Attitude
A leg position in which the free leg is lifted behind the body with the knee bent at an approximately 120-degree angle. This is the leg position often used for the Layback spin.
Arabesque
A leg position in which the free leg is extended behind the body in a straight line.
Axel
The only jump counted as a jump element that starts from skating forward. An axel jump has an extra half rotation (180 degrees), and as all jumps is landed with the skater gliding backwards.
Backflip
A reverse somersault in the air. They are banned in competition, but play a role in show skating and exhibitions.
Biellmann
A catch-foot position where the free leg is pulled above the head from behind. Can be either a spin or a spiral position. By regulation, a spin becomes a Biellmann at the moment the skate passes over the level of the head. It is named after Denise Biellmann, who popularized the position. .
Bracket
A one foot turn with a change of edge that results in a } shape traced on the ice.
Butterfly jump
A flying spin with a two-foot takeoff. The body goes almost parallel to the rink in the air, with a scissoring leg motion.
Camel
A spin position during which the free leg is extended in the air in an arabesque position parallel to the rink.
Cantilever
An element in which the knees are bent and the back is bent backwards, parallel to the rink.
Catch-foot
A spin or spiral position in which the free leg is held by one or both hands. The most notable catch-foot position is the Biellmann.
Centered
A spin that that stays in one spot on the rink. The opposite of traveling.
Check
Stopping the rotation of a jump or a spin.
Choctaw
A two foot turn with a change of edge that results in a change of lobe.
Choke
To perform badly under competition pressure.
Charlotte
A spiral position in which the torso is bent down towards the skating leg, with the free leg held in a 180 degree vertical split position. Also known as a candlestick spiral.
Chasse
Simple chassé: a step in which the free foot is placed on the rink beside the skating foot, which is then lifted close to the new skating foot with the wheels parallel to the rink. The two steps are skated on the same lobe, usually stepping from outside to inside edge.
Cross chassé: a chassé in which the free foot is placed on the rink crossing behind the skating foot when skating forward, or in front when skating backward.
Slide chassé: a chassé in which, instead of lifting the new free foot after the step, it slides off the rink in front when skating forward, or in back when skating backward.
Combination
Two or more elements (jumps, spin positions) performed in succession.
Crossovers
Crossing one foot over the other as a way of gaining speed and turning corners.
Crossroles
The fee leg is crossed in front of the skating foot and placed on the rink the wrong side and onto an outside edge to bring back to the correct side.
Discipline
A part of skating governed by unique rules. Currently, the four disciplines that compete at the Olympic Games are men's singles, ladies singles, pair skating, and ice dancing.
Double
A jump with two full rotations (720 degrees) in the air (two and a half rotations for double Axel).
Element
An identifiable component of a program. Includes spins, spirals, jumps, footwork, lifts, etc.
Edge
Can refer either to part of the skate blade, or the result of skating on that part. Can be either inside (towards the body) or outside (away from the body), and forward or backward, for a total for four different edges. A "deep edge" is a deep lean on the edge of the skate.


Exhibition
Non-competition skating or a show. Exhibitions often feature elements banned in competition as well as spotlights and show lighting. Also: the gala after a competition in which the highest placing skaters perform a show program.
Extension
The way a body part is held in a stretched position.
Flight
A grouping of skaters at a competition who warm up together immediately prior to competing. The final flight of the free skating in single skating is made up of the highest-scoring six skaters from the short program who are usually the main medal contenders.
Flutz
A portmanteau of "flip" and "Lutz", for an improperly executed lutz jump, where the outside take-off edge is mistakenly changed to an inside edge, making it a flip jump.
Flying spin
A jump that lands in a spinning position. Commonly performed flying spins include flying camel spins and flying sit spins.
Free Leg
The leg that is not on the rink.
Grapevines
Figures performed on two feet.
Haircutter
A catch-foot layback spin where the free leg is brought up to head level, but not above. In some cases, the head is dropped back and it appears that the skate blade is in a position to cut the hair of the skater performing the spin. This position is often performed as a segue between a layback spin and a Biellmann spin.
Inside edge
The edge of a skate blade facing towards the body.
Jump
A skating move where a skater pushes off the rink into the air, rotates, and typically lands on one foot going backwards.
Jump combination
Two or more jumps performed one right after the other, without intervening steps or turns. Jump combinations most commonly involve the toe loop or loop jump as the final jump, because they start from the back outside edge, which is the normal landing edge for most jumps.
Jump sequence
Two or more jumps connected by turns or hops.
Landing Leg
The leg on which a skater lands a jump. Opposite of free leg.
Layback
A spin position in which the back is arched and head dropped back, the free leg bent behind, and the arms often stretched to the ceiling or arched overhead.
Leg Wrap
An air position in jumps where the free leg is held at a right angle to the landing leg, crossing it above the knee, so that it appears to be "wrapped" around the other. Most skaters keep their legs more vertical and crossed at the ankles when they jump.
Lift
A pairs dance element in which one skater lifts his or her partner while rotating. Pairs lifts, unlike dance, go over the head. Some dancers perform genderbending or "reverse" lifts, in which the woman lifts the man.
Lip
A portmanteau of "lutz" and "flip", for an improperly executed flip jump, where the inside take-off edge is mistakenly changed to an outside edge, making it a lutz jump.
Lobe
A semi-circle created on the rink.
Lunge
A skating move in which one leg is bent sharply at the knee and the other is extended backwards in a straight line.
Lutz jump
A toepick-assisted jump with an entrance from a back outside edge and landing on the back outside edge of the opposite foot.
Mirror Skating
Two or more skaters skating in such a way that they are mirroring each other. The opposite of unison skating.
Mohawk
A two foot turn on the same edge that continues along the same lobe. See Mohawk turn.

