A spin's level, from Base up to Level 4, comes from the level features you include: one valid feature earns one level, so a Level 4 spin needs at least four from the ISU's 2026-27 list of 15. The level sets the spin's base value, and the judges' grade of execution (GOE) then rewards or penalizes the quality. Here's how levels are built, the rules that trip skaters up, how to read spin codes on a protocol, and why your sit spin keeps getting called a Level 1.
Key takeaways
- Every spin gets a level (Base, 1, 2, 3, or 4) that sets its base value, plus a GOE from -5 to +5 for quality.
- One valid level feature earns one level, so Level 4 takes at least four features from the ISU's 2026-27 list of 15.
- Most features count only once per program, and only two difficult variations count in any one spin.
- A spin needs at least three revolutions to count at all, and change-foot spins need three on each foot.
- At U.S. adult events, spins top out at Level 1 for adult pre-bronze and bronze, Level 2 for silver, Level 3 for gold and Level 4 only at the masters levels, so a clean, centered spin with positive GOE matters more than chasing features.
You've been working on that camel spin for months. Your coach tells you it's a "Level 2," and you nod like you understand, while inside you're thinking: what does that even mean? Welcome to the wild world of ISU spin levels, where the rules are dense, the acronyms are plentiful, and adult skaters everywhere are just trying to figure out why their sit spin doesn't count.
What is a spin level?
Under the ISU Judging System, the scoring system used in competitive figure skating worldwide, every spin is evaluated in two ways. The level of difficulty runs from Base (no level) up through Levels 1, 2, 3, and 4, and it sets the spin's base value, meaning how many points it's worth before any quality adjustment. The higher the level, the higher the base value.
The grade of execution (GOE) is a quality score from -5 to +5, and it's where the judges weigh in on speed, centering, position quality, and overall impression. Think of it this way: the level is what you do, and the GOE is how well you do it. Our guide to IJS scoring explains how both feed into the final score.
The three basic spin positions
Before getting into levels, you need to know the three basic positions the ISU recognizes, because every spin in competition comes back to them. If you're still building your first spins, our basic spins guide for adults starts at the very beginning.
- Camel: your free leg extends backward with the knee higher than hip level. It's the one that looks like a graceful T-shape (or, for many of us, a slightly wobbly T-shape).
- Sit: the upper part of your skating leg is at least parallel to the ice. You're essentially doing a one-legged squat while spinning, and yes, your quads will have opinions about this.
- Upright: any position where your skating leg is extended or slightly bent and you're not in a camel position. This category includes the layback, the Biellmann, the scratch spin, and the sideways leaning spin.
Anything that doesn't fit neatly into one of these three categories is a non-basic position. Non-basic positions are still allowed, but from the 2026-27 season a difficult variation in a non-basic position no longer counts as a level feature. With the positions sorted, the level math starts to make sense.
The scoring system on two pages
Base values, GOE and the deductions that actually happen, as a PDF you print at home.
Get the cheat sheetHow spin levels are built
This is where it gets interesting, and, let's be honest, a little brain-melting. A spin earns its level by collecting level features, and the math is simple: one feature equals one level, so a Level 4 spin needs at least four valid features. For single skating spins in the 2026-27 season, ISU Communication 2788 recognizes the 15 features below, and a Level 4 spin must include at least one of six of them: a difficult exit, a clear change of edge, both directions, a clear increase of speed, a difficult flying entry variation, or windmills.
| No. | Feature | What it means |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Difficult spin variations | Positions that need extra strength, flexibility, or balance beyond the basic position. There are ten categories, with three each for the camel (forward, sideways, upward), the sit (forward, sideways, behind) and the upright (forward, straight or sideways, Biellmann), plus one for the layback. |
| 2 | Difficult entrance | Coming into the spin with a move that significantly affects balance and control. A regular backward entry doesn't count. |
| 3 | Difficult exit | Leaving the spin with a movement or jump that makes the exit significantly harder. Stumbling out does not qualify. |
| 4 | Change of foot by jump | Switching feet mid-spin with a jump rather than a simple step. It only counts when the jump lands in a camel or sit position. |
| 5 | Jump within the spin (same foot) | Jumping and landing back on the same foot during the spin. |
| 6 | Difficult change of position | Moving between positions on the same foot in a way that takes notable effort. |
| 7 | Clear change of edge | Changing edges in a sit (only backward inside to forward outside), camel, layback or Biellmann position, or in a difficult variation of an upright position. |
| 8 | Both directions | Spinning one direction and then the other, immediately following each other, in a sit, camel, layback, or difficult upright variation. |
| 9 | Clear increase of speed | Visibly speeding up in a camel, sit, layback, Biellmann, or difficult upright variation. |
| 10 | At least 8 revolutions | Eight or more revolutions without changing position, variation, foot, or edge, in a camel, layback, or difficult variation of any basic position. |
| 11 | Difficult flying entry variation | Making the flying entry itself more complex, such as a butterfly entry into a sit spin instead of a standard flying sit. |
| 12 | Difficult blade feature | Using the blade in an unusual way, like spinning on the heel or toe, that significantly affects balance and control. |
| 13 | Windmills | Three windmill (illusion) movements in a row, each one reaching close to a split, at least 135 degrees. They can go in any spin. |
| 14 | Layback position change | One clear change backward to sideways (or the reverse), with at least 2 revolutions in each position. It counts in a layback spin, and also when the layback position is part of another spin. |
| 15 | Biellmann after layback | Pulling into a Biellmann after completing a layback. In the junior and senior short program, the layback must have 8 revolutions first. |
The rules that trip everyone up
Collecting features would be easy if every feature counted every time, but it doesn't. The ISU limits how often each feature can be credited and sets minimum revolution counts, and these are the rules that cost adult skaters levels most often.
