Official Bodybuilding Rules

[FUZO]

TweetBodybuilding Competitor Rules

Check-Ins
Competitors will be checked in and weighed



POSING SUITS

• All suit bottoms must be V-shaped, no thongs are permitted.
• Suits worn by male competitors at the prejudging and finals must be plain in color with no fringe, wording, sparkle or fluorescents.
• Posing Suits worn by female competitors must be two-piece but may include a printed design with fringes, lace, sparkle or fluorescents that are in good taste.
• All Prejudging suits will be checked at the morning check-in.
• Competitors are not permitted to alter the fit of the posing suit by hiking it up in the back or by pulling up the sides during Front and Rear Lat Spreads.
• Take a look at our recent NPC contest galleries for examples of approved NPC Posing Suits.
  

POSING MUSIC

• Posing music will be used at the Finals.
• Posing music must be on a CD and must be the only music on the CD.
• Posing music must be on Side A and should be cued to the start of the music.
• Posing music must not contain vulgar lyrics. Competitors using music containing vulgar lyrics will be disqualified.

ONSTAGE

• During the Prejudging male and female competitors are not permitted to wear any jewelry onstage other than a wedding band. Decorative pieces in the hair are not permitted.
• During the Finals female competitors are permitted to wear earrings.
• No glasses, props or gum are permitted onstage.
• Any competitor doing the “Moon Pose” will be disqualified.
• Lying on the floor is prohibited.
• Bumping and shoving is prohibited. First and second persons involved will be disqualified.
• Competitors numbers will be worn on the left side of the suit bottom.

BACKSTAGE

• The only people permitted in the backstage area are competitors, expediters, NPC officials & NPC News Online.

COMPETITORS HEALTH

• Any competitor who appears to be disoriented, light-headed or experiences undue cramping will not be permitted to compete.
• Any competitor disqualified for health reasons must be checked by the attending EMT and, if it is advised by the EMT, must go to the nearest hospital for evaluation.
• Competitors who refuse to be evaluated by the EMT or at the hospital will be suspended from competition for a period of one year from the date of the occurrence.

WEIGHT CLASSES

Male Competitors (All contests that are pro qualifiers)

• Bantamweight – up to 143 ¼ lb
• Lightweight – Over 143 ¼ up to 154 ¼
• Middleweight – Over 154 ¼ up to 176 ¼
• Light-Heavyweight – Over 176 ¼ up to 198 ¼
• Heavyweight – Over 198 ¼ up to 225 ¼
• Super Heavyweight – Over 225 ¼

Male Welterweight Class for USA and National Championships

• Bantamweight: 143-1/4 lbs. & under
• Lightweight: over 143-1/4 lbs. to & including 154-1/4 lbs
• * Welterweight over 154-1/4 lbs. to & including 165-1/4 lbs
• Middleweight: over 165-1/4 lbs. up to & including 176-1/4 lbs
• Light-Heavyweight: over 176-1/4 lbs. up to & including 198-1/4 lbs
• Heavyweight: over 198-1/4 lbs up to & including 225-1/4
• Super Heavyweight: over 225-1/4

*The Welterweight is optional at local, regional and national qualifying contests.
Male Weight Classes
2 Classes

• Lightweight – up to and including 176-1/4
• Heavyweight – Over 176-1/4

3 Classes

• Lightweight – up to and including 165-1/4
• Middleweight – over 165-1/4 up to and including 187-1/4
• Heavyweight – over 187-1/4

4 Classes

• Lightweight – up to and including 154-1/4
• Middleweight – over 154-1/4 up to and including 176-1/4
• Light-Heavyweight – over 176-1/4 up to and including 198-1/4
• Heavyweight – over 198-1/4

5 Classes

• Bantamweight – up to and including 143-1/4
• Lightweight – over 143-1/4 up to and including 154-1/4
• Middleweight – over 154-1/4 up to and including 176-1/4
• Light-Heavyweight – over 176-1/4 up to and including 198-/14
• Heavyweight – over 198-1/4

6 Classes

• Bantamweight – up to and including 143-1/4
• Lightweight – over 143-1/4 up to and including 154-1/4
• Middleweight – over 154-1/4 up to and including 176-1/4
• Light-Heavyweight – over 176-1/4 up to and including 198-1/4
• Heavyweight – over 198-1/4 up to and including 225-1/4
• Super Heavyweight – over 225-1/4

Note: At the NPC Universe Championships there is no Super Heavyweight class but there is a Welterweight class that is over 154-1/4 up to and including 165-1/4 for a total of six (6) classes.








Female Bodybuilding Weight Classes

2 Classes

• Lightweight – Up to and including 125
• Heavyweight – Over 125

3 Classes

• Lightweight – Up to and including 125
• Middleweight – Over 125 up to and including 140
• Heavyweight – Over 140

4 Classes

• Lightweight – Up to and including 115
• Middleweight – Over 115 up to and including 125
• Light-Heavyweight – Over 125 up to and including 140
• Heavyweight – Over 140

National level contests do not permit competitors to cross over into fitness, figure or bikini at the same event. All other competitions are permitted to have crossovers at the discretion of the promoter with appropriate approval






THE PREJUDGING POSING ROUNDS FOR
MALE AND FEMALE COMPETITORS



Judges will score competitors according to the NPC “total package” which is a balance of size, symmetry and muscularity.
Relaxed Round

• Keep your feet flat
• Keep your heels together
• Hold your arms at your sides
• No twisting
• Your head must be facing the same direction as your feet.

