BCWA Technical and Competition Rules

Effective: January 1, 2014

Preamble

The British Columbia Weightlifting Association (BCWA), as a recognized member of the Canadian Weightlifting Federation Haltérophile Canadienne (CWFHC), respects and implements the current International Weightlifting Federation Technical and Competition Rules & Regulations (IWF TCRR); except where otherwise noted. IWF TCRR are reviewed on an ongoing basis and the BCWA will respect and implement rules, or exemptions as otherwise noted, once formally announced by the CWFHC, as the IWF Member Federation, or by formal announcement on the IWF website (www.iwf.net.) Where exemptions are noted the corresponding IWF TCRR has been referenced for clarity and ease of cross-referencing, if required.

1. Participants
   • Bodyweight Categories
   • Team Size
2. Sport Equipment
   • Competition Platform
   • Barbell
   • Scales
   • Timing Clock
3. Athletes Outfits
   • Costume
   • Footwear
4. Competition Proceedings
   • Proof of Membership
   • Weigh-in
   • Team Lists
5. Course of Competition
   •  Minimum Weights
   • Introductions
6. Classifications of Athletes and Teams
   • Team Classification
   • Best Lifter
7. Technical Officials
   • Uniform
   • Jury
   • Referees
   • Doctors on Duty
   • Promotion of Technical Officials – Level 4
   • Promotion of Technical Officials – Level 3
8. Records
   • British Columbia Records

Glossary

1. PARTICIPANTS

1.1) Bodyweight Categories

BCWA Technical & Competition Rules allow the following Child and Youth bodyweight categories for

Child: < 12 years of age
Youth: 13-17 years of age
Child/Youth Boys

• 50 kg
• +94kg (maximum)

Child/Youth Girls

• 44 kg
• +69kg (maximum)

The British Columbia Provincial Championships must only have the fifteen (eight male and seven female) Junior/Senior bodyweight categories. No Child/Youth bodyweight categories may be contested at the British Columbia Provincial Championships. (Reference: IWF TCRR 1.2.3 & 1.2.4)

1.2) Team Size

BCWA Technical & Competition Rules allow any number of athletes from any club, both male and female, to participate at any BCWA event. The recommended team size for any competition is 6 men and 4 women. The actual team size is at the discretion of the competition organizer, except for the British Columbia Provincial Championships. (Reference: IWF TCRR 1.2.5)

2. SPORT EQUIPMENT

2.1) Competition Platform

BCWA Technical & Competition Rules allows competition platforms to measure 4 metres on each side. Safety mats must surround the perimeter and must be a different colour then both the platform and the floor/stage.(Reference: IWF TCRR 3.3.2.2)

2.2) Barbell

BCWA Technical & Competition Rules allow the use a smaller 5kg and 10 kg bar.

The 5 or 10 kg bar may be used at all BCWA sanctioned competitions, except the British Columbia Provincial Championships, where only the IWF standard 15 and 20 kg bars must be used.

Both male and female athletes must use the 5 or 10 kg bar for weights up to 30 kg. Either two 2.5kg standard collars or clip-on collars may be used.
Both male and female athletes must use the 15 kg bar once the requested weight on the bar is 30 kg or more. The 30 kg barbell consists of: two 5 kg bumper plates; two 2.5 kg standard collars; and the 15 kg bar.

Female athletes must remain using the 15 kg bar with two 2.5 kg standard collars for any subsequent weight increases.

Male athletes must use the 20 kg bar once the requested weight on the bar is 45 kg or more. The 45 kg barbell consists of: two 10 kg discs; and two 2.5 kg standard collars and the 20 kg bar. Any subsequent weight increases for male athletes must remain on the 20 kg bar with two 2.5 kg standard collars.

The age of the athlete is not a consideration in this rule. It is the amount on the barbell and/or the gender of the athlete that guides which bar is to be used. (Reference: IWF TCRR 3.3.3.2)

2.3) Scales

BCWA Technical & Competition Rules requires that all non-electronic scales be checked prior to weigh-in with 25kg discs. First one disc, then two discs, then three discs are set on the scales to confirm weight variance, if any. If there is a weight variance this is taken into account during the weigh-in process.

Balance beam scales will be set to zero upon the completion of each individual athletes weigh-in.
All scales must be on a flat level, non-carpeted surface. Because all athletes are weighed on the same scale, there will be no requests granted from coaches or athletes to adjust or rebalance the scale, except as noted above.

Athletes (other than those to be weighed), coaches or other team officials (team leader, team manager, etc.) are not permitted to touch the scales during the weigh-in process.

