Official times and tied results
ISU · 2026Major ISU events require automatic timekeeping, supported by the required backup arrangements. Times become official when the referee signs the timekeeping protocol. An immediately displayed result can therefore still be provisional; the scoreboard alone is not the final official record of a performance or placing.
The rule
Major ISU events require automatic timekeeping, supported by the required backup arrangements. Times become official when the referee signs the timekeeping protocol. An immediately displayed result can therefore still be provisional; the scoreboard alone is not the final official record of a performance or placing.
In practice
Individual-distance rankings compare valid times across all pairs. Approved photo-finish measurements can distinguish performances that look tied on a display showing hundredths. Where the rules leave equal official times, competitors may share a rank. The timing rules specify how failures and manual backup readings are handled, rather than allowing competitors to choose the most favourable reading.
Sources & approach ↗