Individual Round

• Begin when ready – no signal is necessary from the Head Judge.
• Maximum of 60 seconds with a warning when 10 seconds remain.
• You are not obligated to use all 60 seconds.
• Lying on the floor is not permitted.

Mandatory Round

• Front Double Bicep
• Front Lat Spread
• Side Chest
• Side Tricep
• Rear Double Bicep
• Rear Lat Spread
• Abdominals with one thigh

ELIGIBILITY

An athlete must be a citizen to compete in the following national competitions:

• Masters National Championships
• USA Championships
• NPC Universe Championships
• Nationals Championships

Proof of citizenship must be one of the following:

• A birth certificate
• A voter’s registration card
• Military discharge papers
• Naturalization Papers – Form N560
• Consular Service Form FS24 for those born outside of the United States to US parents

Residency is four (4) months prior to a contest or must be a full time student in the area.

Bodybuilding Qualifications

Bodybuilding competitors that place in the top five (5) in each class at a national qualifying contest are qualified for the Junior USA, Junior Nationals, NPC Universe and North American Championships. Competitors that place in the top three at a national qualifying contest are eligible for the USA and Nationals. All National level qualifications are good for one year including the USA and Nationals. Definition of Novice

If an athlete has placed in the top ten (10) of any national event (including the IFBB North American Championships), the athlete is no longer considered a novice.
A true novice is an athlete that has never entered an NPC event. Who Qualifies for National Level Competitions:

• A competitor must place in the top two (2) in their weight class of the Men’s Open or in the top three (3) in their weight class of the Women’s open division in a contest that has been sanctioned as a national qualifier.
• First overall in an area championship of the open division.
• Top two (2) in a weight class from an area level national qualifier
• Overall winner in a district level competition designated as a national qualifier.
• Winner of the weight class in a regional competition designated as a national qualifier.
• Weight class winners from the Armed Forces.

1. This qualifies the competitor for competition on the national level for a period of one (1) full calendar year after the year that the qualification took place
2. Only if a competitor’s one (1) year qualification has expired can an athlete enter a state or higher level national qualifying competition even if they have already won the overall title.

My placement qualifies me for the
following national events.

To enter the Junior USA, Teen and Masters Nationals you must place as follows:

• Top five (5) in a weight class from a national level competition
• Top three (3) in a weight class in the Teen or Masters Nationals
• Class winner in the Armed Forces
• Top three (3) in a weight class from an Area national qualifier
• Top two (2) from a district level national qualifier

To enter the USA and Junior Nationals you must place as follows:

• Top five (5) in a weight class from the Nationals, USA, Universe or Junior Nationals
• Top three (3) in a weight class from the Teen, Collegiate Masters Nationals
• Class winner in the Armed Forces
• First overall in an area level national qualifier
• Top 2 in an area level national qualifier
• Weight class winner from a district level competition designated as a national qualifier

To enter the Nationals and North American Championships you must place as follows:

• Top five (5) in a weight class from the Nationals, NPC USA or IFBB North AmericanChampionships
• Top five (5) in a weight class from the NPC Universe, Junior Nationals or Junior USA
• Top five (5) in a weight class fromTeen Collegiate Masters Nationals
• Top two (2) in a weight class in the Armed Forces
• Top two (2) in a weight class in an area level national qualifier
• Overall winner in a district level competition designated as a national qualifier
• Class winners at the USA and Nationals will be given five (5) years of eligibility.

ENTRY INFORMATION
The following must be provided with your entry:

• NPC contest you entered
• Date of contest
• Contest promoter
• Your weight class and final placing

RULE FOR EVENTS WHERE ONE COMPETITOR COULD WIN TWO PRO CARDS DUE TO CROSSOVERS – NPC MASTERS NATIONALS AND IFBB NORTH AMERICAN CHAMPIONSHIPS.
When an event that is a pro qualifier such as the Masters Nationals and the IFBB North American Championships has the possibility of the same competitor winning two divisions and also two pro cards, the pro card that is awarded last in the Schedule of Events will be awarded to the second highest placing in the Overall judging of the last judged division. For example, at the Masters Nationals, if a competitor wins the Overall of the Men’s over 50 division he is awarded an IFBB pro card. If the same competitor wins the Overall of the Men’s over 40 division, the pro card in the Men’s over 40 division which is judged after the Men’s Over 50 division, will go to the second highest placing competitor in the Overall judging of the Men’s over 40 division.

[guns01]

Tweetsome people have a hell of hard time reading and knowing these rules lol

[Dzone]

TweetIm not sure If I ever saw anyone get disqualified for cuss words in their posing music. I know the NPC gets pissed over that