Teaching Figure Skating Rules
The best time to teach the rules of figure skating is during practice; for example, watching out for other skaters doing their programs. Please refer to the official Special Olympics Sports Rules book for the complete listing of figure skating rules.
- During competition, if a problem arises while on the ice, the athlete must go directly to the referee.
- In a compulsory round, the athlete must wait until the referee gives the signal to begin.
- Compulsory elements will be skated twice.
There are few differences in the rules for Special Olympics Unified SportsŪ Figure Skating competition as the rules are stipulated in the official Special Olympics Sports Rules and modifications are outlined in the rules book. The additions are highlighted below.
- A partner must not be a registered coach at that competition.
- A partner must be of similar ability and age as the athlete.
Protest procedures are governed by the rules of competition and may change from competition to competition. Only rules violations can be protested. Divisioning decisions and judgment calls made by officials cannot be protested. The protest must cite specific violations from the rulebook and a clear definition of why the coach feels the rule was not followed.
The role of the competition management team is to enforce the rules. As a coach, your duty to your athletes and team is to protest any action or events while your athletes are competing that you think violated the Official Figure Skating Rules. It is extremely important that you do not make protests because you and your athlete did not get your desired outcome of an event. Protests are serious matters that can impact a competition's schedule. Check with the competition team prior to a competition to learn the protest procedures for that competition.
