Are You Allowed to Talk during Synchro Program?

[katz in boots]

For the synchro skaters here, are you allowed to talk during the program? 
If so:
is it just the nominated captain, or can the person leading that particular move allowed to do it?
what sorts of directions are you allowed to give?
Are points deducted for talking?

[fsk8r]

For the synchro skaters here, are you allowed to talk during the program? 
If so:
is it just the nominated captain, or can the person leading that particular move allowed to do it?
what sorts of directions are you allowed to give?
Are points deducted for talking?

Whilst skating the program (or drills) we have a nominated caller who calls the timing. This varies between being a count and between actually calling the steps. As it's quite tiring calling and skating, it sometimes varies between people. (No points deducted as we shouldn't be loud enough for the judges to hear!)
In some moves (like wheels) we may end up with two people calling if the caller is too far down the spoke for the other end of the other spoke to hear.
When the caller fell in competition one time, skaters who didn't normally call picked up the call (you know it so well by then that most of the team can actually do it) until the caller was back in position and able to.

[Skittl1321]

I skated on a rec. adult team.  We didn't have any sort of captain- though our coach skated with us at least one of the years I was on the team (maybe both?) due to numbers.

There were a few people on the team who were good counters, so if we were having trouble hearing music (like the audience clapping) they would often count.

Additionally, everyone would remind people things if it looked like they were lost "up ice", or "to pinwheel". 


The only things I've seen in the rulebooks is that cheers aren't allowed on ice.  So you can't have the whole team say "woo!" at a point in the music (like a lot of dance teams will for emphasis). As a team, you cannot be vocal as part of your program.

[katz in boots]

Wow!  So you're actually allowed to call the steps and/or count during competition?
One of our team is a pair skater and told me pairs are allowed a certain amount of talking, otherwise it never occurred to me we could.  I thought it would incurr deductions.

[aussieskater]

We nearly always have one (or more) calling during practice, and occasionally someone calls (very discreetly) during comp if they see a problem.  We don't want it to be seen or heard.

[katz in boots]

Ah, one benefit of the 'synchro smile'?  Being able to call through teeth clamped into a smile that (quoting "glee") could cure cancer?
I have already suggested that as a way of communicating if there's a potential problem.

[fsk8r]

Ah, one benefit of the 'synchro smile'?  Being able to call through teeth clamped into a smile that (quoting "glee") could cure cancer?
I have already suggested that as a way of communicating if there's a potential problem.

Having someone call is a good way of making sure everyone on the team is on the same count. Whilst everyone should know precisely what they're doing when, it's surprisingly easy to lose count when you hit a bobble on the ice and then you don't know whether you're on 7 or 8. But whilst practicing it's worth switching the calling around people as it's surprisingly difficult to do well, and it also helps emphasise that everyone needs to know what happens when and not rely on the caller doing the counting.

[Isk8NYC]

During one televised competition, the network decided to put microphones on the ice - you could hear every scritch, scratch and BAM as they skated, lol.  Very distracting.  But the Pairs event was interesting - the ladies were the ones calling the shots and you could hear them pretty clearly.  

I went to sectionals a few years ago and sat near the ice - grunts and groans are sometimes common at the lower levels, lol.

The higher-level pairs used one-word "calls" which started to sound like circus animal acts after the second or third pair.  "Camel....sit...up!...change...sit...up!...out!"

Wow!  So you're actually allowed to call the steps and/or count during competition?
One of our team is a pair skater and told me pairs are allowed a certain amount of talking, otherwise it never occurred to me we could.  I thought it would incurr deductions.

[Isk8NYC]

We were without our synchro coach this past weekend and the only person left in the front line of the block really didn't know the timing, but the lovely next to me did.  I tried to pay attention to her, but it was difficult to ignore the in-front person's false starts.  I finally had to look away and just listen for the cues.

I guess, on certain elements, the person calling should be visible as well.

[Skittl1321]

The higher-level pairs used one-word "calls" which started to sound like circus animal acts after the second or third pair.  "Camel....sit...up!...change...sit...up!...out!"

