IPF Bench Press Rules

Hanley

Just in case anyone off boards is competing in Drogheda on Saturday week with the IPF, I want to clarify a couple of bench rules and their interpretation in my role as IPF technical secretary...

Hanley

// BENCH PRESS REMINDER FOR ANYONE COMPETING WITH THE IPF IN 2016 pt1

With a week and bit left until the next comp, I want to remind you of the wording of the bench pause command. This is taken from page 17 of the IPF rule book: "After receiving the signal, the lifter must lower the bar to the chest or abdominal area (the bar shall not touch the belt), hold it motionless, after which the Chief referee will signal the audible command “Press”"

The key word is "motionless".

Side to side rocking of the bar is not "motionless".

This happens without fail at every comp, and I'm constantly getting the stink eye for not giving a press command if I'm center ref.

Practice getting the bar to your chest. Make sure it stops there. Make sure by bringing it down quick, you don't screw yourself with the pause.

I can confidently speak for all the IPF judges when I say all we want is for the bar to get to your chest, stop dead and be clearly under control.

No one is out to screw you.

No one wants a three second pause.

It needs to be motionless, that's all.

I'll have "press" on the tip of my tongue ready to shout, let me shout it early. Please
I know how much of a pain in the balls it is holding a heavy bench on your chest. Make it easy for us, and make it easy on yourself.

EDIT: I'll be reminding you all of this again on the day pre bench flights

Hanley

// BENCH PRESS REMINDER, PART 2 - HEADS/SHOULDERS/HEELS AND TOES

From page 17 of the rule book, bench press rules of performance:

"The lifter must lie on his back with head, shoulders and buttocks in contact with the bench surface. The feet must be flat
on the floor (as flat as the shape of the shoe will allow). His hands and fingers must grip the bar positioned in the rack
stands with a thumbs around grip. This position shall be maintained throughout the lift. Foot movement is permissible
but must remain flat on the platform. The hair must not hide the back of the head when lying down on the bench."

This is the "elected position". Any deviation from that position during the lift will be a
cause for DQ.

That means if your head lifts off the bench and there's clear daylight, you get a red. If you're tight thru the chest/shoulders/neck it may get pulled up involuntarily. That's your problem to deal with. MAKE SURE YOU KEEP IT DRIVEN DOWN INTO THE BENCH.

Your feet must be "flat" on the floor. That means insofar as possible the entire surface of your shoe should be on the floor. There were several lifters at national champs who had to replace the bar in lieu of getting the start command as they were rolled up onto the inside of their feet in order to get a better arch.

If you can't set up and get your entire foot down, do something to fix it now. Move your feet a bit forward and sacrifice the arch. It's better than reds.
The rule about having a certain % of your ass down on the bench was removed a few years ago, so once you've something between around your ass/groin in contact with the bench the entire time, you're good.

For those with an extreme arch, if your (and I'm being technical here) barce area is on the bench, there's a high risk it may pop up. You will probably be watch very closely as a result. Not because anyone wants to screw you, but because your leg will obscure the normal viewing position so the ref will have to move. It puts them in a very definite position to spot any lift.

Please don't make me or any of the other refs give you red lights. I hate having to do it on a technicality when you've spent months busting your hole training.

For any further clarification, please just post up.

Mr. CooL ICE

After lockout, is it against the rules to throw the barbell off the stage while roaring before standing up and ripping off ones own shirt?

Hanley

Nicolas Cage wrote: »

After lockout, is it against the rules to throw the barbell off the stage while roaring before standing up and ripping off ones own shirt?

If you can throw the bar across the stage your bench probably wasn't heavy enough to warrant a display of such wanton arrogance...

Alf Veedersane

Interesting to get the lowdown on what the deal is with the pause on the chest ad why.

In terms of foot movement being allowed....if your foot is flat but jiggles a bit and isn't entirely flat at all times is it an automatic red or is it more a case that it depends on the nature of the movement on a case-by-case basis?

Hanley

Alf Veedersane wrote: »

Interesting to get the lowdown on what the deal is with the pause on the chest ad why.

In terms of foot movement being allowed....if your foot is flat but jiggles a bit and isn't entirely flat at all times is it an automatic red or is it more a case that it depends on the nature of the movement on a case-by-case basis?

"elected position" is feet as flat as the natural curvature of the shoe allows - any deviation from that is technically a red light.

so, if your foot slides forwards/backwards/sideways but remains "flat" per your start position it's ok

if it slides and something lifts, it's no bueno.

Mr. CooL ICE

Alf Veedersane wrote: »

Interesting to get the lowdown on what the deal is with the pause on the chest ad why.

In terms of foot movement being allowed....if your foot is flat but jiggles a bit and isn't entirely flat at all times is it an automatic red or is it more a case that it depends on the nature of the movement on a case-by-case basis?

I'd be interested to know this. I had assumed no foot movement was allowed at all.

On my last bench at the novice open, I got a single red and assumed it was because my left foot moved a bit. When I watched a video, one side of the barbell lowered slightly while grinding the lockout, so I was wondering why I didn't get two reds.

Hanley

Nicolas Cage wrote: »

I'd be interested to know this. I had assumed no foot movement was allowed at all.

On my last bench at the novice open, I got a single red and assumed it was because my left foot moved a bit. When I watched a video, one side of the barbell lowered slightly while grinding the lockout, so I was wondering why I didn't get two reds.

Could be a dip. Could be something else. One red isn't unusual.

Starting from the top - you went before the centre ref's command, but only he heard it because of noise.

One side of the bar dipped and only the opposite side ref could see it.

One side foot lifted but only one ref could see it.

The bar dipped, but only the centre ref was in a good enough position to see it.

There's loads of reasons why it coulda happened.

Weve started using colour coordinated cards to signal reasons for faults, but you should always ask the ref after too why.

Mellor

Hanley wrote: »

The key word is "motionless".

Side to side rocking of the bar is not "motionless".

Why do people do this? Is simply because they haven't got it under control or is it a conscious thing they to do for some reason?

whippet

Cheers Hanley ... I've been warned as to the differences between acceptable lifts in the IPF as opposed to other Feds and I have been training with these in mind. I've seen a lot of lifts in other Feds and even to a novice the discrepancy and inconsistency is obvious. Everything from bouncing off the chest to double and treble movements getting three whites.

Looking forward to plenty of white lights from yourself

Hanley

Mellor wrote: »

Why do people do this? Is simply because they haven't got it under control or is it a conscious thing they to do for some reason?

Just don't have it under control man!