Section 5: Rules of Play
Rounds (Article 4)
Prejudging has an Elimination Round (four mandatory poses) and Round 1 (four mandatory poses plus comparisons of seven mandatory poses). Finals consist of Round 2 (seven mandatory poses and a posedown). Article 4.1 says "four rounds" but lists three; Article 11.1 states that the Finals consist of one round, Round 2.
Elimination Round (Article 5)
- It is held when a category has more than 15 competitors. The IFBB Chief Judge may lower the semifinal number to 10 or raise it to 17, in which case the round is held with more than 10 or 17 competitors respectively. The decision is announced after Official Athlete Registration.
- Competitors are called in numerical order in groups of no more than eight and perform four mandatory poses: front double biceps, side chest, back double biceps, abdominals and thighs.
- Competitors may not chew gum or any other product, or drink any liquid, while onstage.
- Competitors are solely responsible for being present and prepared when called, or they may be eliminated.
Round 1 (Article 8)
- Round 1 may not be held if there are 7 or fewer competitors in a category; the Chief Judge decides.
- Groups of no more than ten perform the four initial mandatory poses.
- The judges submit propositions for the first comparison of the top five athletes. The Chief Judge forms the comparisons, each with no fewer than three and no more than ten competitors. Every competitor is compared at least once.
- In comparisons, the seven mandatory poses are: front double biceps, front lat spread, side chest, back double biceps, back lat spread, side triceps, abdominals and thighs.
Finals: Round 2 (Articles 11-12)
- The top 6 from Prejudging advance and are introduced by number, country and name.
- The finalists perform the 7 mandatory poses as a group, at the same time, in the middle of the stage. After the 7th pose the Chief Judge reverses the order of the competitors and the seven poses are repeated. This part is scored.
- The Chief Judge then calls a 30- to 60-second posedown to music of the Organizer's choice. It is not scored.
- Competitors may change trunks between rounds, provided they meet Article 6.
Seven mandatory poses (Appendix 1)
- Front double biceps: facing front, one leg 40-50 cm forward and to the side, both arms raised to shoulder level and bent, hands clenched and turned down.
- Front lat spread: facing front, legs and feet in line and up to 15 cm apart, hands on the lower waist or obliques, latissimus muscles expanded. Pulling up the posing trunks to show the top inside of the quadriceps is strictly forbidden.
- Side chest: either side, arm nearest the judges bent at a right angle with the fist clenched and gripped by the other hand, near leg bent at the knee and resting on the toes.
- Back double biceps: back to the judges, arms bent as in the front pose, one foot back resting on the toes.
- Back lat spread: back to the judges, hands on the waist with elbows wide, feet in line and up to 15 cm apart. The opposite calf to the one shown in back double biceps should be displayed. Pulling up the trunks to show the gluteus maximus is strictly forbidden.
- Side triceps: either side, both arms behind the back with fingers linked or the front arm grasped at the wrist, near leg flat on the floor, far leg bent with the foot on the toes.
- Abdominals and thighs: facing front, both arms behind the head, one leg forward, trunk "crunched" slightly forward.