Leena Laaksonen and Michela Cesaro discuss 2026–27 rule changes, choreographic elements, judging consistency and plans to improve scoring transparency.

The International Skating Union (ISU) held a media roundtable on October 16, 2026. Leena Laaksonen, Chair of the Technical Committee for Single and Pair Skating, and Michela Cesaro, Chair of the Technical Committee for Ice Dance, joined the discussion. They explained this season’s rule changes and shared feedback from skaters and coaches. They also discussed judging consistency and ways to make figure skating easier for audiences to understand.

Singles and Pairs: Balancing Technical Difficulty and Artistry

Laaksonen said the new rules aim to balance technical difficulty with artistry. The men’s and women’s free skate now allows six jumps instead of seven. The Euler no longer counts as a listed jump. Skaters can use it to connect jumps and add another jump within a combination or sequence. New limits on repeated jump types also encourage variety.

The ISU has raised the base values for spins, step sequences and choreographic elements. These changes help balance the different parts of a program.

Some skaters and fans worried that the jump reduction would disadvantage technically strong skaters, especially men who rely on multiple quadruple jumps. Laaksonen said the new rules still give them room to demonstrate their jumping skills.

“It’s not taking anything away from their skills,” she said. “It’s just giving a little bit more freedom and more possibility to also show the artistry in the program.”

Is It an “Ilia Malinin Rule”?

One journalist asked whether the changes targeted Ilia Malinin. Some critics viewed the rules as an attempt to make the top men easier to beat. Laaksonen rejected that interpretation.

“Of course, we’re making the rules for the whole global community of skaters,” she said. “So we’re not just thinking about one skater when we make the rule changes.”

Laaksonen said the committee wants to give artistry more weight. In her view, jumps had begun to dominate programs too much. The ISU also wants to give strong performers more opportunities to engage audiences and create memorable moments.

“I really want to emphasize that a good skater is a full package of different skills,” she said. “It’s not just like one skill at all.”

The journalist also questioned whether the ISU had consulted the athletes most affected by the changes. Laaksonen said the committee had gathered feedback from coaches and skaters at European and World Championships. It had also held coaches’ seminars and open-house sessions.

She wants to strengthen that dialogue. The committee aims to develop rules with coaches, choreographers and skaters, rather than simply announce changes to them.

Why Have the Highest Scores Remained Unchanged?

Another journalist asked why the all-time highest scores had remained unchanged despite the reduction from seven jumps to six. Would one fewer jump make personal bests harder to achieve?

Laaksonen pointed to two factors. First, the ISU raised the base values for spins, step sequences and choreographic elements. Second, the Euler change gives skaters another way to include a jump in a combination or sequence.

“So some of the technical elements have a higher base value so that balances out that difference,” Laaksonen said.

The changes affect more than the number of jumps. They also change how skaters can distribute technical difficulty across their programs.

New Choreographic Elements in Singles and Pairs

The new rules introduce a choreographic spin in singles, along with a choreographic lift and choreographic pair spin in pairs. These elements give skaters more freedom to connect movements to music and create memorable moments.

Laaksonen said skaters must rethink their approach to the choreographic spin. In the past, they focused on technical difficulty, including positions and variations. Now, they must also consider musical interpretation and the element’s overall quality.

“We really hope to see something innovative and something that is done with good quality and with the music,” she said.

Laaksonen wants each spin to bring the program to life. She hopes spectators will remember the element because it fits the performance.

She has already seen some strong examples, although other skaters still need time to adapt. She expects the quality of these elements to improve as the season progresses.

Pairs have also begun exploring the new choreographic lift. Laaksonen said teams have used the element successfully and shown variety in their choices. The lift gives them more freedom to use the music and ice surface creatively.

The choreographic pair spin has proved more challenging. Some teams still perform it much like the former pair combination spin, adding lifts within the spin. Laaksonen hopes they will develop more distinctive approaches as they gain experience.

World Records and Changes to Scoring

Rule changes and adjustments to the scale of values can affect scores. They can also complicate comparisons with previous world records. Laaksonen acknowledged that the committee must consider these effects whenever it changes the scoring system.

“We need to review the rules once in a while and we need to see what’s working and what’s not working,” she said.

The committee considers how changes affect records and how easily the media and public can compare scores across different eras. However, Laaksonen said the ISU must also consider the sport’s long-term development and the needs of skaters.

Ice Dance: A Return to Ballroom Roots

Cesaro outlined the ISU’s long-term vision for ice dance. The committee wants to bring the discipline closer to its ballroom roots. The return of the pattern dance and key points in the senior rhythm dance form part of that effort.

“The aim is to give to the rhythm dance a clear identity with a stronger emphasis on modern ballroom and other structural dance styles,” she said. “The free dance, in contrast, should remain the space for broader creativity, allowing couples to explore different styles, musical interpretation, and storytelling.”

