 2026, Rules 300.1 and 335 A.1 · recall

ISU Events, the Olympic Winter Games and the Youth Olympic Games hold ice dance as a Rhythm Dance and a Free Dance. Pattern Dances can be part of other international competitions.

Source: ISU Sports Rules S&P/ID 2026, Rule 335 B.1-2 · recall

International Competitions may run single and pair skating as a Short Program and a Free Skating, or as a Free Skating alone, the latter for seniors only.

Source: ISU Sports Rules S&P/ID 2026, Rule 335 A.2 · applied

Every skater, pair or couple performs a segment alone on the ice surface; women, men, pairs and couples also compete in separate events.

Source: ISU Sports Rules S&P/ID 2026, Rule 335 C.b-c · recall

The rules define both a pair and an ice dance couple as one woman and one man.

Source: ISU Sports Rules S&P/ID 2026, Rule 300.1-2 · recall

ISU Events, the Olympic Winter Games and the Youth Olympic Games need two covered, closed and heated rinks; other international competitions need at least one covered rink, preferably heated.

Source: ISU Sports Rules S&P/ID 2026, Rule 342.2 · recall

A two-segment event is recommended to run over at least two days but no more than three consecutive days.

Source: ISU Sports Rules S&P/ID 2026, Rule 344.1 · recall

The area should be 60 m by 30 m if possible, never larger, and at least 56 m by 26 m: 26, 30, 56 and 60 m.

Source: ISU Sports Rules S&P/ID 2026, Rule 342.1; ISU Sports Rules SYS 2026, Rule 802.1 · recall

One skater, then a pair of two; in synchronized skating a Synchro9 team has nine skaters and a Synchro12-16 team twelve to sixteen.

Source: ISU Sports Rules S&P/ID 2026, Rule 300; ISU Sports Rules SYS 2026, Rule 800.1 · recall

No official sits on the ice. The judges and the Referee sit at the rinkboard; the raised position is for the Technical Panel, where the arena allows it.

Source: ISU Sports Rules S&P/ID 2026, Rule 342.1 · applied

The organiser provides an announcer to summon the competitors and read the scores and results.

Source: ISU Sports Rules S&P/ID 2026, Rule 336 a · recall

The organiser needs at least one timekeeper for single and pair skating and at least two for ice dance.

Source: ISU Sports Rules S&P/ID 2026, Rule 336 b · recall

All official communications at ISU Events, the Olympic and Youth Olympic Games and international competitions are published in English.

Source: ISU Sports Rules S&P/ID 2026, Rule 345 · recall

The hosting ISU Member, or the ISU, provides the Referee with a video recording of each segment.

Source: ISU Sports Rules S&P/ID 2026, Rule 346 · recall

The Program Content Sheet is the official form listing the planned elements of each segment.

Source: ISU Sports Rules S&P/ID 2026, Rule 349 · recall

A Program Content Sheet is handed in for every segment of the competition except the Pattern Dances.

Source: ISU Sports Rules S&P/ID 2026, Rule 349 · applied

The Referee deducts 1.0 for a start between one and 30 seconds late, from the final score.

Source: ISU Sports Rules S&P/ID 2026, Rules 350.2 and 353 1.n · applied

The skater is called, takes the starting position, skates, and the announcer then reads the scores.

Source: ISU Sports Rules S&P/ID 2026, Rules 336 a and 350 · applied

Events should not start before 9:00 and should finish by 23:00; when both segments fall on one day, at least four hours separate the end of the Short Program from the Free Skating.

Source: ISU Sports Rules S&P/ID 2026, Rule 344.2-3 · applied

The starting position must be taken within 30 seconds of the call; after that a deduction applies, and at 60 seconds the skater is considered withdrawn.

Source: ISU Sports Rules S&P/ID 2026, Rule 350.2 · applied