If the scale only records to a specified top limit, then the top limit must be accepted as the athlete’s weight. This weight consideration must be noted on both the Athlete Card and the Competition Protocol. (Reference: IWF TCRR 3.3.4)

2.4) Timing Clock

BCWA Technical & Competition Rules require the Speaker to announce the thirty-second warning if the referee light system being used does not make an audible sound. (Reference: IWF TCRR 3.3.6)

3. ATHLETES OUTFITS

3.1) Costume

BCWA Technical & Competition Rules allows first year athletes to wear a two-piece close fitting costume during competition. If the first year athlete qualifies and competes at the British Columbia Provincial Championships the first year athlete must wear a one-piece costume as per the IWF TCRR. (Reference: IWF TCRR 4.1)

3.2) Footwear

BCWA Technical & Competition Rules allows first year athletes to wear running shoes or other style footwear during competition. If the first year athlete qualifies and competes at the British Columbia Provincial Championships the first year athlete must wear sport footwear as per the IWF TCRR. (Reference: IWF TCRR 4.2)

4. COMPETITION PROCEEDINGS

4.1) Proof of Membership

BCWA Technical & Competition Rules requires each athlete to be a BCWA registered member in good standing at the time of competition.
Upon request by the Competition Director or appointed designate, at the following locations noted below, all BCWA members may be asked to show proof of BCWA membership, by way of BCWA Membership ID, or proof of payment.

• Athletes, prior to weigh-in
• Coaches, at technical meeting; competition venue; or warm-up area
• Team officials (team manager, team leaders, etc.); at technical meeting; competition venue or warm-up area
• Technical officials, at technical meeting; competition venue; or competition management table

All BCWA coaches must be NCCP Club Coach, or equivalent, or under the supervision of a NCCP or CWFHC Learning Facilitator. Trainers, such as athletic therapists, massage therapists, etc. do not have to be members of the BCWA; however, trainers must be certified within their relevant profession and provide proof, if requested, prior to entering the warm-up area. (Reference: IWF TCRR 6)

4.2) Weigh-in

Any athlete may compete in any category for their gender; there are no qualification standards, aside from the Provincial Championships. The Provincial’s regulations are as follows:

• An athlete must compete in the category in which they qualified. However, an athlete may lift in a higher category if the athlete has met the required qualification total and meets the bodyweight requirement at the time of the competition.
  • eg. Athlete A qualifies with a 178kg total in the 69kg class. This athlete qualifies to lift in the 69kg category (163kg) and the 77kg category (175kg) however does not qualify for the 85kg category (185kg). The athlete must meet the bodyweight requirements of the category during the BCWA Provincial Championships.
• An athlete who had qualified for and was eligible to compete at the Canadian Senior Championships of the same calendar year of the BCWA Provincial Championships is exempt from qualification. This athlete may compete in the weight category of their choice, providing that the athlete meets the bodyweight requirements of that category.

(Reference: IWF TCRR 6.4) (BCWA: Provincial Championship Regulations 1.0)

4.3) Team Lists

Team lists must be handed in to the competition secretary before the competition has started. If no list is handed in the team is automatically created based on the lowest lot numbers of the team. There will still be a limit of 2 athletes per category.

• Example: In a team of 6/4, if you have 7 male athletes, the male athletes with the 6 lowest lot numbers will form the Team. If there are more than 2 athletes in a category, the next lifter in the list will be added to the Team instead.

5. COURSE OF COMPETITION

5.1) Minimum Weights

BCWA Technical & Competition Rules allows the use of 5 and 10 kg bars at all competitions, except the British Columbia Provincial Championships, thereby allowing the minimum weight lifted to be 5kg.
The minimum weight at British Columbia Provincial Championships respects the IWF TCRR as noted. (Reference: IWF TCRR 6.6.4)

5.2) 15/20 Kilo Rule

BCWA Technical & Competition Rules do not enforce the 15/20 Kilo Rule. (Reference: IWF TCRR 6.6.5)

5.3) Athlete Introductions

BCWA will follow the IWF in terms of the start of the session and athlete introductions. The competition officially starts with the introduction of athletes. After the introduction of athletes and prior to the introduction of the Technical Officials, the timing clock starts a countdown of ten (10) minutes. (Reference: IWF TCRR 6.5.1)

6. CLASSIFICATION OF ATHLETES AND TEAMS

6.1) Team Classification

BCWA Technical & Competition Rules issue team points on Snatch, C&J and Total. It is at the discretion of the Competition Director / host organizing club, if team trophies are awarded. (Reference: IWF TCRR 6.8.3)

If an athlete has no valid lifts in the Snatch portion of the competition, the athlete can continue in the competition even if there are only Total medals being awarded. (Reference: IWF TCRR 6.8.6)

6.2) Best Lifter

BCWA Technical & Competition Rules supports the practice of recognizing “Best Lifter” for both male and female athletes. Best Lifter, if awarded, is calculated by up-to-date Sinclair Formula and the athlete’s exact bodyweight.

