How do judges score figure skating jumps?

Great question! Judges score jumps using two main components that work together.

First, there's the base value—a fixed point score assigned to each jump type and number of rotations. A single lutz is worth fewer points than a triple, for example. This is determined by the International Skating Union rulebook and never changes.

Then comes the Grade of Execution (GOE), which is where the artistry and technique matter. Judges watch for things like how cleanly your child takes off, whether they have good height and distance, how smoothly they land, and if they transition well into the next element. A beautiful, textbook jump gets a positive GOE (adding points), while a jump with shaky landings or wobbles gets a negative adjustment (subtracting points). Most competitive jumps fall somewhere in between.

Judges aren't grading on a whim—they're looking at specific technical markers. At Pre-Preliminary and Preliminary levels, judges focus heavily on basic execution: proper edges, clean takeoffs, and controlled landings. As skaters progress, the standards become more demanding.

The combination of base value plus GOE determines the final score for each jump, which then contributes to the overall program score.

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