Falls 1. The Technical Specialist (TS) this year has to identify falls and call the deduction (not the Referee) and the Technical Controller confirms the deduction. TS have to call a Fall immediately when they see it regardless if it is in the element or outside. After the program you have to make sure that proper deduction is in the computer. Make sure that you study the new definition for Fall which has been changed this year. a fall is defined as loss of control by a skater with the result that the majority of his/her own body weight is on the ice supported by any other part of the body other than the blades e.g. hand(s), knee(s), buttock(s), or any part of the arm. 2. Make sure you study all the wording changes that are coming up for illegal elements which you have to call. There will be clarification for instance for swinging partner around so we allow one hand lifts and we do not call them Illegal. -lifting partner swinging the lifted partner around by holding the skate(s)/boot(s) only or by the leg(s) only or by holding the hand(s) with full arm extension by both partners is an illegal element.
Lifts 3. A Full Split Pose will be identified when the legs of the lifted partner are extended in one line with angle between thighs about 180 degrees. Picture #1 shows a very clear Full Split. Word about gives the room for human eyes. You need to make a decision if you see about 180 or not. Remember that this is minimum requirement and if Split is more than 180 it should be considered as well. Picture # 3 shows position where body is turned towards right leg, right leg (in front) is straight, left leg is at the back and is bent towards back of the body making it even harder (kind of like towards Biellmann pose). Because it is 180 plus more and because leg is bent past 180 this position should be consider difficult as well. But Picture #2 shows opposite situation when forward leg is bent under the body (under the split) and making this pose much easier. Because the forward leg is bent in inside of 180 angle and because legs are not straight in one line it should not be considered as Full Split (legs need to be extended in one line or more as pictures # 1 and #3 shows).
4. WARNING!!!! THIS IS A CHANGE FROM FRANKFURT!!! We will count only Full Splits for purpose of counting how many Full Splits is allowed in lifts in program. We will not count not Full Splits!!! Only when Full Split is identified you can give credit for purpose of higher Level and only than you will count that pose as one of the allowed Full Splits. If you decide that it is not enough and it is not a Full Split do not give credit for Level and do not count it as a Full Split. Reminder from official communication: OD A Full Split Pose for lifted partner is permitted in only one Short Lift. Another lift in Full Split Pose will be demoted to Level 1 FD A Full Split Pose for lifted partner is permitted in only one Short Lift and/or in one part of a Long Lift. Each additional lift in Full Split Pose will be demoted to Level 1. 5. Definition of Upside down Split (Illegal Element) WARNING!!!! THIS IS A CHANGE FROM FRANKFURT!!! Upside down Split is a split (with angle between thighs of lifted partner be close to or more than 45 ) in which hips are in an upside orientation and one of the legs (the one higher) is past vertical line. The reason IDTC is saying close or more is because it is very difficult to see 45 degrees. So we have some room to work with remember that main reason for all this is that we do not want to see any non aesthetic poses. We include a template of what 45 is, please print this out and take it with you to the competitions. Picture #6 and #7 show exactly 45, one with legs straight and one with legs bent. Please note that Picture #8 and #9 are ok and will not be considered upside down split pose because the higher leg is not past vertical point (split is not upside-down). Position of upper body doesn t matter that much (but the lower body does as hips must be facing up) because skater can pull upper body all the way to one of the legs and if the legs are upside down it is still an Upside Down Split even though the upper body is not upside down as the lower body is (hips) in order for the legs to be split upside down. Please notice that on Picture #9, body is upside down but split not and on Picture #10 Body is not upside down and split is upside-down. Picture #6 and #11 shows that even if legs are bent you can have an Upside Down Split
6. Please note that there is other clarification coming out about Upside-down Splits: An Upside down split pose is not permitted in any type of lift and will be called as an illegal element. A brief movement through an upside down split pose will be permitted if it is not established (sustained) and/or if it is used only to change pose Reason: to clarify that a movement through an upside down split pose will be permitted if it is not held (established). 7. Some explanations about difficult poses: - Leaning out where the only point of support are legs - The only place where partners touch (hold) are ladies legs and she is leaning out (not just being held upright). Hips are not legs :-) so the support has to be clearly lower than the hips - Balancing with one point of contact but no support Lady balances on her own, boy doesn t hold her, she doesn t hold him she is balancing either on his leg or shoulder. If girl is balancing on both legs of man in crouch position (laying across his legs) it will not qualify as difficult pose (balancing) because there are two points of support and not one as required. 