The rules of powerlifting
Powerlifting has three lifts: the squat, the bench press and the deadlift. These pages explain the rules in plain English, so you know what to do and why a lift might fail.
About powerlifting
What the sport is, the three lifts, and who you compete against.
The lifts, the order, your attempts, your total, and how ties are broken.
The age groups and bodyweight classes you compete in.
Competition rules
How each lift is performed, and what makes a lift fail.
How to perform a squat, the signals, and why a squat fails.
How to perform a bench press, the three signals, and why it fails.
How to perform a deadlift, the down signal, and why it fails.
The red, blue and yellow referee cards and what each one means.
What to wear
The kit rules for classic and equipped lifting, and how kit is checked.
The singlet, t-shirt and underwear for classic lifting.
The supportive suit, shirt and knee wraps for equipped lifting.
Belts, wrist wraps, knee wraps and knee sleeves, with the size limits.
Footwear, deadlift socks, hijabs and sweatbands.
Chalk, accessories, sponsor logos and medical tape.
How kit inspection works, and what happens if illegal kit is found.
Competition equipment
The platform, bar, discs, racks and bench used on the day.
The platform, the barbell and the collars.
The colour code, how discs are loaded, and record attempts.
The racks, the bench, the clocks, the scoreboard and the scales.
Competing
Weigh-in, how attempts work, and what happens when things go wrong.
When weigh-in is, what to bring, lots and rack heights.
The three rounds, your attempts, the clock and the rising bar.
If the bar is loaded wrong, the three-fails rule, conduct and appeals.
Spotters, the doctor, drug testing and how to behave.
How the Best Lifter score works fairly across weight categories.
Officials
The referees and other officials who run a competition.
The speaker, timekeeper, marshals, scorers, spotters and more.
The signals for each lift, and the white and red lights.
What referees check before and during competition.
The two IPF referee levels, and how the exams work.
Who sits on the jury and what it can do.
The IPF body for the rules, referees and equipment approval.
Records
How world and international records are set and recognised.
What makes a record valid, ties, and how records carry across age groups.
Coaches
What coaches do, and how the team competition works.
What a coach does, how many are allowed, and the head coach's duties.
Team entries, scoring, awards and the Best Lifter award.
Clean sport
Our commitment to drug-free powerlifting.
What doping is, who can be tested, and where to check substances.
