How Do Figure Skaters Decide Where to Put Jumps in Their Routine? (And Why It Matters for Their Score)

The strategic chess match hiding inside every skating program.

If you've ever watched a figure skating program and thought "that looked random," think again. Every single element in a competitive skating program — especially the jumps — is placed with surgical precision. The layout of a program is one of the most strategic parts of competitive figure skating, and it can make or break a skater's score.

Let's break down how skaters and their coaches decide where jumps go, and why placement matters so much under the current scoring system.

The Scoring System: A Quick Primer

Figure skating is judged under the International Judging System (IJS), sometimes still called the "Code of Points." Every element a skater performs — jumps, spins, footwork — receives a base value. Jumps are the biggest point-earners in any program, so optimizing their placement is where the real chess match begins.

But here's where it gets interesting: base value isn't the whole story. Judges also assign a Grade of Execution (GOE) ranging from -5 to +5 for each element, which adjusts the score up or down based on quality. So placement strategy isn't just about what jumps you do — it's about setting yourself up to do them well.

The Back-Half Bonus: The Biggest Strategic Factor

This is the single most important rule driving jump placement strategy: any jump executed in the second half of the program receives a 10% bonus to its base value.

That might not sound like much, but at the elite level, those extra points add up fast. A triple Axel is worth 8.00 points. Land it in the second half? That's 8.80. A quad toe loop goes from 9.50 to 10.45.

This is why you'll see top skaters — especially in the free skate — deliberately stacking their hardest jumps toward the end of the program. It's a gutsy move because they're attempting their most demanding elements when they're the most tired, but the math rewards it. Skaters who can pull this off consistently have a significant scoring advantage.

The Well-Balanced Program Rules

Skaters can't just throw jumps in wherever they want. The ISU (International Skating Union) has strict "well-balanced program" requirements that dictate:

• How many jumps can be attempted (7 jump elements in the free skate for senior singles, 3 in the short program)
• How many combinations and sequences are allowed
• Repetition limits — you can only repeat two different triple or quad jumps in the free skate, and any repeated jump must be in a combination or sequence
• Required elements — the short program has very specific required elements (for example, a double or triple Axel)

These rules force skaters to be strategic. You can't just do seven quad jumps. You have to plan a diverse set of elements that maximizes your total base value while staying within the rules.

Jump Order: Fatigue vs. Confidence

Beyond the rules, there's a very human element to jump placement: how your body and your nerves behave during a four-minute program.

Most skaters place their most difficult or nerve-wracking jump early in the program — often their opening element. Why? Because they're freshest physically and they want to get the scary one out of the way. Landing your biggest jump right out of the gate builds confidence for the rest of the program.

But then the back-half bonus creates a tension: do you play it safe and put your hardest jumps early when you're fresh, or do you gamble and put them in the second half for the bonus points? Elite skaters with exceptional stamina — think Nathan Chen or Ilia Malinin — tend to push more content to the second half. Skaters who are still building their technical consistency might front-load to secure the landing.

Combinations: Placement Within the Program and Within the Music

Jump combinations (two or three jumps connected without a step in between) are worth more than solo jumps, so where you place them matters too.

Smart coaches consider:

• Putting combinations in the second half to maximize the bonus on both jumps in the combo
• Pairing a big jump with a reliable second jump — the triple toe loop and double toe loop are common "add-on" jumps because they're consistent and accessible off most landings
• Musical timing — ideally, a big combination lands right on a musical accent for maximum GOE impact, because judges reward elements that enhance the program's artistry

Transitions and GOE: It's Not Just About Landing

One of the biggest factors in where jumps are placed is what surrounds them. Under the current system, judges are looking for:

• Difficult entries into jumps (steps, turns, or changes of edge right before takeoff)
• Difficult exits out of jumps (moving into a spin, a spread eagle, or other transitional movement)
• Speed and flow before and after the jump

Skaters and choreographers work together to place jumps at moments in the program where they can build in these transitions naturally. A jump placed after a long crossover sequence looks less impressive (and scores lower on GOE) than one launched out of a back counter turn or a spread eagle.

This is also why you'll sometimes see a skater take what looks like a weird, winding path across the ice before a jump. They're not lost — they're loading up transition difficulty to boost their GOE.

Ice Coverage: Judges Are Watching Where You Skate

Another factor in placement: ice coverage. Judges and technical specialists notice if a skater does all their jumps in one corner of the rink. Programs are expected to use the full ice surface, and element placement is mapped out to ensure jumps happen in different areas.

Coaches will literally diagram programs on paper or on rink-shaped templates, plotting where each element happens to make sure the skater covers the ice evenly and doesn't cluster elements in one spot.

The Zayak Rule: Why You Can't Just Repeat Your Best Jump

Named after Elaine Zayak, who famously landed six triple jumps — four of them triple toe loops — to win the 1982 World Championships, the "Zayak Rule" limits how many times you can repeat a jump. In the free skate, only two triple or quad jumps can be repeated, and the repeated jump must be done in a combination or sequence.

This rule forces variety and directly impacts layout strategy. If your best jump is a triple Lutz, you can do it twice — but the second one has to be in a combination. That affects where you place both of them.

Putting It All Together: What a Typical Layout Looks Like

Here's a simplified example of how a competitive free skate layout might look:

Every layout goes through constant revision. Coaches adjust week to week based on what's consistent in practice, what the competition looks like, and how the skater is feeling physically.

Why This Matters for Fans

Understanding jump placement turns watching skating from a passive experience into an active one. When you see a skater land a quad in the final minute of their free skate, you now know that's not just impressive athletically — it's a calculated risk that's literally worth more points. When a skater moves a jump from the second half to the first in competition, you can read that as a strategic decision about consistency vs. maximizing points.

It's chess on ice. And honestly? That's what makes it so compelling to watch.

Keep Learning

• Every Figure Skating Jump Explained — how to tell a Lutz from a Salchow, difficulty rankings, and what makes each jump unique
• How Figure Skating Scoring Actually Works — the full breakdown of TES, PCS, GOE, and what the numbers on screen mean
• Who Is Ilia Malinin? The Quad God Explained — the skater pushing jump placement strategy to its absolute limit
• Every Olympic Figure Skating Event, Explained — short program vs. free skate, pairs vs. ice dance, and the team event