This article contains a summary of some of the updates made to Competitive Singles, Pairs, and Ice Dance program requirements for the 2019-2020 season. Please note that this is not meant to be a comprehensive summary of all changes; rather it is to highlight some of those that are most significant. For a summary of all changes, please refer to the recently posted Competitive Quick Reference Guides, upcoming Programming Requirements Guides and after July 1, the updated Competition Program Requirements – Competitive Rule.
Singles and Pairs
Falls/Bonuses
Following the implementation of Cumulative Points Calculation (CPC), the decision was made to not apply a deduction when a fall occurred during an element in Singles and Pairs. This was designed to encourage athletes to acquire more challenging elements earlier in their development.
For the 2019-2020 season, the deduction for a fall on an element will be re-introduced along with a revised bonus structure. The intent of the fall deduction is to help develop consistency and an understanding that there is consequence to major errors.
To continue to encourage athletes in Singles to acquire more challenging elements, the fall deduction will be offset with a bonus structure that rewards specific elements at appropriate stages of an athlete’s development.
Bonus values will be included in Quick Reference Guides once finalized, and in Competitive Program Requirements Guides later this year.
Fall deduction values by category will continue as stated in Scoring of Skate Canada Competitions Rule.
Bonus and fall information will be updated in the Scoring of Skate Canada Competitions Rule when rules are updated July 1.
Pre-Novice and Novice Free
To encourage the development of the skating skills, the Step Sequence will replace the Choreographic Sequence in both Pre-Novice and Novice Singles Free Programs. To ensure adequate music time is available, one spin has been removed from the Pre-Novice Free Program.
Novice Free Program Time
To support the participation of our NextGen athletes in North American Cup assignment, we are aligning our Novice Women Free Program with US Figure Skating by increasing the music time by 30 seconds and adding 1 jump element. This additional time also allows time for the change from Choreographic to Step Sequence.
Ice Dance
Pattern Dance
All competitive categories, Pre-Juvenile to Novice will now allow for teams to use music of their choice for Pattern Dances. Pre-Juvenile and Juvenile teams must select from the approved list of STAR Pattern Dance music selections.
Teams will still have the option to use Skate Canada Series 8 (Pre-Juvenile and Juvenile) and ISU Ice Dance Music (Pre-Novice and Novice) selections. Further information will follow this spring on how to ensure that selected music matches the tempo specifications of a particular dance.
In addition, plans are in place to expand the list of approved music selections for STAR Pattern Dance, thus increasing the selections available for Pre-Juvenile and Juvenile.