8. Always call what you see in Combo Lifts and remember that there are special instructions how to deal if one of the parts of Combo Lift is Long lift. For the Combination Lift, because only lift types a),b),c) and d) are permitted: -if a couple skate an e) or f) lift as the first part of the Combination Lift, the Reverse Rotational (e) or Serpentine (f) Lift will identified and the lift will receive no level. -if a couple skate an e) or an f) lift as the second part of the Combination Lift, that part of the lift will be identified as a Rotational or Curve lift and the remaining part of the lift will not be counted in determining the level. 9. WARNING!!!! THIS IS A CHANGE FROM FRANKFURT ie 180 degrees!!! For purpose of counting how many splits are in the program you need to count only every Full Split that qualifies by the definition of the Full Split (which is 180 degrees) regardless if it is upside down or not. So if there is upside down Full Split (180 ) you will give it illegal element and count that one as one of the Full Splits. So if there will be 2 nd Full Split in another short lift - that lift gets proper name and Level 1. 10. Remember in OD that they only can do 1 Full Split pose as there are no 10 second lifts where they could do a part in a Full Split pose. So a second lift in Full Split pose gets Level 1 in the OD. 11. If you see an illegal element in a lift (for instance upside down split or swinging partner around) call the name of the element, DO NOT GIVE LEVEL!!! and say Illegal Element. If it is a Combo Lift and you see illegal pose in any part of that lift you need to identify both parts of Combo Lift (ex. Curve Lift + Rotational Lift) DO NOT GIVE LEVELS to any part and say Illegal Element at the end. If in Combo Lift you already called first part with level (ex. Curve Lift Level 3) and you see Illegal pose in second part you have to say Cancel to cancel previously given level and call from the beginning Curve Lift no level plus Rotational Lift no level Combo Illegal Element
If there is an Illegal element outside of required elements than just call Illegal Element, for instance 1 full turn jump in OD It is important that after the program TS and TC check that on the screen (in the computer) to ensure that we have name of the element and NO LEVEL and then in the section with deduction the proper deduction for Illegal Element. 12. For a Significant change of pose in a lift you have to see all 3 : - lifting partner changes hold - lifted partner changes hold - lifted partner changes body pose so it is different pose, different picture. Make sure that the change is significant!!!!!. 13. For Rotational Lifts change of pose will only count if lifting partner continues rotating when a change is done. If rotation stops and change is done and than further rotations are done it should not count as a change of pose for purpose of giving higher level. 14. There has been very clear clarification that this year a one hand lift will only count if there is absolutely no other contact between partners than one hand / arm of lifting partner. Many lifts that received Level 4 last year will not qualify anymore. Think about it like this, that skaters have to show you clearly that there is no other point of support. Shoulder is not hand or arm so if lifted partner is holding on shoulder it is not a one hand lift. Spins & Combo Spins 15. In Combo Spin Level 2 we need to see either: one type of difficult pose for one partner in any part of the spin and one type of difficult pose (can be the same ) for the other partner for any part of the combo spin Or One type of diff pose in first part of Combo for one partner and second (different) type of pose in the second part of Combo Spin for the same partner. example: girl does sit with leg forward and then sit with leg backwards, and boy does sit with leg backwards and sit with leg forward that can be only Level 2 because we have only two types of poses. In Level 3 Combo Spin we need to see 3 different types of difficult poses. example: sit forward, sit backwards, Bielman - two poses would be done by one partner and one of those poses would be done by other partner. In Level 4 Combo Spin we need to see 4 different types of difficult poses. 16. Split in Spins will count when the skater holds his/her own leg (holding leg or boot), both legs are straight and the boot is higher than the head. The other partner can not hold / support the leg that is in the air. Picture #12 show that leg is not high enough, Picture #13 is ok.
17. For Sit Positions in Spins Remember that if leg is forward you need to see thigh parallel to the ice and when the leg is to the back or side you need to see only 90 degrees to consider it difficult. Picture #16 shows 90 with leg backwards, Picture #17 shows what should not be considered difficult position because angle is more than 90, Picture #18 shows that if leg is forward and skater has only 90 angle it is not enough, thigh has to be parallel to the ice, and Picture #19 shows seat position that will be considered difficult with leg forward.
18. WARNING!!!! THIS IS A CHANGE FROM FRANKFURT!!! In the sit position with leg behind and free leg crossed behind and touching or very close to the spinning leg /skate the requirement to consider it a difficult pose is thigh parallel to the ice and not just 90 degrees. 19. In the Spin if they do 4 rotations and have different type of difficult pose it will be Level 3 it does not have to be the same pose for level 3, it is just minimum requirement. But if they have 5 rotations and different difficult type it will be Level 4 20. Camel Spin with body arched with head and free foot almost touching (doughnut/ring) means that the leg has to be very close to the head with body arched back (like a Biellmann) or with body sideways ring/doughnut. Full Biellman 21. Full Biellmann is PULLING THE LEG ABOVE AND BEHIND THE LEVEL OF THE HEAD which means any part of boot or blade is clearly higher than the head. New definition for all disciplines says: pulling the leg above and behind the level of the head. In the picture #15 the free leg (skate) is not high enough and Picture #14 and #16 shows that it is above and behind the level of the head.
