Highlights, Governing Council Apr 2011

Please note that this is a quick, unofficial summary of highlights of changes. The text of this summary is not the official publication of the Rules and is not intended to be a complete listing. Please refer to the actual Governing Council Report of Action for the official words. Unless mentioned otherwise, these changes go into effect in competitions starting June 1, 2011. Here are links to the newly updated competition program elements sheets for 2011-12 season: Short Program, FS Juvenile-Senior, FS NoTest-PreJuv. Note that Test Track competition element changes become effective Sep 1 2011 and are detailed on the USFSA 2011/12 Test Track Elements sheet. Here is a Summary of Tests changes effective Jun 1 2011 and a link to the updated Test Forms.

Junior Nationals Restructured:

Junior Nationals will no longer (starting in 2013) be its own event with skaters qualifying through their Regional championships. It is changing in the following ways:

The four best-placed competitors in the intermediate and juvenile singles events in each region will qualify to enter the appropriate sectional championship. This will give young skaters a better understanding of how they will need to qualify for the National Championships in higher levels.
The current U.S. Junior Championships stand-alone event will be replaced with a smaller national competition for juvenile and intermediate athletes held in conjunction with the U.S. Figure Skating Championships. This is a wonderful change since Junior National competitors will now be at “big nationals” and can get inspired by the nation’s top skaters in the higher levels.
The four best-placed competitors in all intermediate and juvenile events (singles, pairs and ice dancing) from each section qualify to enter the national competition mentioned in item 2 above.

This change to Junior Nationals will not go into place this year but in competitive year 2013. There will still be a Junior Nationals in December this year and skaters will advance directly from Regionals.

Competition Element Changes

Novice Ladies Short Program is replacing the fixed Base Value spiral sequence with a leveled step sequence. (#135 p37 3662)

Novice Well-Balanced FS is replacing the option of a fixed Base Value spiral or a fixed Base Value choreographed step sequence with a leveled step sequence. (#136 p37 3663)

Novice Well-Balanced FS is allowing one additional triple jump to be repeated for novice men and to limit each double (and triple) jump to appear no more than twice for novice men and novice ladies (i.e. can repeat as many doubles as they like, but each can appear no more than two times in a program). (#149 p41 3663)

Novice Men Short Program now has a change of foot in the camel or sit spin. (#140 p38 3661)

Intermediate Short Program, Intermediate Well-Balanced FS and Juvenile/Open Juvenile Well-Balanced FS to replace the leveled step sequence with a fixed Base Value choreographed step sequence. (#137, #138, #139; p38)

Intermediate Well-Balanced FS to limit the number of spins to two. One spin must be a combination spin with at least one change of position, and one spin must be a spin in one position with no change of foot. Both spins may have a flying entry. (#141 p39 3672)

Juvenile: Increased the age for juvenile to “under age 14 as of Sept. 1 prior to the regional championships.” This means skaters have an additional year before they need to begin competing in Open Juvenile. (#116 p 28 3680)

Juvenile/Open Juvenile Well-Balanced FS to limit the number of spins to two. One spin must be a combination spin with at least one change of position, and one spin mus tbe a spin in one position with no change of foot. Both spins may have a flying entry. (#143 p39 3681)

Pre-Juvenile Well-Balanced FS to limit the number of spins to two. One spin must be a combination spin with at least one change of position (minimum six revolutions total), and one spin must be a spin in one position with no change of foot (minimum four revolutions). Both spins may have a flying entry. (#145 p40 3691)

The following levels can now only have two jump combinations and sequences in their programs instead of three (#150 p41)

Juvenile/Open Juvenile Well-Balanced FS
Pre-Juvenile Well-Balanced FS
Preliminary Well-Balanced FS
Pre-Preliminary Well-Balanced FS
No Test Well-Balanced FS

The following levels are limited to 2 jumps in any combination (no 3-jump combos). The number of jumps in jump SEQUENCES remains unlimited (#151 p41)

Juvenile/Open Juvenile Well-Balanced FS
Pre-Juvenile Well-Balanced FS
Preliminary Well-Balanced FS
Pre-Preliminary Well-Balanced FS
Test Well-Balanced FS

Adults Competition:

The maximum number of spins allowed in the championships masters junior-senior, masters senior and masters junior well-balanced FS events is reduced from four to three. (#78 p 15)
The maximum number of jumps allowed in the championships masters intermediate-novice, masters novice and masters intermediate well-balanced FS events is reduced from seven to six. (#79 p 15)
The maximum number of jump elements allowed in the championship adult gold and adult gold well-balanced FS events is reduced from six to five. (#80 p 15)
The Championships Masters Junior-Senior, Championship Masters Intermediate-Novice, Masters Senior, Masters Junior, Masters Novice, Masters Intermediate, Championship Adult Gold and Adult Gold well-balanced program requirements have been amended to allow the option of a choreographed step sequence or a choreographed spiral sequence. (#81 p 15)
The IJS system for championship, masters and gold levels of singles events will be used at adult sectional championships (#97 p22 2501)