Pairs are LOUD when they skate.  They call every change in position on SBS spins.

[katz in boots]

I am amazed.  There I was thinking that pairs & synchro teams did it all by practise & intuition.  I had no idea they were allowed to call when in the actual competition performance.

Hmmm, now just got to work out who should be calling what & when.  Mind you, our rink is tiny, and the judges sit right at the rink barrier, so we'd have to be discrete.

[fsk8r]

I am amazed.  There I was thinking that pairs & synchro teams did it all by practise & intuition.  I had no idea they were allowed to call when in the actual competition performance.

Hmmm, now just got to work out who should be calling what & when.  Mind you, our rink is tiny, and the judges sit right at the rink barrier, so we'd have to be discrete.

Well if the rink is small you don't have to shout quite so loudly. Still helps to have someone call.
It's worth testing out most of the team with the calling as some people are good at it and others can't manage to skate and count.

[LilJen]

We usually have one or two people who are good at the counting in practice. Occasionally when we are really bumbling, coach will make EVERYONE count so that the counting-impaired can get it down. Usually by the time we get to competition we don't need the counting so much. Although I suppose we'd need it if we ever had a mid-performance train wreck (only train wreck I've experienced was at the very end of the program--total mess!).

[FSWer]

LOL,I am confused on this topic. If you mean talking while skating. I would find it very hard to do so. Could someone please explain more of what is ment here? Thanks.

[katz in boots]

  We're talking about Synchronized Skating teams talking during a competition program.  That is, one or more skaters calling out the count or steps of a move, in order to keep the team together during the program.

It can be as simple as: AND; 1,2,3,4,5,6,7,turn,   or calling out the actual steps like; Chasse Left, Chasse Right, Heads to pivot, 1,2 mohawk.

It isn't easy when you are concentrating on your own skating (I'm usually the one out of line when doing it), but it does help keep the team together.
I also run out of puff sometimes, but then in practice I'm usually shouting.

Here's another thing; what to do when you appoint someone to call a move, and they call out of time with the music?  I am in that situation.

[Skittl1321]

Here's another thing; what to do when you appoint someone to call a move, and they call out of time with the music?  I am in that situation.

Tell the coach s/he needs to appoint someone else!  That should be taken care of well before competitions start.
The caller should be one of the best skaters on the team (or at least one of the best with the choreography/counting, if not the execution). 

[Clarice]

So when the rule book says that teams are not allowed to chant, they're not referring to calling?  Calling is allowed?  What does "no chanting" mean, then?

[katz in boots]

I think that's if the whole team, or large proportion are shouting the same thing at the same time in a way designed for the audience to hear it, as opposed to one or more calling the counts/steps for the team's use.

[Isk8NYC]

Hmmm...that's interesting when you consider the sport's drill team origins.

[Mr. Fan]

It's not just calling and counting, either.  My daughter was on national-medal-level novice and junior synchro teams, and she said they talked to each other all the time.  Not to count or call steps, they were mostly beyond needing that, but just general encouragement and cheerleading.  Without breaking the choreographed facial expression, of course.

Us dads talked about getting one of those sidelines parabolic mics to listen in on them, but never got around to it.

[katz in boots]

LOL, my daughter told me last night that when I call, I can be heard in the cafe area behind two glassed areas.    I can't do that on the night.  I'll have to practice calling quietly.

So I wonder, how much is too much?   I don't think coaches are allowed to coach from the sidelines during the program.  What would constitute coaching on-ice?

[katz in boots]

Well, the event was last night.  In the end, there were two callers.  I called "And" quite loudly to tell them to start a move on next beat, another skater did some quiet calling in the middle of the line. Worked fine for us on the night.

Asked the chief judge after the event about it, and she said talking during synchro program is a no-no.  She said that although it is not technically against the rules, it makes the team appear to lack confidence/competence, needing someone to call/count. 

So there you go, the answer is; Yes you can talk, but some judges let it affect their perception and therefore perhaps their scoring of that team.