T.C. Newsletter (NO2 2004)

TECHNICAL COMMITTEE NEWSLETTER NO:2 2004

As mentioned in the first of our T.C. Newsletters for 2004, here are the proposals to date which will be forwarded to Rules Congress November 2004. They are presented in Rule Book order.

Constitution/Bye Laws

13.2.1 The Technical Committee

Proposals for Rules Congress shall be sent to the Chairman of the Technical Committee John Stephenson e:mail stephensonjsy@supanet.com

The Committee will study the proposals, and the Chairman will be responsible for producing a final list of acceptable rule proposals for presentation to the Congress.

GENERAL RULES OF POWERLIFTING

Proposer : P.L. Australia

Rule 2 - Insert "Men's & Women's combined Open World Championships", "Men's & Women's combined Sub-Junior & Junior World Championships" & "Men's & Women's combined Masters 1, 2 & 3 World Championships", "Men's & Women's combined Masters & Open Bench Press World Championships" and delete competing wording.

Reasons:

To allow for the World Championships calendar to be rationalized into four events, as follows (dates are suggested and to be confirmed by the EC

World Master (Men & Women 1,2 & 3 ) - March

World Juniors (Men & Women Sub-Junior & Junior ) - early July

World Bench Press (Men & Women Open & Masters) - September

World Championships (Men & Women ) - mid to late November

Fewer, larger events reduce travel time, create economies of scale in various costs, create events of magnitude comparable to other sports

To give equal weighting and prominence to Women's Open Worlds.

Rule 3 - Sub-Junior, delete "18 years", insert "19 years"

Junior, delete "19 years", insert "20years"

Reasons:

To make Sub-Junior category one year older

- the current Sub-Junior category is lopsided, with few lifters aged 14 - 18 and many aged 19 - 23

- three World Sub-Junior Championships have been held and have essentially been failures, i.e. low attendance and devaluation of the World Championships concept; moving the Sub-Junior Worlds to a combined event with Junior Worlds only hides and does not change the underlaying problem of few lifters in the current Sub-Junior category.

Proposer : British W/L Ass - P.L. Australia

INSERT - Men 70 years of age ( calendar year ) and over, to receive medals for placing 1st, 2nd, and 3rd in overall competition, based on the Wilks ( points ) Formula.

Women 60 years of age ( calendar Year ) and over, to receive medals for placing 1st, 2nd, and 3rd in overall competition, based on the Wilks ( points ) Formula.

Reason:

To encourage these particular lifters to compete against each other. As yet, there are not enough competitors to warrant class weights in these categories.

Rule 4 - Bodyweight Categories

Proposer : P.L. Australia

Delete existing Bodyweight categories and insert the following as class limits-

Men 58 Women 46

64 50

71 54

79 59

88 68

100 80

115 80+

115+

Reasons:

Current categories are lopsided splicing of the world population of lifters - the Medical Committee/Robert Wilks report found that the current classes contain the following percentages of lifters.

Men 52 2% Women 44 6%

56 6% 48 10%

60 10% 52 17%

67 .5 17% 56 19%

75 18% 60 16%

82 .5 16% 67 .5 14%

90 12% 75 10%

100 10% 82 .5 4%

110 5% 90 2%

125 3% 90+ 1%

125+ 1%

a totally even distribution can never be achieved, but the proposed new classes eliminate the extremes of the current misdistribution-

Men 58 12% Women 46 13%

64 13% 50 14%

71 17% 54 15%

79 17% 59 22%

88 17% 68 19%

100 14% 80 13%

115 6% 80+ 4%

115+ 4%

Sweden has submitted the below proposal for new bodyweight classes but this has no empirical basis presented and would catastrophically worsen the present misdistribution of lifters and classes-

Men 55 7% Women 47 14%

63 18% 53 24%

72 21% 61 33%

84 26% 70 15%

97 16% 80 9%

112 8% 91 4%

128 3% 91+ 1%

128+ 1%

- the proposed new classses are also fairer in terms of the range of performance encompassed in each class, e.g.