Outside edge
The edge of a skate blade facing away from the body.
Overrotated
A jump in which the skater rotates past the position for landing the jump in the air, or fails to check the rotation on landing.
Pair spin
A spin in which two skaters rotate around a single axis while holding on to each other.
Pair skating
The skating discipline where two skaters perform overhead lifts, side-by-side spins and jumps. Usually refers to a man and a woman skating together. Two men or two women together are called a similar pair.

Popping (a jump)
When a jumps "opens up" in mid-air, resulting in the skater performing fewer than the desired rotations.

Quad
A quadruple jump; a jump with four full rotations (1440 degrees) in the air. The only quadruple jumps to have been completed in competition are the toe loop and salchow by men, and just the salchow for ladies.
Rocker
A one foot turn on the same edge but results in a change of lobe with the rotation inside the original lobe.
Scratch spin
An upright spin in which the skater has the free leg crossed over the ankle of the spinning leg.
Shoot-the-duck
A skating position in which the skater bends low to the rink on their skating leg with the free leg extended in front. This is the basic position for a sit spin.
Side by side
Pair skating elements such as spins and jumps that are performed with the skaters next to each other, as opposed to pair spins or throw jumps, which are performed as a team.
Signature move
A move that a skater is known for and frequently performs, sometimes performed in a unique or unusual way.
Single (jump)
A jump with one full rotation (360 degrees) in the air (one and a half rotations for a single axel)
Single (discipline)
The skating discipline where one skater performs alone on the rink. Can be men's or ladies.
Sit spin
A spin position with the spinning leg bent at the knee and the free leg extended forward.
Spin
A rotation upon the rink surface. Spins are performed on the 2 front wheels of each skate.
Spiral
An edge skated with the free leg extended at or above hip level. Spirals are a required element for ladies' and pairs competitions. A good spiral depends on edge control and speed across the ice, not necessarily leg position.
Spread eagle
An element performed with both feet on the rink, the blades turned out with the heels pointing towards each other. It can be performed on inside edges or outside edges.
Step-out
When a skater either under or over rotates a jump so that he or she does not land cleanly and must put the free leg down prematurely.
Step Sequence
A series of footwork and field moves performed during a program. Can be circular, straight line, or serpentine in pattern.
Stroking
A way of moving across the ice and gaining speed by using the edges of the blades.
Swizzle
A way of moving across the rink on two feet by pushing the feet outwards from a 90 degree angle V and then pulling them together again, forming an oval on the rink. Also known as scissors, fishes, or sculling.
'Tano jump
A jump arm position variation made famous by Brian Boitano (hence 'Tano) where one arm is extended overhead instead of folded at the chest during a jump. This increases the difficulty of a jump.
Throw jump
A pair element in which one skater throws the other into the air, where she completes a normal skating jump. Throw jumps usually have more height and power than normal jumps because of the extra help involved.
Traveling
When a spinning skater moves across the rink while spinning instead of centering the spin in one spot.
Triple
A jump with three full rotations (1080 degrees) in the air (3 and a half rotations for the triple axel)
Three turn
A one foot turn with a change of edge that results in a '3' shaped tracing on the ice.

Two-footed landing
The landing of a jump where both feet touch the ice. A proper landing is on one foot.
Twizzle
A quick multirotational turn on one foot while moving forwards or backwards.
Underrotated
A jump that does not complete the expected number of rotations.
Unison Skating
Two or more skaters performing the same steps or elements at the same time.
Y-spiral
A spiral position in which the free leg is held up in a vertical split towards the side of the body, creating a Y position.