Team competition
This is a plain-English guide. The official IPF Technical Rules are the final word.
As well as individual results, nations compete as teams at championships.
Team entries
At World Championships, each nation can enter up to 8 men and 8 women across the categories (9 each in the Junior and Sub-Junior age groups), with no more than two lifters in any one category, plus up to five reserves.
Team scoring
Lifters earn points for where they place in their category.
| Place | Points |
|---|---|
| 1st | 12 |
| 2nd | 9 |
| 3rd | 8 |
| 4th to 9th | 7 down to 2 |
| Any lifter who totals | 1 |
Only the five best-placed lifters from each nation count. An anti-doping violation removes that lifter's points, which cannot be replaced.
Team awards
The top three teams get medals: five gold, five silver, five bronze. Ties are broken by the most first places, then second places, and so on. A team needs at least three lifters to win medals.
Best Lifter
The Best Lifter award goes to the best performance on the IPF GL points formula, which adjusts for bodyweight. Categories with fewer than three lifters do not get the award.