Backward crossovers on a circle: first half-swizzle pumps, then weight transfer, then crossing. Rhythm, milestones, typical mistakes and safety.
The honest answer first: in a backward crossover one foot keeps gliding on an outside edge, while the other pushes out in a C-shaped motion and then crosses in front of the gliding foot [1]. The most important part is the weight transfer. The curricula place backward crossovers in both directions on level 5 of 6 of the adult levels, together with the backward edges and after forward crossovers [2].
Why is the effort worth it? In practice it is the run-up to many jump elements and a key to fluid backward skating on a circle (coaching experience, not a study). And it trains something that always counts in ice skating: you must trust your body without seeing where you roll.
This guide is for you when backward gliding and forward crossovers are solid. If not, catch up on these lead-up steps first.
Stand on the circle, shoulders and arms follow the circle, the head looks inward and back so you have a clear view [1]. One foot is the gliding foot and stays on a backward outside edge, the other is the pumping foot and works constantly: it pushes out in a C-motion and then draws back toward the heel of the gliding foot [1]. Milestone: you pump six to eight times in a row on the circle, in both directions (practice milestone).
Lean into the circle, the upper body stays calm and strong. Pull the pumping foot back and at first simply place it next to the gliding foot, without crossing [1]. That way you practise the most important thing: the weight transfer.
The weight transfer decides. During pumping your weight moves from the gliding foot to the pumping foot [1]. Feel how you roll on with the new foot, not on both. Milestone: you place the foot next to the other and roll out on it for one count.
When pulling back, the heel of the pumping foot slides in front of the toe of the gliding foot [1]. The rhythm is a two-count: "push, cross, hold, together" [1]. One is the pump, two is the cross. Milestone: you skate half a circle with five clean backward crossovers.
Only when the crossing runs calmly do you gain speed: push the underneath foot away with its outside edge, under the body [1]. That is the "undercut" that brings power. Then increase speed and circle size.
Start with a small circle and little speed and enlarge it only when five clean crossovers in a row sit (experience, not a study). A circle with a centre helps: imagine a hat or cone in the middle of the circle and skate around it. That way you see whether your circle stays round or whether you drift outward when crossing. Count the two-count pattern out loud while doing so. If you lose balance while counting, the speed is too high. Then reduce the speed instead of bending the technique.
Backward you hardly see where you are going. Practise in a free area and look behind you before starting. In a video analysis of 216 ice-skating falls in children the head hit the ice in 13% of the falls [3], and in a US analysis head, face and neck made up 34.5% of ice-skating injuries [4]. So wear a helmet. If you wobble, stay low and let yourself fall sideways (see the guide "Falling and Getting Up on the Ice"). This guide explains and motivates, it does not replace supervised training.
Count out loud: "one, two" for pushing and crossing. Whoever has a two-count rhythm hears at once when they stumble. The counting replaces the look backward for the timing and keeps you calm.
One foot glides on a backward outside edge, the other pushes out in a C-motion and then crosses with the heel in front of the gliding foot [1]. The weight moves from the gliding foot to the pumping foot. The rhythm is push, cross, hold, together [1].
With backward half-swizzle pumps on the circle [1]. The curriculum names this exercise as the foundation before backward crossovers. Then you first place the pumping foot next to the gliding foot before you really cross [1].
In the Learn to Skate USA curriculum backward crossovers in both directions are on the fifth of six adult levels, together with the backward edges on the circle [2].
Usually the weight does not move cleanly onto the pumping foot or the upper body breaks out of the circle. Practise the weight transfer without crossing and keep shoulders and arms in the circle [1]. The curriculum calls the weight transfer the most important part.
The Three-Turn: Turning on One Foot