Question 1

Is the finals (article 13) rule in Bodybuilding commonly misunderstood?

Accepted Answer

People often assume that judges' scores are averaged out before determining the final placements, which leads to misunderstandings about how the top six placings are decided based on the official rule of discarding the highest and lowest scores from each judge. The confusion arises because they overlook the fact that only the remaining scores count towards placing the finalists, not their average.

Question 2

Is the round 1 (article 8) rule in Bodybuilding commonly misunderstood?

Accepted Answer

People often assume that if there are fewer than 10 competitors in a category, they won't get to perform their mandatory poses at all, which is incorrect. Actually, the rule states they can still perform these four initial mandatory poses, but only groups of no more than ten athletes will do so, and it's up to the Chief Judge how many groups are selected from those fewer than 10.

Question 3

Is the overall category (article 16) rule in Bodybuilding commonly misunderstood?

Accepted Answer

People often assume that all age categories compete against each other in a head-to-head showdown for overall supremacy, forgetting that winners from different divisions perform their poses separately. The confusion arises because they overlook the fact that category winners are showcased individually before moving on to comparisons between winners of different ages and genders.

Question 4

Is the elimination round (article 5) rule in Bodybuilding commonly misunderstood?

Accepted Answer

People often assume that if a category has more than 15 competitors, the elimination round is automatically held with exactly 10 participants, but actually, the IFBB Chief Judge can decide to have either 10 or up to 17 competitors in the elimination round based on their discretion. This ambiguity leads to confusion about how many competitors will be left after this round.

Question 5

Is the finals: round 2 (articles 11-12) rule in Bodybuilding commonly misunderstood?

Accepted Answer

People often assume that in Round 2 of IFBB bodybuilding finals, all competitors perform their poses simultaneously as a group from the very beginning, but actually, they only do so after completing the mandatory 7 poses individually. This misunderstanding stems from the initial confusion about when exactly the simultaneous group pose occurs within the sequence of events.

Question 6

Is the categories (article 3) rule in Bodybuilding commonly misunderstood?

Accepted Answer

People often assume that the additional height category must be exactly 180 cm, thinking it's a fixed number chosen arbitrarily by the IFBB. However, they overlook the fact that the rule only states "one additional category may be opened," leaving room for interpretation and negotiation between the IFBB and organizers about what specific size might fit this description.

Question 7

Is the section 3: playing area rule in Bodybuilding commonly misunderstood?

Accepted Answer

People often assume that since there are no explicit stage dimensions mentioned in the rules, they can design whatever size stages they want for competitions. But actually, the focus is on how competitors are positioned — line-up or comparison layout — not the actual stage area itself, which leaves room for interpretation but doesn't require specific measurements.

Question 8

Is the section 5: rules of play rule in Bodybuilding commonly misunderstood?

Accepted Answer

People often think that the mandatory poses in both pre-judging rounds are just for show, but they're actually scored heavily by judges, leading to intense debates about which poses should be chosen. The confusion arises because these poses aren't just about aesthetics; they significantly impact a competitor's score and can make or break their overall performance.

Question 9

Is the section 7: violations & penalties rule in Bodybuilding commonly misunderstood?

Accepted Answer

People often argue that they were "ready when called," misunderstanding what constitutes proper preparation in bodybuilding. In reality, it's about visible changes or enhancements that alter a competitor’s physique beyond natural muscle definition, like implants or fluid injections affecting muscle shape, which are strictly prohibited according to the IFBB rules.

Question 10

Is the section 4: players & officials rule in Bodybuilding commonly misunderstood?

Accepted Answer

People often assume that all height categories are automatically created based on the official's agreement with the Organizer, forgetting that they have to adhere strictly to the initial categorization provided in Section 4. So, they might argue about why there isn't a category for heights between 170 and 178 cm if one additional category was indeed agreed upon.

IFBB

IFBB

Finals (Article 13)

Round 1 (Article 8)

Overall Category (Article 16)

Elimination Round (Article 5)

Finals: Round 2 (Articles 11-12)

Categories (Article 3)

Section 3: Playing Area

Section 5: Rules of Play

Section 7: Violations & Penalties

Section 4: Players & Officials