Learning the Rulebook for Dummies | Golden Skate

Learning the Rulebook for Dummies

sk8chis

On the Ice
Joined
Apr 4, 2018
Hi!
I’ve been trying to make it my mission to read and understand the rulebook but i get about....maybe ⅛ of it before I either fall asleep or something else captures my attention and it’s forgotten. I’m sure I don’t need to read ALL of it, maybe not even half, unless i plan on judging or coaching (am i correct?) so to save the effort and time....

for those of you who have dabbled in reading and understanding it: What disciplines/sections/articles (whatever rocks your fancy on what you want to call it) do you think are a necessity for a skater to read and understand.
Any tips on how to simplifying what they’re saying? Sometimes I get a little confused reading it
 

gkelly

Record Breaker
Joined
Jul 26, 2003
Which rulebook are you referring to?

What kinds of rules to you want to know about?

E.g., if you're talking about the US Figure Skating rulebook and you're a skater in the US planning to take tests, it would be helpful to read the sections on testing.

If you want to know how competitions are organized and scored, read the Rules of Sport, especially the Technical Requirements for each discipline.

Think of the rulebook more as a reference book than something you would sit down and read straight through, even a section at a time. It's not designed to be a fun read.

But if you go in there looking for something specific and something else catches your eye that interests you, that's cool.
 

sk8chis

On the Ice
Joined
Apr 4, 2018
Which rulebook are you referring to?

What kinds of rules to you want to know about?

E.g., if you're talking about the US Figure Skating rulebook and you're a skater in the US planning to take tests, it would be helpful to read the sections on testing.

If you want to know how competitions are organized and scored, read the Rules of Sport, especially the Technical Requirements for each discipline.

Think of the rulebook more as a reference book than something you would sit down and read straight through, even a section at a time. It's not designed to be a fun read.

But if you go in there looking for something specific and something else catches your eye that interests you, that's cool.

The US Figure Skating rulebook is what i specifically meant but
Think of the rulebook more as a reference book than something you would sit down and read straight through, even a section at a time. It's not designed to be a fun read.

This makes sense. I just feel like sometimes, especially on here, I could engage in more conversations about the technical aspect of skating and participate in more discussions like i often see here, rather than just the visual aspect and/or the sport itself.
 

Ic3Rabbit

Former Elite, now Pro. ⛸️
Record Breaker
Joined
Jan 9, 2017
Country
Olympics
The US Figure Skating rulebook is what i specifically meant but


This makes sense. I just feel like sometimes, especially on here, I could engage in more conversations about the technical aspect of skating and participate in more discussions like i often see here, rather than just the visual aspect and/or the sport itself.

That comes with experience in the sport, not from memorizing a rulebook per se.
 

Ic3Rabbit

Former Elite, now Pro. ⛸️
Record Breaker
Joined
Jan 9, 2017
Country
Olympics
Agreed [emoji846] at least the first step is an interest to improve

Just learn what you need to in order to skate and don't worry much about the other stuff right now. Ok?
 

gkelly

Record Breaker
Joined
Jul 26, 2003
I just feel like sometimes, especially on here, I could engage in more conversations about the technical aspect of skating and participate in more discussions like i often see here, rather than just the visual aspect and/or the sport itself.

If you want to read about technical aspects of skating, let us know what technical aspects you're interested in and people can try to point you toward appropriate written material.

Reading the rulebook would be more for learning about rules than learning about technique.
 

vlaurend

Final Flight
Joined
Jan 14, 2008
And, BTW, the new 2018-19 USFS rulebook has just been uploaded to the USFS website.
 

coucou84

On the Ice
Joined
Jan 22, 2015
I feel like as a skater you could just ask your coach, they have for sure read the rulebook and know much more than you would, especially for lower levels. The rules can get confusing and might even differ from competition to competition, so for sure they would have a better idea than you would, even if you read the rulebook.

I personally like to ask "how many combos am I allowed to do? (in case I need to save a jump)" or "am I allowed to do a series?" questions like this so that you know ahead of time what jumps you can and can't do and how to arrange your patterns/jumps if needed.

If you really want to read the rulebook, I would suggest starting basic, like GOEs on falls, if there's an automatic deduction on falls, what are the bullet points to get positive GOE, the breakdown of the definition of each of the PCS categories, what is needed for a level 4 spin, stuff like that, before you dive into more complicated stuff about the politics of skating (the entries in competitions, the judges and how they are seated in competitions)
 
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