The competition was open to skaters representing ISU member nations who were at least 13 but not 19—or 21 for male pair skaters and ice dancers—before July 1, 2009 in their place of birth. National associations selected their entries according to their own criteria.
The term "Junior" in ISU competition refers to age, not skill level. Skaters may remain age-eligible for Junior Worlds even after competing nationally and internationally at the senior level. At junior events, the ISU requires that all programs conform to junior-specific rules regarding program length, jumping passes, types of elements, etc.
Number of entries per discipline
Based on the results of the 2009 World Junior Championships, the ISU allowed each country one to three entries per discipline. Countries which qualified more than one entry in a discipline:[2]