Powerlifting - The Round System

• At the weigh in, the lifter or his coach must declare a starting weight for all three lifts. These must be entered on the appropriate first attempt card, signed by the lifter or his coach and retained by the official conducting the weigh in.
• The speaker’s card is deemed to be the appropriate first attempt card.
• The lifter will then be given eleven blank attempt cards for use during the competition. Three for the squat, three for the bench press, and five for the deadlift. Having made his first attempt at a lift, the lifter or his coach must decide upon the weight required for his second attempt.
• This weight must be filled in were indicated upon the card and submitted to the competition secretary or other appointed official before the one-minute time allowance has elapsed. The same procedure is to be used for the second and third attempts on all three lifts.
• Responsibility for submitting attempts within the time limit rests solely with the lifter or his coach.
• Under the round system, the need for numerous marshals is eliminated, the attempt card being handed directly to the designated official.
• Examples of attempt cards are illustrated. Remember that the box for first attempts on the cards in the lifter’s possession is only to be used for the permitted first attempt change if required. Similarly, the fourth and fifth boxes on the deadlift card are only to be used for the two permitted changes on the third attempt deadlift if required.
• In single bench press competitions, a card similar to that of the deadlift will be used.
• Where 10 or more lifters are competing in a session, groups may be formed consisting of approximately equal numbers of lifters. However, groups must be formed when 15 or more lifters are competing in the same session. A session can be composed of a single bodyweight category or any combination of bodyweight categories at the discretion of the organizer for purpose of presentation.
• Each lifter will take his first attempt in the first round, his second attempt in the second round and his third attempt in the third round. When a group consists of less than 6 lifters, compensatory time allowances shall be added at the end of each round as follows:
  • For 5 lifters add 1 minute;
  • 4 lifters add 2 minutes;
  • 3 lifters add 3 minutes.
• 3 minutes is the maximum allowance permitted at the end of a round.
• Should a lifter follow himself when the compensatory clock is in operation, 3 minutes is the maximum allowance permitted.
• For compensatory time where groups are involved, unloading of the bar will take place at the end of the compensatory time, reloaded, then the one minute to begin the attempt.
• The bar must be loaded progressively during each round on the principle of a rising bar. At no time will the weight on the bar be lowered within a round except for errors as described in item, and then only at the end of a round.
• Lifting order within each round will be determined by the lifter’s choice of weight for that round.
• In the event of two lifters choosing the same weight, the lifter with the lowest lot number drawn at the weigh in, will lift first.
• The same applies to third round deadlift attempts, whereby the weight may be changed twice, subject to the bar not having already been loaded to the lifters originally chosen weight and the lifter having been called to the bar by the speaker. Example:
  • Lifter A with lot number 5 puts in 250.0 kg.
  • Lifter B with lot number 2 puts in 252.5 kg.
  • Lifter A fails with 250.0 kg.
  • Can Lifter B drop the weight to 250.0 kg to win? No, the order of lifting is still determined by the lot number.
• If unsuccessful with an attempt, the lifter does not follow himself, but must wait until the next round before he can attempt that weight again.
• If in a round an attempt is unsuccessful due to a wrongly loaded bar, spotter error, equipment failure or any other fault and through no fault of his own, the lifter will be granted a further attempt at the correct weight.
• The lifter shall take his extra attempt at the end of the round except if the lift is a record attempt, the lifter shall always follow himself no matter what round it is.
• If the lifter also happens to be the last lifter in the round, he shall be granted a three-minute rest prior to making his attempt, last but one in the round two minutes, last but two in the round one minute.
• In these cases where lifters are following themselves and given compensatory rest time the bar will be loaded as soon as the new attempt is turned in.
• The compensatory time will then be added to the usual one minute to begin the attempt.
• The clock will be started and the lifter will have that time to begin his attempt.
• Lifters following themselves will have four minutes time placed on the clock, during which time the lifter can begin his attempt as soon as he is ready.
• Lifters last but one in the round will be given three minutes, last but two in the round will be given two minutes, all others will be given the usual one minute to begin the attempt.
• In the third round of deadlifting and single bench press, if a lifter of any reason gets a new extra attempt by the jury, (wrongly loaded bar, spotter error or equipment failure) the lifter will be granted a further attempt at the correct weight, the lifter must be following him/herself.
• A lifter is permitted one change of weight on the first attempt of each lift. The change of weight may be higher or lower than that originally submitted and the order of lifting in the first round will change accordingly. If he is in the first group, this change may take place at any time up to within three minutes before the start of the first round of that lift.
• The following groups are accorded a similar privilege up to within three attempts from the end of the previous group’s last round of that lift. Prior notice of these deadlines shall be announced by the speaker. If proper notice of these deadlines is not given, then an announcement authorizing such changes shall be made and a lifter may make a change within one minute of such announcement.
• A lifter must submit his second and third attempts within one minute of completing his preceding attempt.
• The one minute will begin from the time that the lights are activated.
• If no weight is submitted within the one-minute time allowance, the lifter will be granted a 2.5 kg increase on his next attempt. Should the lifter have failed his previous attempt and not submitted a weight for a further attempt within the one-minute time allowance, then the bar will be loaded to the failed weight.
• Weightssubmitted for second round attempts on all three lifts cannot be changed.
• Similarly, third round attempts on the squat and bench press cannot be changed.
• Under this rule once an attempt is turned in, it cannot be withdrawn. The bar shall be loaded to the turned in weight and the clock will be run.
• In the third round of the deadlift, two changes are permitted. The change of the weight may be higher or lower than the lifters previously submitted third attempt. However, these are only permitted provided that the lifter has not been called to the bar already loaded to his previously submitted weight by the speaker.
• If a lifting session consists of a single group, i.e., up to a maximum of 14 lifters, an interval of 20 minutes shall be allowed between the lifts. This is to ensure adequate time for warm up and platform organization. When two or more groups take part in a session upon a single platform, lifting will be organized on a group repetition basis.
• After the end of each discipline consisting of more than one group (squat, bench press) a time interval of 10 minutes is to be given between the disciplines.
• For example, if there are two groups taking part in a session, the first group will complete all three rounds of the squat. They will be followed immediately by the second group who will complete their three rounds of squat. The platform will then be set up for the bench press and the first group will complete their three rounds of the bench press, immediately followed by the second group who will similarly complete their three rounds of the bench press. The platform will then be set up for the deadlift and the first group will complete their three rounds of the deadlift, immediately followed by the second group who will similarly complete their three rounds of the deadlift. This system thus eliminates any time waste other than that necessary for arranging the platform between the lifts