48 figure skating terms defined, from axel, lutz and salchow to stroking, rocker and twizzle, each explained in a single line.
Most figure skating terminology is really the names of elements: six jumps, a handful of spin positions and the steps and turns that link them. Commentators use those names at full speed, which is why an unfamiliar viewer hears Lutz, camel and twizzle without a chance to place them. The words related to figure skating gathered here include the ice skating terms that carry over to any rink, along with the words associated with competition and scoring. The figure skating glossary below puts every one of them in one alphabetical list.
Must-Know Figure Skating Terms, Phrases and Slang:
- Axel
- Biellmann spin
- Camel spin
- Choreography
- Combination jump
- Compulsory figure
- Death spiral
- Double jump
- Edge
- Flip
- Free skate
- Ina Bauer
- Jump
- Layback spin
- Lutz
- Pair skating
- Quad
- Rink
- Salchow
- Sequence
- Sit spin
- Spiral
- Spin
- Stroking
- Toe loop
- Triple jump
- Twizzle
- Waltz jump
- Zayak rule
- Ice dancing
Figure Skating Glossary: Every Term A to Z
| Term | What It Means |
|---|---|
| Axel | The only jump taken off facing forward, which is why it carries half an extra turn. Landed backward on the other foot. |
| Biellmann Spin | A spin with one skate pulled up above the head from behind, named after Denise Biellmann. |
| Blade | The steel runner under the boot. Its two edges and its toe pick do all the work. |
| Boards | The low wall around the rink. Beginners hold it, skaters use it to judge their pattern. |
| Camel Spin | A spin with the body horizontal and the free leg extended behind at hip height or above. |
| Choreography | The design of the program: how steps, jumps and spins are arranged to the music. |
| Combination Jump | Two or more jumps landed straight into one another with no steps or turns between. |
| Compulsory Figure | The traced patterns skaters once had to cut into the ice. Dropped from competition, and the source of the sport's name. |
| Death Spiral | A pairs element where the man pivots on one spot while his partner circles him almost flat to the ice. |
| Double Jump | A jump with two full rotations in the air. |
| Edge | The inside or outside side of the blade. Every element starts from a specific edge on a specific foot. |
| Element | Any single scored item in a program: one jump, one spin, one lift, one step sequence. |
| Flip | A toe-assisted jump taken off a back inside edge and landed on the opposite back outside edge. |
| Free Leg | The leg not carrying the skater's weight. Its line is a large part of how a move is judged. |
| Free Skate | The longer program, skated to the skater's own music with the full range of elements. Also called the long program. |
| Ice Dancing | The discipline built on rhythm, footwork and dance holds, with jumps and overhead lifts restricted. |
| Ina Bauer | A gliding move on two parallel blades, one foot forward and one back, body often arched back. |
| Jump | Any element where the skater leaves the ice and rotates before landing. Six are used in competition. |
| Kiss and Cry | The seating area beside the ice where skaters wait with their coach for the scores. |
| Landing | The back outside edge a jump comes down on, held with the free leg extended behind. |
| Layback Spin | An upright spin with the back arched and the head and shoulders dropped backward. |
| Lift | A pairs or ice dance element in which one partner raises the other off the ice. |
| Loop | A jump taken off and landed on the same back outside edge, with no toe assist. |
| Lutz | A toe-assisted jump from a back outside edge that rotates against the entry curve, which makes it one of the hardest. |
| Pair Skating | Two skaters performing side-by-side elements plus lifts, throws and death spirals. |
| Program | One complete performance to music, short or free. |
| Quad | A jump with four full rotations. The highest-scoring jumps in the sport. |
| Rink | The sheet of ice itself, and the building around it. |
| Rocker | A one-foot turn that changes direction while staying on the same edge, used in step sequences. |
| Salchow | A jump from a back inside edge with no toe assist, named after Ulrich Salchow. |
| Sequence | A run of movements skated one after another, such as a step or choreographic sequence. |
| Short Program | The first competition segment, with a fixed list of required elements and a time limit. |
| Sit Spin | A spin held in a deep sitting position with the free leg extended forward. |
| Skating Skills | The judged component covering edges, flow, speed and control, everything that is not a jump or a spin. |
| Spin | Rotation on one foot in a fixed body position. Sit, camel and upright are the three families. |
| Spiral | A long glide on one foot with the free leg lifted above hip level. |
| Step Sequence | A stretch of turns, steps and edge changes skated to the music and judged as one element. |
| Stroking | The basic pushing action that builds speed across the ice. |
| Synchronized Skating | A discipline for teams of skaters holding formations together, sometimes called synchro. |
| Throw Jump | A pairs jump in which the man launches his partner, who rotates and lands alone. |
| Toe Loop | A toe-assisted jump taken off and landed on the same back outside edge. The most common jump in combinations. |
| Toe Pick | The teeth at the front of the blade, used to vault into flips, Lutzes and toe loops. |
| Triple Jump | A jump with three full rotations in the air. |
| Twizzle | A travelling one-foot turn with several rotations, a signature element of ice dance. |
| Underrotation | A jump landed short of the full turns, marked down by the judges. |
| Waltz Jump | The half-rotation jump beginners learn first, from a forward outside edge. |
| Zamboni | The machine that resurfaces the ice between sessions. The brand name has become the general word. |
| Zayak Rule | The limit on how often a skater may repeat the same jump in a program, named after Elaine Zayak. |
#1 Axel
A jump in figure skating where the skater leaps from the forward outside edge of one skate and lands on the backward outside edge of the opposite skate, typically involving one-and-a-half revolutions in the air. It’s known for its complexity and is the only jump that begins with a forward takeoff.
