# General Rules, Law 11: Who may compete: eligibility, citizenship, age (ISU Sports Rules)

Figure Skating · Law 11: Who may compete: eligibility, citizenship, age · Insporta Book (https://book.insporta.app/figure-skating/laws/general-law-11-who-may-compete-eligibility-citizenship-age/)

Who keeps the right to compete in ISU events and how it is lost and won back, which country a skater may represent and how to change it, and the age limits of the senior, junior and novice categories. Shared by every discipline.

## 11.111 Who may compete: eligibility, citizenship, age

Eligibility and reinstatement, citizenship, residence and changing country, and the age categories.

### Test 1: Eligibility and reinstatement

- A person becomes ineligible by skating or officiating in an international competition not sanctioned by the ISU, or otherwise breaking the eligibility rules, when the Council imposes it. (Source: ISU CER 2026, Article 7.2.3)
- Eligible persons may take part in exhibitions and shows that include ineligible skaters, in line with the conditions set by their own ISU Member. (Source: ISU CER 2026, Article 7.2.4.2)
- Taking part in national competitions and non-competitive events such as shows and appearances is governed only by the rules of the skater's ISU Member, not by the ISU eligibility rules. (Source: ISU CER 2026, Article 7.2.2.1)
- Eligible persons may enter competitions open only to a defined group, such as adult or impaired skaters, with the Council's prior written approval of the competition. (Source: ISU CER 2026, Article 7.2.4.4)
- An official who is or has been ineligible may not serve as a Referee, judge, Technical Controller or in similar roles at Championships, the Olympics or international competitions unless reinstated by the Council. (Source: ISU CER 2026, Article 7.2.6)
- The Council may make a reinstatement effective immediately or after whatever waiting period it considers fit in the circumstances. (Source: ISU CER 2026, Article 7.3.2)
- The competitive season runs from 1 July to 30 June; the ISU calendar is organised over it to limit clashes between competitions. (Source: ISU CER 2026, Articles 7.2.1.8 and 8.4.1)
- Reinstatement may be applied for once half of the period of ineligibility has been served, by the person or their Member, only once per sanction and on the official form; the Council then decides. (Source: ISU CER 2026, Articles 7.2.3 and 7.3)
- The ISU notifies the person in writing with its reasons, the person may reply in writing within one month of receipt (extendable by a month), and the Council rules on the evidence. (Source: ISU CER 2026, Article 7.2.5.2-3)
- A competition counts as held if at least three competitors entered and two appeared at the start. A: three entered, two started. B had only two entries; C and D had a single starter. (Source: ISU CER 2026, Article 7.1)

### Test 2: Citizenship, residence and changing country

- ISU Events and international competitions may be entered only by members of an ISU Member, and only through that Member. (Source: ISU CER 2026, Article 8.1)
- A skater may compete only for the ISU Member of a country of which they are a citizen or in which they have resided for at least one year. (Source: ISU CER 2026, Article 8.2.1)
- Residence for one year means a documented continuous stay of at least 180 days within the past calendar year, reconfirmed every year by the Member. (Source: ISU CER 2026, Article 8.2.1)
- Skaters competing for a Member of a country whose citizenship they do not hold, and skaters changing Member, need a clearance certificate from the ISU Office, applied for through the new Member (synchronized team members aside). (Source: ISU CER 2026, Article 8.3)
- Within one season, 1 July to 30 June, a skater may skate for only one ISU Member in all ISU Events and international competitions, even across several disciplines. (Source: ISU CER 2026, Article 8.4.1)
- In exceptional cases such as a refugee, stateless or neutral athlete, the Council may enter a competitor for a specific event; such a competitor does not count against any country's quota. (Source: ISU CER 2026, Article 8.5)
- The Council may reject a clearance certificate application even when all formalities are met, if granting it would be detrimental to the development of the sport. (Source: ISU CER 2026, Article 8.6)
- A skater changing Member needs the last Member's permission (not to be unreasonably withheld) and a clearance certificate, and may compete for the new Member only twelve months after last competing for another. (Source: ISU CER 2026, Articles 8.2.3 and 8.3)
- Synchro9 skaters must all belong to the entering Member; a Synchro12-16 team of 12 to 14 may include three skaters from other Members with a permit, and one of 15 or 16 may include four. (Source: ISU CER 2026, Article 8.2.4)
- In pair skating and ice dance one partner must be a citizen of the country of the Member, and no citizenship or residence rule applies to the other: B has a circle citizen. A, C and D have none. (Source: ISU CER 2026, Article 8.2.2)

### Test 3: Age limits

- Senior ISU Events, senior international competitions and the Olympics are open only to skaters who turned 17 before the 1 July preceding the event. (Source: ISU CER 2026, Articles 9.1.1 and 9.3.1)
- Senior describes competitions with a minimum age of 17 in the regulations, but it is not used in the title of any ISU Event. (Source: ISU CER 2026, Article 9.1.2)
- A junior must have turned 13 before the 1 July preceding the event; single skaters must not yet have turned 19. (Source: ISU CER 2026, Article 9.3.2)
- Junior pair skaters and ice dancers may be at most seven years apart in age; the man is also over the junior pair limit, as he must not have reached 23. (Source: ISU CER 2026, Article 9.3.2)
- A senior synchronized team is made up of skaters all of whom turned 17 before the 1 July preceding the competition. (Source: ISU CER 2026, Article 9.4.1)
- Basic Novice, in every discipline, is for skaters who had not reached 14 before the 1 July preceding the competition. (Source: ISU CER 2026, Article 9.3.3)
- Members must make sure their entries meet the age rules; a Member that breaks them may lose the right to send skaters to the senior or junior ISU Events and international competitions the following season. (Source: ISU CER 2026, Article 9.5)
- Before the 1 July preceding the event, junior single skaters must not have reached 19, junior ice dancers (women and men) 21, and junior pair skating men 23; junior pair women are capped at 21. (Source: ISU CER 2026, Article 9.3.2)
- Advanced Novice skaters must have reached 10, juniors 13 and seniors 17, each before the 1 July preceding the competition. (Source: ISU CER 2026, Articles 9.3.1-3)
- A senior must have turned 17 before the 1 July that precedes the event. Only A's birthday falls before 1 July 2026; B, C and D turn 17 after it, even though C does so before the event itself. (Source: ISU CER 2026, Article 9.1.1)

Sources: ISU Competition & Event Regulations 2026, Articles 7-9 (paraphrased in original wording; original questions authored from the regulations, not reproduced)

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