How Does Grade of Execution (GOE) Work in Figure Skating?

Under the ISU Judging System (IJS), every technical element in a figure skating program receives two scoring layers. First, a base value: a fixed point total reflecting the element's difficulty. Second, a Grade of Execution (GOE) from each judge, adjusting that base value up or down based on execution quality.

GOE ranges from -5 (severely flawed or failed element) to +5 (exceptional execution). A GOE of 0 means baseline quality -- competent but unremarkable. Positive GOE rewards qualities like exceptional height, effortless flow, and creative entry or exit. Negative GOE penalizes falls (-5), under-rotations, poor landings, and loss of control.

The scale was expanded from -3/+3 to the current -5/+5 in the 2018-2019 season, giving judges finer granularity. This change increased the impact of execution quality on scores.

Each integer on the GOE scale corresponds to a percentage of the element's base value. This proportional system means that the same GOE rating produces a larger point adjustment on harder elements. For example, a +3 GOE on a quad Lutz (base value 11.50) adds 3.45 points, while a +3 on a triple toe loop (base value 4.20) adds only 1.26 points.

Every recognized figure skating element has a base value set by the ISU in its Scale of Values. The base value reflects the inherent difficulty of the element before any quality adjustment. Below are base values for common jump elements under the ISU Scale of Values for the 2024-2025 season.

Figure skating uses a trimmed mean to determine the final GOE for each element:

Step 1: All nine judges independently assign a GOE from -5 to +5.

Step 2: The highest and lowest marks are dropped, reducing the influence of outliers or bias.

Step 3: The remaining seven marks are averaged to two decimal places.

Step 4: The trimmed mean GOE is converted to a point value using the corresponding percentage of the base value, then added to or subtracted from the base value to produce the final element score.

Example: seven remaining marks produce a trimmed mean GOE of +2.43 for a triple Axel (base value 8.00). Adjustment: 8.00 x 24.3% = 1.94, giving a final score of 9.94.

The structure of the ISU Judging System is unchanged for the 2026-27 season, but ISU Communication No. 2788, issued on 23 April 2026, tightens how judges apply GOE. It replaces Communication 2701 and takes effect for the 2026-27 season, including the Junior Grand Prix, Skate America, and the ISU Grand Prix.

The headline change is a shift from offsetting to capping. Previously, strong qualities such as height and flow could partly offset a visible error, leaving an ambitious-but-flawed element with only moderate negative GOE. Under Communication 2788, a visible error now sets a ceiling on the maximum GOE the element can earn -- quality can no longer compensate for the mistake.

The ceiling applies across error types. A fall still draws the mandatory -5 GOE, while step-outs and two-foot landings, wrong-edge take-offs (such as a flutz on a Lutz), under-rotations and downgrades, and weak or unstable take-offs each cap how high the GOE can go, even when the rest of the element looks strong.

Communication 2788 also tightens the Levels of Difficulty: step sequences and spins must show clear variety, genuine use of both rotational directions, and full-body control, and judges credit only features that are clearly and completely achieved. For Program Components, judges must now mark Composition, Presentation, and Skating Skills more independently, producing a wider spread rather than one blanket number. None of this changes the -5 to +5 scale or the percentage table above -- it changes how strictly judges reach those numbers. To see how these marks appear on a real protocol, read reading figure skating scorecards.