#2 Biellmann Spin
An advanced spin where the skater grabs one skate and pulls it high above their head while spinning. It requires extraordinary flexibility and balance, named after Swiss skater Denise Biellmann who popularized it.
#3 Camel Spin
A spin where the skater’s body is horizontal to the ice with one leg extended backward and the other under their body, resembling a camel’s hump. It requires excellent balance and leg strength.
#4 Choreography
The art of designing the sequence of movements in a figure skating routine to highlight a skater’s skills and interpret the music. It’s a creative process that involves planning steps, jumps, spins, and gestures.
#5 Combination Jump
A series of two or more jumps executed in immediate succession, typically starting with a more difficult jump followed by simpler jumps without intervening steps or glides. It’s a test of skill, stamina, and precision.
#6 Compulsory Figure
Historically, patterns skaters had to trace on the ice, demonstrating precision in edge control and turn execution. Although no longer a part of competitive figure skating, it was once a fundamental discipline in the sport.
#7 Death spiral
In figure skating, a death spiral is a dramatic move performed in pairs skating where the male skater anchors one hand and pivots in place while holding the other hand of his partner, who is extended horizontally to the ice, circling around him with her body low and close to the ice surface.
#8 Double Jump
A skating maneuver where the skater takes off from one foot, completes two full rotations in the air, and lands on the back outside edge of the opposite foot. It’s a stepping-stone to more complex multiple rotation jumps.
#9 Edge
Refers to the inside or outside of the blade on either foot that skaters use to glide on the ice. Mastery over edges is crucial, as they are the foundation for all skating moves, from simple glides to complex footwork sequences.
#10 Flip
A toe-pick-assisted jump that takes off from the back inside edge of one foot and lands on the back outside edge of the opposite foot. The skater utilizes the toe pick to vault into the air for multiple rotations.
#11 Free Skate
A figure skating segment where skaters perform individually choreographed programs to music of their choice, displaying jumps, spins, footwork, and other technical elements. Unlike short programs, free skates offer a chance for more expression and longer routines.
#12 Ina Bauer
An edge move named after the skater who popularized it, Ina Bauer, which involves gliding on two parallel blades with one foot pointed forward and the other backward, creating an elegant line and often used as a transitional move.
#13 Jump
Jumps are a fundamental element of figure skating, involving the skater launching into the air and rotating before landing back on the ice. Common jumps include the Axel, Lutz, and Salchow, each distinguished by the takeoff and the number of rotations completed in the air.
#14 Layback Spin
A layback spin is a type of upright spin where the skater arches her back and drops her head and shoulders backward while spinning. It is primarily performed by female skaters and is valued for its aesthetic appeal and the grace it adds to a routine.
#15 Lutz
The Lutz is a toe-pick-assisted jump that is considered one of the most difficult in figure skating. It is distinguished by a backward entry and a counter-rotational takeoff from the outside edge of one foot, leading into multiple rotations in the air.
#16 Pair Skating
Pair skating is a discipline in figure skating where a man and a woman skate together, performing jumps, spins, lifts, and other movements in unison. It combines elements of single skating with unique lifts and death spirals that require significant strength and coordination.
#17 Quad
A quadruple jump where the skater completes four full revolutions in the air before landing. It’s a highly difficult and risky maneuver that scores high points when executed successfully.
