The traditional U.S. Figure Skating Qualifying Structure is in place for athletes who want to compete at the United States Figure Skating Championships® in singles, pairs, ice dance, synchronized, collegiate and adults. Singles, pairs and ice dance athletes who are juvenile, intermediate or novice compete to earn a spot on the National High Performance Development Team. Synchronized Skating and Adult Skating also have their own qualifying structures for those aiming to compete at the U.S. Synchronized Skating Championships and U.S. Adult Figure Skating Championships. The U.S. Collegiate Championships is a stand-alone event.
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Singles, Pairs and Ice Dance
Athletes competing in singles, pairs and ice dance enter the qualifying structure for the chance to earn a spot at the U.S. Figure Skating Championships.
2025-26 National Qualifying Series (NQS)
Resources
- Approved Competitions
- NQS Participant Handbook
- Bye Criteria (coming soon)
Start of Series Webinars
U.S. Figure Skating Events staff held two webinars on April 8th and 10th, 2025 addressing everything coaches, athletes, and families would need to know for the 2025-26 National Qualifying Series. The same information was shared on both calls. You may watch the recording of the call here. Password is: bS=E!581 (the password must be typed exactly as shown).
Synchronized Skating
Synchronized skating teams from the juvenile level and up can enter the qualifying season for a chance to compete at the U.S. Synchronized Skating Championships.
Learn more about synchronized skating
Structure Overview
The U.S. synchronized skating qualifying season begins in January with three Synchronized Skating Sectional Championships, held in the Eastern, Midwestern and Pacific Coast sections. Open to teams at the pre-preliminary level and above, the top performing juvenile through senior, collegiate, adult and masters levels qualify for the U.S. Synchronized Skating Championships.
Competitions
Click here to find information about the current qualifying competitions.
How to Participate
- Aug. 15: Registration opens via EMS under the Qualifying Competitions tab
- Oct. 1: Registration closes, no late entries are accepted
- Dec. 1: Dead line for roster changes/additions in EMS
- 2-weeks prior to competition: Deadline for roster substitution requests
NOTE: teams must register by the Oct. 1 deadline with a roster that meets at least the minimum requirements for their team's level.
Adult Skating
The U.S. Figure Skating Adult Skating Program offers adults at the championship adult levels the chance to qualify for the U.S. Adult Figure Skating Championships.
Learn more about adult skating
Structure Overview
The adult sectional championships are held in March in the Eastern, Midwestern and Pacific Coast sections. The top four skaters from each level advance to compete in their corresponding event at the U.S. Adult Championships, held in April.
A nonqualifying competition is held in conjunction with each adult sectional championship. Skaters who want to enter the nonqualifying portion of the adult sectional championships register directly with the Local Organizing Committee. Some adult sectional nonqualifying competitions include young adult events for those 18-20 years of age. Check the announcements for details.
Nonqualifying events are also held annually at the U.S. Adult Championships. These nonqualifying events do not require qualification from the sectional championships. Events and levels offered include:
- Free skate (men’s and ladies): masters junior-senior, masters intermediate-novice, adult gold, adult silver and adult bronze
- Emotional Performance: masters, adult gold, adult silver and adult bronze
- Lyrical Pop/Character/Comedic: masters, adult gold, adult silver and adult bronze
- Pairs: masters, centennial, adult gold, adult silver and adult bronze
- Dance: masters open, adult gold, adult pre-gold, adult silver, adult pre-silver, adult bronze, adult pre-bronze and adult centennial
- Solo Pattern Dance: adult gold, adult pre-gold, adult silver, adult pre-silver and adult bronze
- Solo Free Dance: adult gold, adult silver and adult bronze
Free skate, dramatic entertainment, and light entertainment events are further divided by age. Current age classes for these events are as follows:
- Class I: 21-35 years
- Class II: 36-45 years
- Class III: 46-55 years
- Class IV: 56-65 years
- Class V: 66 and older
Solo Pattern and Solo Free Dance events are further divided by age. Current age classes for these events are as follows:
- Class I/II: 21-45 years
- Class III/IV/V: 46 and older
Competitions
The upcoming qualifying competitions are as follows:
- 2025 Pacific Coast Adult Sectional Championships - Paramount, California (March 14-16, 2025)
- 2025 Midwestern Adult Sectional Championships - Madison, Wisconsin (March 21-23, 2025)
- 2025 Eastern Adult Sectional Championships - Indian Trail, North Carolina (March 14-16, 2025)
- 2025 U.S. Adult Figure Skating Championships Presented by Prevagen - St. Louis Park, Minnesota (April 2-5, 2025)
How to Participate
- Dec. 15: Registration opens via EMS under the Qualifying Competitions tab
- Feb. 1: Registration closes, no late registrations are accepted
Collegiate Skating
The U.S. Collegiate Figure Skating Championships are a stand-alone qualifying event. Skaters who are enrolled as a full-time student in the fall semester of the competition year may compete. Skaters at the junior-senior levels are eligible to earn scholarships based on placement.
How to Participate
- May 15: Registration opens for the U.S. Collegiate Championships
- June 15: Deadline for registration and collegiate verification form
Contact Us
Use the form below to ask a question about a qualifying competition!