- Each difficult variation category counts only once per program. If you use a sit forward variation in your first spin, another sit forward variation later won't earn level credit.
- Only two difficult variations count per spin. Even if you cram in three gorgeous positions, only two earn level credit.
- On change-of-foot spins, a maximum of two features count per foot. You can't load all your features onto one side.
- Features 2-9 and 11-15 count only once per program, the first time they're attempted, and feature 10 (8 revolutions) also counts only once.
- The difficult entrance and difficult exit must be in different spins and of a different nature. Used turns for your entrance? Your exit had better be something else.
- Fewer than 3 revolutions is not a spin. It's a "skating movement" and receives no value.
- Change-of-foot spins need 3 revolutions on each foot. Miss this in the short program and the spin gets no value; in the free skate it gets the dreaded "V" and a reduced base value.
Reading a protocol
When you look at a skating protocol (the score sheet), the spin abbreviations can look like alphabet soup. Each code names the spin type, and the number after it is the level, from 1 to 4, or B for Base. Here's your decoder ring for the common codes.
| Code | Spin type |
|---|---|
CCoSp |
Change-foot combination spin |
FCCoSp |
Flying change-foot combination spin |
SSp |
Sit spin |
FSSp |
Flying sit spin |
CSp |
Camel spin |
FCSp |
Flying camel spin |
USp |
Upright spin |
CUSp |
Change-foot upright spin |
LSp |
Layback spin |
A "V" after the level means a requirement wasn't met, and the base value is reduced. So FCCoSp4 is a flying change-foot combination spin at Level 4, which is the gold standard, while CCoSp3V is a change-foot combination spin at Level 3 with a missing requirement, meaning something went slightly wrong. Once you can read these, a protocol tells you exactly where a skater gained or lost points.
Why this matters for adult skaters
If you're competing under the IJS, understanding spin levels can genuinely improve your scores. Check your event first, because since July 1, 2026, local U.S. competitions can judge adult free skates under the Component Judging System (CJS) instead, and CJS doesn't use spin levels. Adult sectionals and the U.S. Adult Championships still judge adult bronze through masters singles under the IJS. Plan your program's spin strategy with your coach: because difficult variation categories and most features count only once per program, you need to spread your best moves across all your spins rather than blowing everything in spin number one. Map out which features you're going for in each spin, especially in combination spins, where you have several positions to work with.
Revolutions matter too. Even a gorgeous difficult position only counts if you hold it for at least 2 revolutions, and those revolutions need to be clear and controlled. And remember that the level only gets you the base value, while GOE is where the real points are added or lost, so a well-centered, fast Level 3 spin can outscore a wobbly, traveling Level 4.
That's why, for most adult skaters, a clean spin with positive GOE is worth more, in points and in overall impression, than a messy attempt at an extra feature. At U.S. adult events the highest level you can be called depends on your level, from Level 1 at adult bronze to Level 3 at adult gold, so Level 4 is only in play at the masters levels. The rules are complex enough that experienced skaters and coaches still double-check the latest ISU communications each season. Knowing how they work gives you a real advantage when you plan your programs.
For a fan's-eye view of the same rules, see what you're actually watching when Olympic skaters spin. If a competition is on your calendar, our guide to adult skating competitions covers the rest of the prep. Now get out there and practice those revolutions, because your sit spin isn't going to level itself.
Sources
The features and rules in this guide come from the ISU and U.S. Figure Skating documents below. The ISU updates spin requirements most seasons, so check the current communication before relying on any single rule.
- ISU Communication 2788 (updated May 19, 2026), Single & Pair Skating levels of difficulty for the 2026-27 season: spin level features and counting rules.
- U.S. Figure Skating, ISU Communication 2788 with U.S. Figure Skating notes: the same requirements as applied at U.S. Figure Skating events from June 1, 2026.
- ISU Technical Panel Handbook, Single Skating (2026-27 edition): spin positions, the ten categories of difficult variations and protocol abbreviations.
- U.S. Figure Skating, 2026-2027 Adult Singles Free Skating Requirements (version 1.1): the highest spin level and the five-revolution feature at each adult level.
- U.S. Figure Skating 2026-27 Rulebook, rule 1041, and the 2025-26 Rulebook, rule 1040: which adult events use the IJS and which can use CJS from July 1, 2026.