71kg 700 = 518 points

79kg 755 = 519 points

100kg 855 = 518 points

115kg 890 = 517 points

140kg 925 = 517 points

160kg 940 = 517 points

i.e. the new classes each encompass approximately 50 kg of performance ( where as, say, the current 125 class encompasses 25 kg of performance and the 67.5 kilo class 60 kg of performance )

The current, too many lopsided classes have the effect that contests are unfair, e.g. 52 kg medal is vastly easier to obtain than 75 or 82.5 kg medal.

IPF loses credibility with games organisers, governments, etc. who see that so many classes create "cheap" medals and thus resist inclusion of powerlifting in their events.

Championships are prolonged.

Classes are not differentiated to the public, i.e. totals are similar in the (too many) heavier classes and this dilutes the impact of those classes.

Rule 5 - delete "eleven", insert "eight", delete "ten", insert "seven"

Reasons :

To be consistent with new bodyweight classes

- to control the length of major Championships.

Reason for the Swedish proposal.

We all know the hard work that the IPF presidency has made to the IOC in an attempt to put Powerlifting into the Olympic Games. We also know that the IOC forced the Olympic Weightlifting Federation to change their bodyweight categories.

Rule 7 - Change paragraph to read:

Proposer : Finnish P.L. Federation

Each Nation must submit a team roster giving the name of each lifter, bodyweight category the best result in each discipline and total achieved at National Championships or International level Contests during the previous 12 months. The date and title of the National Championship or International Contest in which the total was achieved must also be stated. These details must be submitted to the General Secretary of the IPF or Region and also the Meet Director at least 21 days before the date of the Championships. The names of the alternates or reserves with their body weight categories and best totals must also be submitted at this time.

A lifter cannot produce a qualifying total via his National Federation for entry into World, International, or Regional Championships while he is under suspension by the IPF or Region.

Reason:

The IPF should require the results stated for lifters in nomination form to be achieved in "calendar" events.

COSTUME AND PERSONAL EQUIPMENT

Proposer : IPF T.C.

Delete the following sentence: The Medical Committe insist that shin length socks be worn to cover and protect the shins if the lifter so happens to drag the bar on the shins - to - Shin length socks shall be worn to cover and protect the shins while performing the deadlift.

Reason:

The present situation where the bar has to be cleaned between every other lift with a sterile solution, dried, plasters torn from shins and adhering to the bar, is considered to be unhealthy, unsightly, and totally unacceptable.

POWERLIFTS AND RULES OF PERFORMANCE

Proposer : P.L. Australia - IPF T.C.

Bench Press: Change paragraph eight page fifteen to read: -

After receiving the signal, the lifter must lower the bar to the chest (the chest, for the purpose of the rule, finishes at the base of the sternum/breastbone ), hold it motionless on the chest. After being held at the chest for a definite and visible pause, the audible command "press" will be given. The lifter must then return the bar to arms length extended evenly throughout, both arms locking out simultaneously/to-gether. When held motionless in this position the audible command "rack" shall be given with a backward motion of the arm.

Reason:

To re-introduce the signal at the chest will eliminate the touch and go syndrome which has become progressively worse since the signal was abolished.

"Immoderate" uneven extension has created wide variations in interpretation, extended evenly throughout will return the bench press to a relatively "black and white" lift to judge.

Delete "pronounced/exaggerated" from 4. Causes for disqualification of a Bench Press.

Reason:

To be consistent with the above.

Note: Some amendments to the above proposal are expected from the floor e.g. one second at the chest - no signal.

Bench Press - Single Lift :

Proposer : Swedish P.L. Federation

Five attempts. The lifter must have achieved a lift in one of the first three attempts to be able to continue.

Reason:

Five attempts will make for a more interesting competition.

