Terms used:
Bye
An exemption that permits a skater to pass to the next level of competition without competing at a prerequisite level.
Canadian Figure Skating Championships
A championship that qualifies athletes toward and including, but not limited to, the ISU Four Continents Figure Skating Championships, the ISU World Figure Skating Championships, ISU World Synchronized Skating Championships, and the Olympic Winter Games.
Category
The name for each level of competition within a discipline. Examples of categories are STAR 1, STAR 2, Pre-Juvenile, Juvenile, Pre-Novice, etc.
Challenge
A championship that qualifies athletes toward and including, but not limited to, the Canadian Figure Skating Championships.
Section
An organization incorporated or organized in a particular province or territory (and in some cases, a combination thereof) strategically aligned with Skate Canada, that may receive funds from provincial or territorial Governmental Authorities and be subject to applicable sport recognition programs and transfer payment arrangements. Each Section is held to the governance and operating requirements of their respective province and / or territory(ies) and is responsible for skating in their respective jurisdictions.
Sectional Championships
A championship that qualifies athletes toward and including but not limited to Skate Canada Challenge and the Canadian Figure Skating Championships.
Skate Canada Challenge
A championship that qualifies athletes toward and including, but not limited to, the Canadian Figure Skating Championships.
Total Element Score
The sum of the judging panel’s scores for all sections/elements.
This procedure provides guidance to Skate Canada's stakeholders regarding the process for athletes to qualify for Challenge.
Definition: Challenge Minimum Score (CMS)
The CMS is the benchmark Technical Element Score (TES) for the free program that must be met or exceeded in order to enter Challenge. Note, that the CMS is the TES only and does not include bonuses or deductions.
| Men | Women | Pairs | Ice Dance | |
| Pre-Novice | 19 | 22 | 15 | 15 |
| Novice | 26 | 27.5 | 19 | 18 |
| Junior | 35.5 | 35.5 | 28 | 24 |
| Senior | 44.5 | 40 | 38 | 40 |
Pre-Novice and Novice: The CMS must be met between July 1st of each season and the deadline date for entries to the Skate Canada Challenge.
Junior and Senior: The CMS must be met between July 1st of the preceding season and the deadline for entries to the Skate Canada Challenge
The CMS must be met at the same or lower level of competition, and in the same discipline as that to be competed in at the Skate Canada Challenge. Any STARSkate free program score may also be used to meet the established CMS.
Qualification to Challenge
Athletes qualify to Challenge as follows:
- Normal Quota Entries:
- The normal quota of entries is granted to each Section (as outlined in the Sectional Championships - Normal Quota of Entries portion of the Competitions rule) if the CMS has been met. It is the Section’s responsibility to confirm that the minimum score has been achieved by each of their entries.
- Exception to CMS - if a section has no entries who have met the CMS, the CMS requirement will be waived for one entry in that category. In Senior, this entry must achieve the CMS prior to or at Challenge in order to be eligible to advance to the Canadian Figure Skating Championships.
- Byes: Athletes that receive a bye as outlined in the Competitions rule do not count towards a section’s normal quota of entries.
- Alternates: In the case of withdrawal of an entry before the start of the first official practice, an alternate entry will be invited. If the withdrawal was originally entered as part of the section normal quota, the section may enter the next eligible athlete as the replacement. An alternate will be called up to 48 hours before the first official practice.