I'm thinking of entering my first IJS competition (all the UK ones seem to still be 6.0) and will need to submit a program contents sheet. Is there anywhere I can find a guide on how to do it? I'm sure my coach will help fill it in, but I'd like to have at least done my homework and tried to work it out myself.

I'm also very curious as to how low bronze level adults get in terms of scores. I'd imagine that my single jumps aren't worth much and then with a negative GOE I must be looking at getting minus marks or do I not understand the system enough? I'm hoping that I can get my coach to calculate a potential score before I skate (even if she has to seal it in an envelope) just so I know when I get the marks if I've done well against myself rather than against anyone else.

USFSA has an explanation for filling out the PPCS:
http://www.usfigureskating.org/Shell...=283&sid=35247

As for scores, it's difficult to know exactly how the judges will score the GOEs. Most will probably take an adult-mindset approach and not give everyone, say, -2s because the jumps don't look Olympic.

Here are the results for some of the adult ISU competitions in 2006, 2007, and 2008.

Also, check out the USFSA adult championships scores from this year. Of course, it would help to see the skaters' programs to match the scores, but you can get a sense of how everyone fared by perusing through the PDFs for ladies and men.


If nothing else, do what you can do, and do it as well as you can.

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One thing which is a little confusing is that there are some jumps marked as A with no scoring and then some which are 1A< which are not scored. Are the first ones really waltz jumps and therefore getting no base mark because they don't count in IJS and the second ones axel attempts which are underrotated and therefore being considered as waltz jumps?
Looking at the scoring I'm going to really have to work out how to spin properly as there seems to be more marks available on basic spins than on landing any of the single jumps.
But I fully agree, do what you can do and do it as well as you can, sounds like a good motto to have.

Does anyone know of any template sheets for how to fill in the components, now I've got a guide for how to fill them in?

Don't worry, none of us getting those A and 1A< marks have figured that out either, LOL! But your guess sounds about right.
You are absolutely right about the spins, too. It's better to do an easy spin and get full credit for it than to try a difficult combination spin that goes awry. Plan your spin mistakes carefully, as you will get a big fat zero for the whole thing if you don't have at least two revolutions in each position and at least 3 (I think that's what it is for Bronze) revolutions total on each foot. You'll also want to pay attention to whether your sitspin is low enough. If your skating thigh is not parallel to the ice on your sitspin, it's best to avoid any spin that consists only of the sit position or the sit position plus one other position. If you can do a camel-sit-upright, then you're OK because the camel + upright give you the two positions you need for it to qualify as a combination spin even if they don't give you credit for the sit position.
You also need to make sure the code for each spin is different. If you already have a camel-layback combination spin, then you do a sit-upright later in the program, you will get no credit for the sit upright because it's classified as a CoSp (combination spin with change of position but no change of foot), just like the camel-layback. The same code is used for a forward spin and backspin, too, so you can't get credit for a forward upright spin if you've already done a reverse upright spin.
I think that's pretty much it for the warnings. If you pay attention to those things, you should do better than most first time IJS competitors.
You can find the codes and point values for the various elements here:
http://isu.sportcentric.net/db//files/serve.php?id=934

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An "A" is a pop or something close to it or a once around, a "1A <" is something that is slightly under-rotated.

Don't worry too much.

What you do is, you write down the list of elements you plan to do in your programme, in the correct order. Then you get your coach or a friend to watch you do your programme, stopwatch in hand, and note down the time in your programme that you do the element. And then you make a fair copy and send it off to Sally or Aude (I assume this is for Dunkerque) a few days before the competition.

If you don't know the correct abbreviations, don't worry about it, just write the element name in full - it all has to be entered into the computer, anyway.

You won't get a negative score - if the GOE is -3, they factor it so that it comes out with a positive mark anyway; obviously if you fluff the element and it's not called, you don't get a mark for it. And if your mind goes blank and you do a completely different programme on the day, it also doesn't matter. The PPC sheet only lists what you plan to do, not what you actually do!

We adults almost never get positive GOEs, just getting a 0 is an achievement. And they do factor the programme component scores so that most people get a reasonable score - for Bronze, which is what I think you are, anything between about 8 and about 25!

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Mrs Redboots
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I love my computer because my friends live in it!
Ice dancers have lovely big curves!

Oh well at least a number like 8 and the possibility of a double digit score, sounds a lot better to tell non-skating people rather than the whole I didn't get much above 1.0.

and yes, you're right this is for Dunkerque. Currently I'm wondering where the program is going to come from, because the program I ran this morning (which has completely changed since I last ran if before the summer) was a complete disaster. Jumps became place holders, step sequence didn't happen (well I started at one end and got to the other, but the step bit wasn't really working). It's going to be a fun couple fo months sorting this out!

Oh and don't worry about the spins. I have a reasonable upright spin (on both legs I might add, although the weaker leg is way below going into a program other than the synchro routine), have a really dodgy sit spin which doesn't really qualify on the thigh parallel, but I don't think it's that far off as I've been told it's just about test standard, but doesn't have safety margin for nerves yet. There is no camel and a layback is a pipedream. Currently I'd be quite happy to have a back spin, but if that gets me no extra credit from an upright I'm not going to stress about it's nonexistence. But given that I've just realised that spins are SO important for adult competitions, I'm going to work doubly hard to sort them out. Shame that spinning is just so darn difficult, but that's another story.

Husband has barely done his programme since the Mountain Cup - he decided to give free skating a rest for a few months, but he's hungry again now. And you wouldn't believe how badly he skated this programme last Dunkerque - he ended up on his bottom, looking very surprised, which made everybody laugh but did his scores a great deal of no good, and was soundly beaten by somebody who, on the books, he ought to have beaten by a mile! Ah well, these things happen.....

We are going to have to decide, within the next few days, whether he puts himself through that again!

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Mrs Redboots
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I love my computer because my friends live in it!
Ice dancers have lovely big curves!