7. TECHNICAL OFFICIALS

7.1) Uniform

BCWA Technical & Competition Rules do not require Technical Officials to dress in an appropriately professional manner, aside from nationally run events in B.C. If you wish to dress appropriately, the attire required, is as follows:

• IWF Category 1 & 2: IWF official uniform as per 2013-2016 IWF TCRR
• CWFHC Level 3: blue blazer, tan trousers/skirt, white shirt, tie/scarf, and black shoes
• BCWA Level 4: tan trousers/skirt, white shirt, tie/scarf, and black shoes
• BCWA Level 4 (in training): tan trousers/skirt, white shirt, and black shoes

(Reference: IWF TCRR 7.2.3)

7.2) Jury

BCWA Technical & Competition Rules allows three person juries at all competitions.
Juries must be made up of IWF Category 1 or 2 Technical Officials and can be from any region of British Columbia; however, jury members from the same club must be avoided. (Reference: IWF TCRR 7.2.3)

7.3) Referees

BCWA Technical & Competition Rules allows BCWA Level 4 (Provincial level) to perform technical official duties, except where otherwise noted, at all provincial level competitions including the British Columbia Provincial Championships.

At the British Columbia Provincial Championships, level 4 referees may sit at either position 1 or 3. The middle Referee must be Level 3 or higher. Any Level 4 technical official appointed to referee must allow a Level 3 to referee any lifts that are for Canadian records, if applicable. Once the lift is attempted, the Level 4 technical official can resume their role as Referee.

Level 3 and 4 Technical Officials must maintain their BCWA membership to remain a licensed Technical Official.

All BCWA Technical Official members are encouraged to participate in professional development opportunities as offered by the BCWA, CWFHC, IWF or any other sport official organizations, from time to time. (Reference: IWF TCRR 7.7)

7.4) Doctors on Duty

BCWA Technical & Competition Rules does not enforce an IWF licensed Doctor on Duty at its competitions; however, the BCWA Executive Board mandates Competition Directors / host organizing club to find and employ trained First Aid attendants, Registered Nurses or any other licensed medical professional to act as First Response if they shall choose to do so. (Reference: IWF TCRR 7.13)

7.5) Promotion of Technical Officials – Level 4
BCWA Technical & Competition Rules enables individual to achieve Level 4 (provincial level) Technical Officials status by following the steps noted below:

1. Be a current BCWA member
2. Job shadow an CWFHC Level 3 (or higher) TO at a competition
3. Attend an Officiating Clinic conducted by an IWF Category 1 or 2 TO
4. Pass the 60 question theory exam - conducted by a CWFHC Level 3 (or higher) TO. Passing grade is 75%.
5. Referee a session while being adjudicated by a CWFHC Level 3 (or higher) TO. (The 8 athletes minimum, and must consist of the weigh-in)
6. Participate at a weigh-in as a referee for one session
7. Marshall for one session
8. Act as Technical Controller for one session

(Reference: IWF TCRR 7.3)

7.6) Promotion of Technical Officials – Level 3

BCWA Technical & Competition Rules enables BCWA Level 4 Technical Official to achieve Level 3 (national level) Technical Officials status by way of the following conditions as noted below, as well as, fulfill any other obligations as noted by the CWFHC Constitution & Bylaws:

1. Be a current BCWA member
2. Be an active BCWA Level 4 TO for at least one year
3. Attend an Officiating Clinic conducted by an IWF Category 1 or 2 TO.
4. Pass the IWF Technical Official Examination – conducted by a CWFHC Level 3 (or higher) TO. Passing grade is 75%
5. Referee at least 100 lifts while being adjudicated as a referee at an BCWA sanctioned Provincial or National level competition by a Jury consisting of IWF Category 1 and/or 2 TOs. (The 100 lifts must be done within one competition and must consist of the weigh-in)
6. Referee at least six BCWA sanctioned provincial competitions (may include one inter-club meet – but does not include club meets)
7. Act as Technical Controller for a minimum of 3 of the 6 BCWA sanctioned provincial competitions
8. Act as a Speaker or Marshall at a minimum of 3 of 6 BCWA sanctioned provincial competitions.

(Reference: IWF TCRR 7.3)

8. RECORDS

8.1) British Columbia Records

BCWA Technical & Competition Rules recognizes records established by British Columbia Weightlifting Association athletes in the Senior, Junior and Youth age groups in either the Snatch, Clean & Jerk or Total and in all bodyweight categories.
In order for a British Columbia record to be formally recognized by the BCWA, the following must apply:

• The athlete must be a Canadian citizen
• The athlete must be a resident of British Columbia for the past six months
• The record must be adjudicated by three Level 4 referees or higher
• The competition must have been BCWA Sanctioned competition or beyond.
• The Competition Protocol must be signed by all residing Technical Officials

(Reference: IWF TCRR 8)

8.2) Certificate
A certificate of the record will be delivered to the recipient after the record has been verified. A certificate can be requested for any current record or if misplaced.

GLOSSARY
IWF – International Weightlifting Federation
CWFHC – Canadian Weightlifting Federation Haltérophile Canadienne
BCWA – British Columbia Weightlifting Association
TCRR – Technical and Competition Rules & Regulations
kg – kilogram
Kilo - kilogram
NCCP – National Coaching Certification Program
LTAD – Long Term Athlete Development

As approved by the British Columbia Weightlifting Association Executive Board
@ December 2014 – Vancouver, British Columbia
1st Version – Edited by Walter Bailey and Brock Pedersen, 2014