Twizzles 22. In the Free Dance (Junior and Senior event) always call backwards or forward twizzles (depending on entry edge of the first twizzle). DO NOT FORGET!!!. We agree to do this even for Junior competition just to get used to it and not to have different calling instructions for different events. 23. Make sure you watch carefully entry edge in to twizzles. We had some cases where skater looked like he/she was starting backwards but he/she was on two feet until his twizzling skate was already forward. In that case you have to count this as forward edge, count rotations properly and call it a forward twizzle even if the girl started backwards. Also watch for a checked three turn, and then twizzle starts which is edge that matters. 24. In the Free Dance only the first set of twizzles will be called in Junior and only the first set (option 1) or the first two sets of twizzles (option 2). In Senior they can not do 2 twizzles and 2 spins so depending on whether they choose an extra spin or twizzle, an extra spin (not an extra twizzle) will show up as an extra element and require a deduction. The extra sets of twizzles are just not counted but are permitted. 25. Only full rotation will count in Twizzles and any other rotational elements. So no more ohh they were within a quarter turn: For instance if you see a forward inside twizzle that has only 3 rotations it is very possible you will see a stepping out of last rotation. If twizzling skate did not make all the way forward on that last rotation you should count it as 2 rotations only (because we do not count halves for purpose of levels). 26. In Synchronized Twizzles we give a Level of the weaker (lower level) skater. If girl was Level 3 and boy Level 1 we will give Level 1. e.g. boy touched down and did fewer rotations.
Step Sequences 27. In OD this is how we will call Not-Touch Midline Steps as the steps and the twizzles will now receive separate calls: - at the beginning (right when they start) call Midline Not-Touching Steps so data operator can start the box and judges have a place to GOE. - than when you see twizzles call Twizzles Level # - than at the end of the whole step sequence call the level of steps by saying steps level # This is very important because we have a lot of talking to do and at the same time we need to watch steps and twizzles. So the moment you see twizzles identify them and call level, but do not give level of the steps until couple finishes totally whole step sequence. 28. In Step Sequences we give a Level of the weaker (lower level) skater. So that is a change to what we used to do. If girl was Level 3 and boy was Level 1 last year we would give Level 2 but this year it will receive Level 1, the level of the weaker skater. 29. Remember that we have AND between all the requirements in Step sequences. So when someone will do a one foot section with bracket, rocker and twizzle than on top of this they will need to do 5 types of turns to be able to get for instance level 4 which means the steps done in the one foot sections will have to be repeated. But it is ok to continue on one foot (because it is actually harder). So once one foot section is identified and you have enough types of steps in it for a level than you can start counting further turns as types of turns for the purpose meeting the 3 or 5 types requirement for level 3 or 4. But remember that a Choctaw must be done and it can not be done on one foot. 30. Choctaws have to be from inside to outside edge or outside to inside edge and you have to see the edge. Doesn t have to be slow or long but you need to see the blade on correct edge at least for a moment. Otherwise it should not count as Choctaw. Same with all other turns. Flat - No Edge (straight, two edges, etc) to Flat - No Edge is not a rocker it is nothing. 31. During steps if you see one easy step and one hard and again one easy and one hard than at the best you can have 50%. So you need to see 3 out of 4 steps to be difficult to meet the 75% requirement. But be careful because very often a skater will do one rocker than will stand on one foot for long time (15 feet of ice coverage). All those 15 feet count as nothing and you have to take this in to consideration when you are trying to figure out %. Remember Steps must be at 75% AND Pattern (Ice coverage) has to at 75%. 32. Just to help with differentiation between rocker and counter think that a rocker will always start like it could be a three turn but obviously the turn will end up on same edge as the edge before turn. Counter starts like a bracket 33. This year it will be much harder to look and give level to step sequences. We advise that you learn and practice how to write down every step on paper during the practice. The reason is we need to have evidence to defend our call. Because rules are very specific we need to do that. Everyone can develop their own codes or you could adopt the ones proposed here so we can be consistent and be able to compare notes: m Mohawk x Choctaw c Counter r rocker b bracket t single twizzle (or 1 ½)
t2 double twizzle (or more) 1 section on one foot that qualifies for Level 3 1+ - section on one foot that qualifies for Level 4 - nothing (any steps that are not difficult or standing on one or two feet ) We advise that when you write down when watching step sequence put down as many - as many easy steps you see or if a skater is just standing and doing nothing than continue doing -. That will help you to determine the percentage (%) easier and more accurate. So as an example this could be possible diagonal steps: ---rbb-x-m--1+--t2-xcc---x--" that step sequence for that one partner will receive Level 3 because has all the requirements for Level 4 but not 75% 34. Template of 45