Time for new rules

Following some dubious judging calls in Dortmund last week, including a plethora of perfect 6.0 marks awarded, the International Skating Union (ISU) will be more motivated than ever to introduce a new scoring system called the Code of Points (CoP).

"The judging was as bad in Dortmund as ever," Howard told eurosport.com. "There were inconsistencies all over the board."

Judges were far from being precise when they awarded five-time champion Michelle Kwan with a wide range of technical marks for her short programme, varying from 5.1 to 5.8.

Yevgeny Plushenko, on the other hand, couldn't complain when he fell during his free skate routine only to receive 5.9s for technical and 6.0 for presentation marks to win the men's title.

Evening more startling were the marks of young Italian rising star Carolina Kostner, who fell twice during her free programme only to earn technical marks as high as 5.9 to beat European champion Julia Sebestyen of Hungary, who didn't fall once, for fifth place.

Used for a century, the legendary but now outdated 6.0 marking scale will likely be scrapped in favour of a less subjective cumulative points system, where judges can no longer rank each skater within the field.

"The new rule will be voted for at the ISU's next congress in June," Howard said.

Developed after the 2002 Olympics pairs judging scandal, the proposed CoP offers points to each element of a skater's routine, based on prescribed levels of difficulty and detailed performance criteria. The competitor who accumulates the most points wins.

"It's much simpler," he said of the revolutionary new method. "It gives the skaters more control over their own success."

"It's more interesting and exciting too. We would see world records of points."

With such inconsistencies and varied views seen in Dortmund, figure skaters and fans alike want to see more clear cut results -- now more than ever.

"[ISU president] Ottavio Cinquanta really wants this new system, it's his baby. I think the fact that the judging was so bad here [in Dortmund], it's a good thing. What better reason for change?" Howard said.

Cinquanta couldn't agree more.

"The results obtained with the new judging system are very positive and have exceeded our expectations," he said in Dortmund. "It has been extremely well received by skaters and judges,"

While the world of figure skating will have to wait until June for an official verdict, it is just a matter of time before the sport introduces a new scoring system. With the winter Olympics just two years away, nobody wants to see a repeat of the Salt Lake City judging scandal.

What could be better than a new rule to break the ice?