How attempts work — the round system
This is a plain-English guide. The official IPF Technical Rules are the final word.
You get three attempts at each lift. The competition runs in rounds.
The rounds
Everyone takes their first attempt, then everyone their second, then their third. Within a round, the lightest weight lifts first. If two lifters pick the same weight, the lower lot number goes first.
Declaring your attempts
At weigh-in, you give a starting weight for each lift. After each attempt, you have one minute to give your next weight to a marshal. The clock starts when the lights come on.
If you give nothing in time, your next attempt is set 2.5 kg higher. If you failed and give nothing, the bar stays at the weight you failed.
Changing your attempt
| Attempt | Changes allowed? |
|---|---|
| First attempt | one change, up or down |
| Second and third (squat, bench) | no changes once given |
| Third deadlift, and single bench | two changes, up or down |
The rising bar and the clock
Within a round the weight only goes up, never down, except to fix a loading error. The weight on the bar is always a multiple of 2.5 kg, unless it is a record attempt. Each jump is at least 2.5 kg.
Groups
If a session has 15 or more lifters, it is split into groups, by past performance. Smaller groups get a little extra time on the clock between attempts.