Ask an Expert: Judging

Fanny-Ève Tapp has been an official for 19 years and is now an international judge in singles and pairs, as well as a section-level technical official, referee, and learning facilitator. She was also a television analyst for figure skating championships on the RDS network for five seasons.

We asked you to submit your most burning questions related to judging, and we had Fanny-Ève answer them!

What is your favourite part of being a figure skating judge?

My favourite thing is definitely sharing a passion with people from everywhere and from so many backgrounds, for the love of the sport and those practicing it.

In my role, I also like the challenge of flexing all my judging brain muscles to award marks that precisely reflect the performance that was delivered.

What was the process to become a judge?

The process to become a judge involves a series of trainings that combine online and in-person learning. You start with judging singles, and as you go further, you can choose to take more training and add pairs, ice dance, and/or synchro to your qualifications. I encourage anyone who is interested to contact their section for more information.

My path to becoming a judge started at age 16 when my club chair noticed that I was passionate about the sport but wasn’t too keen about getting involved in coaching after serving as a CanSkate assistant for a few years. She offered me the opportunity to become a judge, and I went to my first clinic. That’s where it all started for me, and I am so glad I did.

(The various pathways to become an official in Canada can be found here. For more details on the process, click here.)

Do you ever find it hard to not clap or smile during a performance?

It’s exciting to see a skater who is having the performance of their lives for sure, because we have the best seat in the house, and we all share that passion for the sport! However, we are trained extensively to put that emotion aside, remain neutral without bias, and focus on awarding marks that reflect all aspects of the performance we’re seeing. Our role requires us to assess the performance of the day based on the criteria, both for grade of execution (for elements like jumps, spins, step sequences, choreographic sequences and elements, lifts, etc.) and program components (composition, presentation, skating skills).

How do you judge a skater’s component mark?

There are three program components that are designed to reward the artistic and choreographic aspects of the program and the technique of the skater:

• Composition is about the design of the program in relation to the music.
• Presentation is about the performance in relation to the music.
• Skating skills is the fundamental technique of skating and movement.

There are 15 criteria bundled in the three program components marks. Each mark is evaluated independently on an absolute scale of 0.25 to 10.0, based on a set of criteria of equal importance.

The judge is tasked to objectively assess each of the criteria, and to mark each component on the absolute scale to represent the performance of the day.

Want to know more?

• ISU Program Components Chart
  Deep dive into each component

Does eye contact help your score in artistic?

Eye contact is part of the ability of the skater to express the music and capture the viewer, and to create or arouse an emotion. This is evaluated through expressiveness and projection, one of the criteria in the presentation component. However, expression and projection doesn’t always have to be eye contact! It can be more subtle and even inward, according to the choice of music and how the skater chooses to deliver it.

What do you look for in spins?

There are many things we look for in spins, including:

• • The quality of positions
  • Speed
  • Centering
  • Creativity
  • Musicality
  • And how effortless it looks to execute.

Are backflips allowed in competition?

This is a very timely question! Starting this season, backflips (somersault type jumps) will be allowed in Junior and Senior programs. In other categories, and in the past for Junior and Senior, it is considered an illegal movement with a deduction of 2.0 points.

Do you prefer instrumental music or not?

I don’t have a preference – it’s really the skater’s choice! What judges are looking for is how the skater expresses the music through movement, whatever they choose. Even a classical or renowned piece can be performed in many different ways – it’s all in the skater’s power to make it their own.

What do you think is more important: jumps or spins?

All elements are important in a program. Each element has a base value to which we apply a grade of execution from -5 to +5, and that’s how a skater accumulates points for their technical score. Every little detail matters!

How much does a skater’s previous work and reputation affect your judging?

It doesn’t affect it at all! It’s part of our Code of Ethics to not show bias, to remain neutral, to base our marks on the performance of the day, and to not be influenced by reputation or past performance.

Is it a disadvantage to skate early in the order?

No, skating order has no influence on the marking. Judges are trained to assess the performance as they see it, when they see it, no matter how early or late in the event. This also means that the free program/free dance is a new day with new opportunities for skaters.

Do you prefer skaters that are more artistic, or skaters that have better jumps?

It’s important to have a combination of both. The scoring system is built so that an equivalent weight is given to both the technical score and the artistic score, which are then added to create the final score.

How much does the look of the skater’s costume and the music factor into judging the performance?

There is no mark awarded specifically for music or costume. It’s the choice of the skater to pick music and a costume that will enable them to feel comfortable interpreting the music and translating into movement the emotions and atmosphere it suggests.

There can be deductions for music – if the style or rhythm is not as required in ice dance, for example, or costume – if a part falls on the ice or if it is considered by a majority of the panel as being inappropriate, for instance.