Loading errors and appeals
This is a plain-English guide. The official IPF Technical Rules are the final word.
Mistakes happen. The chief referee decides what to do, and you will not be punished for someone else's error.
If the bar is loaded wrong
- Loaded lighter than you asked, and you succeed: keep it, or take it again at the right weight.
- Loaded heavier than you asked, and you succeed: the lift counts.
- If an error costs you a good lift: you get another attempt at the end of the round.
- If the speaker calls the wrong weight, or you are missed: the same fair fix applies.
Three failed attempts
If you fail all three attempts on a lift, you are out of the overall total. You can still win awards on the lifts you completed, as long as you made a genuine attempt on all three.
Conduct on the platform
- Leave the platform within 30 seconds of finishing.
- Tie your hair back so it does not block the referees.
- Do not adjust kit or use ammonia in view of the crowd. You may adjust your belt.
Appeals
Appeals go to the jury straight after the event in question, made by your coach or, if absent, you. The jury may ask for it in writing, and their decision is final. At big competitions the jury may use instant replay to check a decision.
Medical emergencies
If you are hurt or unwell, the official doctor can examine you and, with the jury, require you to stop if it is not safe to carry on. Your coach is told.