6.0 system
Encyclopedia
The 6.0 system was the judging system used in competitive figure skating
until 2005, when it was replaced by the ISU Judging System
in international events.
The 6.0 system was split up into "technical merit" (in the free skate), "required elements" (in the short program), and "presentation" (in both programs). The marks for each program ran from 0.0 to 6.0, the latter being the highest. These marks were used to determine a preference ranking, or "ordinal", separately for each judge; the judges' preferences were then combined to determine placements for each skater in each program. The placements for the two programs were then combined, with the free skate placement weighted more heavily than the short program. The individual with the lowest sum of the factored placements was declared the winner.
The 6.0 system was a ranking system. Skaters were ranked in comparison to each other in marks ranging from 0.0 to 6.0, with 6.0 being the highest possible mark. It was first introduced at ISU congress in 1901. Until that year skaters's marks ranged from 0 to 5. A 6.0 mark for technical merit was extremely rare.
The 6.0 system went through various versions in terms of how scores were tabulated and compared with each other. Up until 1980, for example, each judges' weighted scores from each phase of the competition were added together before computing ordinals, instead of using factored placements. Because compulsory figures
were scored using a wider range of marks than the short program or free skating
, this system allowed skaters to take a large lead in that segment of the competition, which made them effectively uncatchable in later segments. The system of factored placements, in which ordinals were computed for each competition segment separately and factors applied to the relative placements rather than the raw marks, was proposed as early as 1971 by former Hungarian champion and World Referee Pál Jaross, and finally adopted for the 1980-1981 season. In 1998, the method by which placements within a segment were computed was changed from "best of majority" -- ranking skaters by the highest ordinal for which they received a majority vote of the judges—to a system of "one-by-one" comparisons between the ordinals of all the skaters.
& Christopher Dean
earned nine 6.0 scores for artistic impression at the 1984 Winter Olympics
, and remain the only ice skaters to ever achieve that score.
The rationale for marking on a scale of 0 to 6.0, rather than another arbitrary maximum such as 10.0, was that each compulsory figure was skated with six tracings (three on each foot).
Figure skating
Figure skating is an Olympic sport in which individuals, pairs, or groups perform spins, jumps, footwork and other intricate and challenging moves on ice skates. Figure skaters compete at various levels from beginner up to the Olympic level , and at local, national, and international competitions...
until 2005, when it was replaced by the ISU Judging System
ISU Judging System
The ISU Judging System , is the scoring system on the event and on the level of competition. At the senior international level, single and pairs short programs contain eight technical elements. The actual eight elements are detailed for single skaters in ISU rule 310...
in international events.
The 6.0 system was split up into "technical merit" (in the free skate), "required elements" (in the short program), and "presentation" (in both programs). The marks for each program ran from 0.0 to 6.0, the latter being the highest. These marks were used to determine a preference ranking, or "ordinal", separately for each judge; the judges' preferences were then combined to determine placements for each skater in each program. The placements for the two programs were then combined, with the free skate placement weighted more heavily than the short program. The individual with the lowest sum of the factored placements was declared the winner.
The 6.0 system was a ranking system. Skaters were ranked in comparison to each other in marks ranging from 0.0 to 6.0, with 6.0 being the highest possible mark. It was first introduced at ISU congress in 1901. Until that year skaters's marks ranged from 0 to 5. A 6.0 mark for technical merit was extremely rare.
The 6.0 system went through various versions in terms of how scores were tabulated and compared with each other. Up until 1980, for example, each judges' weighted scores from each phase of the competition were added together before computing ordinals, instead of using factored placements. Because compulsory figures
Compulsory figures
Compulsory figures or school figures were formerly an aspect of the sport of figure skating, from which the sport derives its name. Carving specific patterns or figures into the ice was the original focus of the sport. The patterns of compulsory figures all derive from the basic figure eight...
were scored using a wider range of marks than the short program or free skating
Free skating
The free skating competition of figure skating, sometimes called the "free skate" or "long program", is usually the second of two phases in major figure skating competitions in single skating and pair skating. It is the longer of the two programs, the other one being the Short Program...
, this system allowed skaters to take a large lead in that segment of the competition, which made them effectively uncatchable in later segments. The system of factored placements, in which ordinals were computed for each competition segment separately and factors applied to the relative placements rather than the raw marks, was proposed as early as 1971 by former Hungarian champion and World Referee Pál Jaross, and finally adopted for the 1980-1981 season. In 1998, the method by which placements within a segment were computed was changed from "best of majority" -- ranking skaters by the highest ordinal for which they received a majority vote of the judges—to a system of "one-by-one" comparisons between the ordinals of all the skaters.
6.0 as a mark
While the 6.0 mark by itself did not mean anything out of context, it was often used as a sign of perfection. British ice dancers Jayne TorvillJayne Torvill
Jayne Torvill, OBE is a British ice dancer. With Christopher Dean, she won a gold medal at the 1984 Winter Olympics and a bronze medal at the 1994 Winter Olympics.-Early life:...
& Christopher Dean
Christopher Dean
Christopher Colin Dean, OBE is a famous British ice dancer who won a gold medal at the 1984 Winter Olympics with his skating partner Jayne Torvill...
earned nine 6.0 scores for artistic impression at the 1984 Winter Olympics
1984 Winter Olympics
The 1984 Winter Olympics, officially known as the XIV Olympic Winter Games, was a winter multi-sport event which was celebrated from 8–19 February 1984 in Sarajevo, Yugoslavia. Other candidate cities were Sapporo, Japan; and Gothenburg, Sweden...
, and remain the only ice skaters to ever achieve that score.
The rationale for marking on a scale of 0 to 6.0, rather than another arbitrary maximum such as 10.0, was that each compulsory figure was skated with six tracings (three on each foot).