New Spin Rules-Breaking Down the Updates for the IJS

Marking spins is significantly more difficult than the jumps. There are more variables, and sometimes mistakes are less obvious, so this is going to be a long one, and might be confusing if you're not already familiar with the system. (If you're not The Skating Lesson has done a great job of breaking it down in video form, which you can watch here). I'm always available for questions and discussion about anything skating related.

That said, here are the updates to the IJS for singles spins. Most of these rules also apply to SBS spins in pairs, but pairs will be broken down more clearly later.

For clarification, the IJS defines variations as "a movement of the body part, leg, arm, hand or head which requires physical strength or flexibility and that has an effect on the balance of the main body core." These variations are the only thing that increase the level awarded to a skater for a spin.

- Spins will also be given reduced values when one or more of the five required elements of spins are not reached (s for one, ss for two). Any skater who does not meet one of the requirements will receive only 70% of the base value, and if two are not reached, the skate will only receive only 50%

The 5 requirements are: a clear visible jump when executing a flying spin, reaching the basic landing position within the first two revolutions in a flying spin, and the basic position must be held for at least two revolutions in a flying spin. Any spin with a change of foot must have at least one basic position per foot. Spin combinations with a change of foot must include all three basic positions.

- Features for higher levels on spins for this year are:

1)   Difficult variations (count as many times as performed with limitations specified below)
2)   Change of foot executed by jump
3)   Jump within a spin without changing feet
4)  Difficult change of position on the same foot
5)   Difficult entrance into a spin
6)   Clear change of edge in sit (only from backward inside to forward outside), camel, Layback and
Biellmann position
7)   All 3 basic positions on the second foot
8)   Both directions immediately following each other in sit or camel spin
9)   Clear increase of speed in camel, sit, layback or Biellmann position
10)   At  least  8  rev.  without  changes  in  position/variation,  foot  or  edge  (camel,  layback,  difficult
variation of any basic position or for combinations only non-basic position)
11)   Difficult variation of flying entry in flying spins/spins with a flying entrance (see Clarifications)
Additional features for the Layback spin:
12)   One  clear  change  of  position  backwards-sideways  or  reverse,  at  least  3  rev.  in  each  position
(counts also if the Layback spin is a part of any other spin)
13)   Biellmann position after Layback spin (SP – after 8 revolutions in layback spin)

- Many of these features only count once per program. 2-9, 11-13 count only the first time they are attempted, and feature 10 only counts the first time it is completed successfully.
- Each variation [in each basic position (sit, camel, and upright)] counts only once per program. Meaning a skater, for example will not receive credit for two broken leg sit spins in the freeskate, but can receive credit for one in the short and one in the free. These variations are counted the first time it is attempted.
- In camel variations, if the skater's leg drops for a long period of time while preparing for the variation, they will be awarded the variation,but will receive a lower GOE for "poor/awkward/unaesthetic  position(s)" (the exact GOE deduction will be broken down later when we discuss GOEs specifically)
- The variation "Change of foot executed by jump" and "Jump within a spin without changing feet" only apply to a spin when a) they hold a basic/non-basic (variation) position for 2 revolutions before jumping, b) reaches the basic position within two revolutions after landing back on the ice, and c) holds that position for at least two revolutions.
- While "difficult entry into a spin" is still a variation, unlike in the past (though not this past season) a backward entry no longer counts as a difficult entry. (You can of course still have a difficult backward entry but the back entry is not itself considered a difficult entry anymore)
- "Both  directions  immediately  following  each  other  in  sit  or  camel  spin"is kind of a complex variation. It is essentially two spins that will be counted as one. The skater performs the spin in one direction, then immediately steps out of it, into another spin in the opposite direction. This is where a physical knowledge of figure skating is extremely helpful for understanding, because this is very different from a sit change sit for example, because forward and backward spins are done in the same direction. This variation requires a minimum of three revolutions in each direction
- "Difficult  variation  of  flying  position  in  flying  spins/spins  with  a  flying  entry" is a vague descriptor for the variation awarded to a skater. It is at the judges' discretion, it seems.

This is a breakdown of the ISU's communication 1861 on the IJS which can be found online.
The breakdown will continue every week for the next few weeks until the major communications about IJS updates are all finished.