This season marks the first stage of the plan. Cesaro expects a more significant step next season. The 2026–27 changes include:

• Senior rhythm dance: The level-four requirement for sequential twizzles has increased from four to five rotations.
• Creative dance element: Couples must perform toward all four sides of the rink.
• Junior and senior free dance: A new middle feature now forms part of the dance spin.
• Senior free dance: Couples must include a third twizzle in the synchronized twizzle sequence. They may add a fourth twizzle to increase the element’s level.
• Senior free dance: Couples now perform two choreographic elements instead of three. This change gives them more room for choreography and creativity.

Cesaro outlined three priorities for ice dance. The committee wants to simplify the rules, improve judging consistency and help audiences understand the discipline. The ISU has launched an intensive education program for judges, referees and technical panels. The program aims to build a shared understanding of the rules and encourage consistent application.

Clarifying Judging in Ice Dance

Cesaro explained how the ISU has changed the evaluation of choreographic elements. The technical panel now flags only a limited number of problems, such as errors in an element’s construction.

An error symbol does not automatically require a negative grade of execution (GOE). Judges can still award a positive GOE, including +4, when the symbol identifies a construction error rather than a negative feature of the performance.

The change gives judges more responsibility for evaluating choreographic elements. Cesaro said the committee wants judges to focus on timing, rhythm and musical interpretation. It is working closely with them to deepen their understanding of these qualities.

The committee has also reached out to the ice dance community worldwide. Cesaro said it wanted input from more than just skaters and coaches involved in the senior Grand Prix series. The wider consultation should help the ISU hear more perspectives and explain the rules more clearly.

The ISU is pursuing broader judging reforms, including data-driven judge selection, expanded education for officials, and technology to support more consistent assessments. Emilie Billow, the ISU’s first Head of Officials for figure skating, outlined those initiatives in a separate media roundtable.

Could Skaters Challenge Their Scores?

The roundtable also addressed whether skaters might eventually challenge scores they believe officials applied incorrectly. Laaksonen confirmed that the committee had discussed the idea internally. However, she said the ISU would need wider consultation and clear rules before introducing such a system.

“But definitely it’s an idea that we should be thinking about, of course, as well,” she said.

The ISU is also exploring ways to make scoring more transparent. Laaksonen said the organization is working with Swiss Timing on an experiment involving Smart View and artificial intelligence to analyze jump landings. The technology might support work on step sequences in the future, but that application remains under consideration.

The ISU wants to use graphics and visuals on arena screens and provide more detailed feedback to skaters. Clearer protocols could also help skaters and coaches understand which features earned points and why officials identified errors or deductions.

Cesaro said audiences often struggle to understand ice dance results. She wants the judging system to communicate the importance of music, rhythm and tempo more clearly.

Strengthening Communication With Skaters and Coaches

Both chairs stressed the importance of consulting the skating community as the new rules take effect.

Laaksonen said coaches and choreographers welcomed the reduction in jumps. It gives them more time to build interesting program structures. Many skaters have also said their programs now contain a wider variety of movements.

One description stood out: the programs feel like “a package full of interesting movements.”

The committees have gathered feedback through seminars and open-house sessions at the European and World Championships. Laaksonen wants the ISU to keep developing rules alongside coaches, choreographers and skaters.

“We really want to strengthen the communication and interaction with the coaches and the choreographers and the skaters to ask their opinions,” she said. “So they are very valuable to us.”

The ISU plans several new communication initiatives. Laaksonen said a new app for singles and pairs would launch soon. It will give the technical committee a more direct way to communicate with coaches and skaters.

The committee also plans to hold an open house at every Grand Prix event. Coaches and skaters can discuss current rules and suggest future changes. The ISU is also considering a global seminar for coaches and skaters at the beginning of next season.

Cesaro said the Ice Dance Technical Committee chat would become useful soon. The ISU also plans a new communication channel for singles, pairs and synchronized skating. These channels should help the committees share clarifications more quickly.

Officials can already access detailed educational presentations through the eRink platform.

An Ongoing Process

Both chairs stressed that this season marks only the beginning of a longer process. Skaters and coaches will need time to explore the new choreographic elements and understand their purpose. Meanwhile, the ice dance committee will continue refining the identity of each segment and working to improve judging consistency.

The ISU is still considering ideas such as a score-challenge system and more detailed feedback for skaters. The committee will continue reviewing the rules and assessing what works.

As Cesaro concluded: “To conclude, this is an ongoing process, a long process.”

For Laaksonen and Cesaro, the goal is clear. They want technical difficulty and artistry to work together. They also want better communication to help skaters, coaches and audiences understand how figure skating continues to evolve.