Conduct and safety
This is a plain-English guide. The official IPF Technical Rules are the final word.
Competitions are run to keep you safe and fair for everyone.
Spotters keep you safe
Between two and five spotters are on the platform. They help you take the bar out and put it back, but must not touch you or the bar during the lift. The one exception is safety: if a lift goes wrong, they step in, at your request or the chief referee's.
The doctor
Every competition has a medic on duty. If you are hurt or look unwell, the doctor can examine you, and with the jury can stop you lifting if it is not safe to go on.
Behaviour
Treat the platform and the sport with respect. Enter and leave calmly, and do not throw your belt down. Bad behaviour earns a warning, and can lead to being removed.
Drug testing
We are a drug-tested federation, under UK Anti-Doping rules. Testing started at the Nov Open 2025, and we are working towards testing at every competition in 2026. See anti-doping and clean sport.