Law 8: Synchro9

Synchro9 consists of battles in up to four different segments and programs, built on creative freedom, shapes and innovation.

Source: ISU SR SYS 2026, Part III, Rule 1.1 · recall

The Semi-Final program lasts at most 2:40; the Starting Round and Final programs at most 3:30.

Source: ISU SR SYS 2026, Part III, Rule 1.2, 8 · recall

The Starting Round comes with a prescribed theme and the Semi-Final with a prescribed beats per minute; the Final and Placement Battles take music of the team's choice.

Source: ISU SR SYS 2026, Part III, Rule 7-9 · recall

The Semi-Final may be skated on the day of the Final if at least 30 minutes pass after it ends, or on the day before.

Source: ISU SR SYS 2026, Part III, Rule 3.3 · applied

The music is played once for the Semi-Final and the Final, and twice for the Starting Rounds, each time without a break.

Source: ISU SR SYS 2026, Part III, Rule 3.4 · recall

The Semi-Finals are cross-seeded: the first of one Starting Group meets the second of the other.

Source: ISU SR SYS 2026, Part III, Rule 4.2 · recall

The second-ranked teams of the Semi-Finals meet in the Bronze Final, skated before the Final between the Semi-Final winners.

Source: ISU SR SYS 2026, Part III, Rule 4.4 · recall

The battles go Starting Rounds, Semi-Finals, then the Bronze Final before the Final.

Source: ISU SR SYS 2026, Part III, Rule 3.2, 4.4 · applied

The Final's winner is first and the other finalist second; the Bronze Final's winner is third and the other team fourth.

Source: ISU SR SYS 2026, Part III, Rule 4.5 · applied

B joins the first of one group with the second of the other, the cross-seeding the rules ask for. A joins two group winners, C two teams of one group, D two seconds.

Source: ISU SR SYS 2026, Part III, Rule 4.2 · applied

Technique is Difficulty and Synchronization; Artistry is Originality and Performance, each half worth 50%.

Source: ISU SR SYS 2026, Part III, Rule 6.1, 16 · recall

The panel is a Referee and ten Judges, five drawn for Technique and five for Artistry; there is no Technical Panel.

Source: ISU SR SYS 2026, Part III, Rule 6.1.b · recall

Difficulty, Synchronization, Originality and Performance are each marked from 1 to 100 in increments of 1; 80 to 89 means very good.

Source: ISU SR SYS 2026, Part III, Rule 6.2.b · recall

Scores of a judge from the competitor's own ISU Member that survive the trimming are removed before the trimmed mean is taken.

Source: ISU SR SYS 2026, Part III, Rule 6.2.d · applied

The four sub-criteria are added, deductions subtracted, and the total divided by four and rounded, so the most is 100 points.

Source: ISU SR SYS 2026, Part III, Rule 6.2.d · recall

One Full Team Movement is assessed on a single sub-criterion drawn before the battle, and the team scoring higher wins it.

Source: ISU SR SYS 2026, Part III, Rule 6.2.d · recall

Scores are not carried forward; a team's final result is its placement in the last segment it skated.

Source: ISU SR SYS 2026, Part III, Rule 6.3.b-c · recall

The tie goes to the higher Synchronization score, then Performance, then Difficulty, then Originality; if all four match the teams stay tied.

Source: ISU SR SYS 2026, Part III, Rule 6.3.a · applied

The highest and lowest are deleted, then any remaining judge from the competitor's own Member, and the rest are averaged and rounded to two decimals.

Source: ISU SR SYS 2026, Part III, Rule 6.2.d · applied

Technique Judges draw for seats 1, 3, 5, 7 and 9, the odd ones, shown in B; Artistry Judges take 2, 4, 6, 8 and 10, as in C.

Source: ISU SR SYS 2026, Part III, Rule 6.1.b · applied

A Synchro9 team has nine skaters and may in general include women and men, but for 2026/27 and 2027/28 teams are formed by women only.

Source: ISU SR SYS 2026, Part III, Rule 1.3.a · recall

The team must show all four basic core shapes, block, circle, line and wheel, and meet the requirements published by the ISU.

Source: ISU SR SYS 2026, Part III, Rule 2.3 · recall

Highlighters stay part of the team; what they perform is left out of the Difficulty score but considered in the others.

Source: ISU SR SYS 2026, Part III, Rule 5 · recall

A team that withdraws after the draw loses all its remaining battles; its opponent wins the round if it finishes its own program.

Source: ISU SR SYS 2026, Part III, Rule 10.5 · applied

Synchro9 teams are announced by their ISU Member's name, unlike Synchro12-16 teams, whose own team name follows the Member.

Source: ISU SR SYS 2026, Part III, Rule 12.3 · recall

With no Technical Panel in Synchro9, the Referee decides each fall, and every confirmed fall costs 1.0.

Source: ISU SR SYS 2026, Part III, Rule 14 · recall

Synchro9 deducts 4.0 for every illegal movement, twice what Synchro12-16 takes for an illegal element.

Source: ISU SR SYS 2026, Part III, Rule 13 · recall

A late start of up to 30 seconds costs 1.0, a stop of over 20 up to 30 seconds 2.0, and an illegal movement 4.0.

Source: ISU SR SYS 2026, Part III, Rule 13 · applied

Each team warms up for one minute and is then announced; it must be in its starting position within 30 seconds and must take no more than 30 seconds to leave after the program.

Source: ISU SR SYS 2026, Part III, Rule 11-12 · applied

The best-ranked team goes to Group A, the next to B, the third to A and so on, which gives 1, 3, 5 against 2, 4, 6, as in C.

Source: ISU SR SYS 2026, Part III, Rule 10.3 · applied