#18 Rink
A surface of ice, often found inside an arena, where figure skating, ice hockey, and other ice sports take place. The rink’s quality and dimensions are crucial for skaters’ performance.
#19 Salchow
A jump named after its inventor, Ulrich Salchow, which involves taking off from the back inside edge of one foot and landing on the back outside edge of the opposite foot, with a single to multiple rotations.
#20 Sequence
A series of movements or steps performed consecutively in a routine, which often includes jumps, spins, and steps. A well-executed sequence can showcase a skater’s skill and fluidity.
#21 Sit spin
A spin in figure skating where the skater lowers their body to a sitting position, with one leg extended forward, while spinning on the other foot. Balance and flexibility are crucial in this element.
#22 Spiral
A move in which the skater glides on one foot with the free leg lifted and extended above hip level. The beauty of this move is in the skater’s extension and poise.
#23 Spin
In figure skating, a spin involves rotations performed on one foot with the skater’s body in various positions. Common spins include the sit spin, camel spin, and scratch spin, each named according to the body position adopted during the spin.
#24 Stroking
A fundamental skating technique involving long, gliding movements used to gain speed and display strong skating skills. Stroking emphasizes the smoothness and flow of the skater’s movement across the ice.
#25 Toe loop
A jump that starts when a skater uses the toe pick of one foot to vault into the air, spins with the other leg extended, and lands on the same foot that was used to take off. It is distinct due to the toe pick assist.
#26 Triple jump
A challenging figure skating element where a skater leaps into the air and completes three full rotations before landing. Successfully executing a triple jump signifies a high skill level due to its technical difficulty.
#27 Twizzle
A multi-rotational, one-foot turn that travels across the ice, commonly seen in ice dancing. Skaters must perform twizzles with precision and synchronization, especially when in a pair or team.
#28 Waltz jump
A basic jump in figure skating, often the first jump learned by beginners, where the skater takes off from a forward outside edge and lands on the back outside edge of the opposite foot, completing a half rotation in the air.
#29 Zayak rule
A rule named after former American figure skater Elaine Zayak, limiting the repetition of jumps with the same take-off in competition programs to encourage variety and prevent skaters from performing too many of the same type of jump.
#30 Ice dancing
Ice dancing is a discipline of figure skating that emphasizes rhythm, interpretation of music, and precise steps on the ice. Unlike pair skating, jumps and spins are limited; the focus is on intricate footwork performed in close dance holds, making it similar to ballroom dancing on ice.
FAQ
What is it called when a skater jumps in the air and spins around?
A jump. Six are used in competition: the Axel, Salchow, toe loop, loop, flip and Lutz. The number of turns in the air gives the jump its prefix, so three rotations is a triple and four is a quad.
What is the term for a figure skating jump with a backward takeoff?
Every jump except the Axel takes off backward. The Salchow, loop, toe loop, flip and Lutz all leave the ice from a back edge, which is why the forward-facing Axel carries the extra half rotation.
What is the term for a figure skater spinning many times on one foot?
A spin. Named by the body position: a sit spin, a camel spin, a layback or an upright spin. A spin that travels across the ice instead of staying on one spot is a twizzle.
What is it called when you figure skate with another person?
Pair skating if the program includes lifts, throw jumps and death spirals. Ice dancing if the focus is footwork, rhythm and close dance holds, with jumps and overhead lifts restricted.
What are the skating skills that are not jumps or spins called?
Skating skills and step sequences. That covers stroking, edges, turns such as rockers and counters, and gliding moves like the spiral and the Ina Bauer.
What is a twizzle in figure skating?
A one-foot turn with several rotations that travels across the ice rather than staying in place. Twizzles are a required element in ice dance, where both partners must match them exactly.
Jumps (Axel, Lutz, Salchow, toe loop), spins (sit, camel, layback, Biellmann), gliding moves (spiral, Ina Bauer, stroking) and competition words (short program, free skate, kiss and cry). The figure skating glossary above collects them all.
What are some Figure Skating terms for beginners?
“Axel,” “Lutz,” and “Salchow” are some Figure Skating terms beginners should start with. These jumps are fundamental elements that define the technical side of the sport.
What are some funny Figure Skating terms?
“Death spiral” and “Biellmann spin” are some funny Figure Skating terms that may sound dramatic and peculiar to newcomers, highlighting the sport’s quirky and unique vocabulary.
What is a famous Figure Skating phrase?
“The kiss and cry,” is a famous Figure Skating phrase referring to the area where skaters await their scores, often showing emotional reactions. It is a well-known aspect of competitions broadcasted on television.
