In modern figure skating, the senior free skate (also called free skating or the long program) is 4 minutes long , with a small allowed margin (usually plus or minus 10 seconds) depending on the competition level and rules.

For a quick breakdown:

  • Senior singles and pairs free skate: about 4 minutes (+/− 10 seconds).
  • Junior free skate: about 3 minutes 30 seconds.
  • Ice dance “free dance” (their version of a free skate): also about 4 minutes (+/− 10 seconds) at the top level.

You might still hear people call it the “long program” in fan discussions and forums, because it’s the longer of the two main programs compared with the short program.