WEIGHING IN

Proposer : Finnish P.L. Federation

Page 17 / 18 Item 6 to be changed as follows:

Each lifter may only be weighed once. Only those whose body weight is heavier or lighter than the category limits of the category entered are allowed to return to the scales. They must return to the scales and make weight within the limits of the hour and a half allowed for the weigh-in. A lifter can only be re-weighed as often as time and orderly progression by lots allows. A lifter may only be weighed outside the time limit of one and a half hours if he presents himself within the time limit, but due to the number of lifters trying to make weight, he is denied the opportunity of mounting the scales. He may then be allowed one re-weigh at the discretion of the referees. The lifter's agreed body weight must not be made public until all lifters competing in the particular category/categories have been weighed in.

A lifter who fails to make the body-weight as entered on the final entry form, is excluded from the actual competition.

Reason:

Moving up or down should not be acceptable, as the lifters should be able to show their strength and tactical skill on the platform not on the scales.

If the IPF is going to have Powerlifting recognised by the IOC someday, it certainly means many changes have to be made. The sooner the better in the IPF Rules conforming to common practices in Olympic Sports. For several reasons, this rule proposal is one of them.

Item 7 to be changed as follows:

A lifter shall be nominated in his normal body weight category. It is the responsibility of the lifter to know the bodyweight category for which he is nominated. A claim that an error has been made on the final nomination form will not be accepted.

Reason:

To conform with the previous item.

ORDER OF COMPETITION

Proposer : P.L. Australia - IPF T.C.

The Round System

(b) Third sentence - insert after. A session can be composed of - - - - the words, one group of a bodyweight category - - - -

Reason:

To allow for groups to be run seperately e.g. presentation of ten or so A Group Lifters for T.V. presentation as at the 2003 Men's Open Championships.

Proposer : Finnish P.L. Federation

Page 20/21 Item (c) to be changed as follows:-

(c) Grouping shall be determined by examining the lifter's best totals achieved at National Championships or International Level Contests during the previous twelve months. The lifters with the lowest totals will form the first group to lift with progressively higher totals forming further groups as necessary. Where a lifter has not provided a total for the previous twelve months in his / her entered weight category, then that lifter shall automatically be placed in the first group to lift.

Reason:

Obvious if the proposal for GENERAL RULES OF POWERLIFTING, page 4, item 7 is accepted.

Note:

There will be some changes needed ( re-wording ) to the CONSTITUTION AND BYE LAWS OF THE IPF should many of the proposals be passed.

Proposer : P.L. Australia

Reponsibilities of the officials are:

(c) Timekeeper-second paragraph - delete the words "after being called to the platform" and insert after the Chief Referee signals "Bar loaded/ready"

Reason:

Being called to the platform is an imprecise point of time. The speaker often delays. The Chief Referee should be in control of the platform not the speaker.

This proposal if passed will affect item (a) the wording to be -

When the bar is loaded and the platform cleared for lifting, the Chief Referee will indicate the fact to the time keeper who will immediately begin the clock. The speaker to make a simultaneous announcement, again, calling the lifter by name.

REFEREES

Raise an arm

Proposer : Swedish P.L. Federation

In squat and Bench Press the side referees will raise their arms, and keep them raised until the lifter is in the correct position to receive the signal to begin the lift.

Reason:

To make referees more active/aware.

Note: Should this proposal pass, item 8 will need re-wording.

Proposer IPF T.C.

Page 29 item 32

Delete the word " open ". Insert the word full after the word championships.

Reason:

Some referees are unable to fulfil the written rule e.g. where some Nations have many referees who cannot be accommodated at the one meet. Deleting "open" will allow for all other full meets to be taken into account.

WORLD RECORDS

Proposer : P.L. Australia

Item 13 - Delete from" World Single Lift Bench Press Records" to "Bench Press" Records.

Reason:

Nonsensical to have two World Records for the same lift.

It undermines IPF'S credibility if double-counted World Records are recognised.

The records in Bench only meets are, on the whole, no better than the records in three lift meets.

The IPF should now issue a World Record List with the better of the current Single or three lift Bench Press performance shown as the only World Record.

BYE-LAW 105.9 - delete "Single lift Bench Press"