Up to 56.00 Kg
56.01 Kg to 62.00 Kg
62.01 Kg to 69.00 Kg
69.01 Kg to 77.00 Kg
77.01 Kg to 85.00 Kg
85.01 Kg to 94.00 Kg
94.01 Kg to 105.00 Kg
105.01 Kg and over

Extra categories for Under 16 and Under 18 age competitions
Up to 47.00 Kg
47.01 Kg to 51.00 Kg

Up to 48.00 Kg
48.01 Kg to 53.00 Kg
53.01 Kg to 58.00Kg
58.01 Kg to 63.00 Kg
63.01 Kg to 69.00 Kg
69.01 Kg to 75.00 Kg
75.01 Kg and over

Extra categories for Under 16 and Under 18 age competitions
Up to 40.00 Kg
40.01 Kg to 44.00 Kg

In all Australian Championships competitors will not be allowed to compete in a higher category should they fail to make weight in the category for which they have been entered. The final opportunity to change weight classes (up or down) will be at the Technical Meeting prior to the competition. Where a Technical Meeting is not held, the Competition Secretary must arrange to be present half an hour before the first weigh-in to accept final team nominations.

The bar is placed horizontally in front of the lifter's legs. It is gripped, palms downward and pulled in a single movement from the platform to the full extent of both arms above the head, while either splitting or bending the legs. During this continuous movement, the bar may slide along the thighs and the lap. No part of the body other than the feet may touch the platform during the execution of the lift. The weight which has been lifted must be maintained in the final motionless position, arms and legs extended, the feet on the same line, until the referees give the signal to replace the barbell on the platform. The turning over of the wrists must not take place until the bar has passed the top of the lifter's head. The lifter may recover in his/her own time, either from a split or squat position, and have his/her feet on the same line parallel to the plane of the trunk and the barbell.

The athlete bends the legs and extends them as well as the arms to bring the barbell to the full stretch of the arms vertically extended. He/she returns the feet to the same line, arms and legs fully extended and waits for the referees' signal to replace the barbell on the platform. The referees give the signal to lower the barbell as soon as the lifter becomes motionless in all parts of the body.

IMPORTANT REMARKS:

The technique known as hooking is permitted. It consists of covering the last joint of the thumb with the other fingers of the same hand at the moment of gripping the bar.

In all lifts the referees must count as "No lift" any unfinished attempt in which the bar has reached the height of the knees.

After the referees' signal to lower the barbell, the lifter must lower it in front of the body and not let it drop either deliberately or accidentally. He/she may release his/her grip on the bar when it has passed the level of the waist.

If a competitor cannot fully stretch his/her arms due to an anatomical deformation, he/she must report this to the three referees and the jury before the start of the competition.

When snatching or cleaning in the squat position, the lifter may help his/her recovery by swinging and rocking movements of his/her body.

Pause during the lifting of the barbell.

Placing the bar on the chest before turning the elbows.

Any apparent effort of jerking which is not completed. this includes lowering the body or bending the knees.

Any deliberate oscillation of the barbell to gain advantage.

During the course of the competition, as soon as the three referees have judged a lift "Good lift", they press the white button on their control box. Immediately the apparatus in front of the platform gives a simultaneous visual and audible "Down" signal telling the competitor to replace the barbell on the platform.

When the three referees judge that the athlete has committed a fault during the execution of a lift, they give a "No lift" decision by pressing the red button on their control box. Immediately, the apparatus in front of the platform gives a simultaneous visual and audible "Down" signal telling the competitor to replace the barbell on the platform.

The "Decision lights" display lights up after two of the referees have given an identical decision and remains lit for a minimum of fifteen seconds.

Should one of the referees press the white button and another press the red button while the third does not press any, the latter receives a signal from the control box urging him/her to give a decision. Also, when any two white lights or two red lights have been given by two of the three referees and the "Down" signal has been heard, then the third referee is reminded to give his/her decision by the control box signal.

In this system the centre referee controls the lights or other visual decision system. Each referee has either a switch to display a red or white light or has a red and a white flag.

When the centre referee determines that the lift is completed according to the rules, he/she indicates this to the athlete with an audible "Down" signal and a simultaneous upwards and downwards sweep of one arm. When the barbell has been returned to the platform all three referees simultaneously indicate their decision with "Decision lights" or coloured flags.

If a side referee sees a fault during a lift (for example during a clean) he/she indicates this to the centre referee by raising and holding one arm horizontally pointed towards the athlete.

When the centre referee sees that the two side referees have their arms raised, or when one has his/her arm raised and the and the centre referee himself/herself agrees that a fault has been committed by the athlete, he/she shall give the "Down" signal as previously specified.

During the competition the referees must ascertain:

• that the weight of the barbell agrees with that announced by the speaker.

• that nobody but the lifter handles the barbell during the execution of a lift.

• that only the lifter or the loaders move the barbell to a new position on the platform. It is forbidden for the coach to move, adjust or clean the barbell. The timekeeper must stop the clock until the loaders have finished. If the lifter moves the barbell to a position where the view of the referee is impaired, the referee concerned may move to a position where the lift can be correctly observed. After, the referee returns to his/her place to give the signal and the decision.

• that the record discs are on the centre referee's table.

The referees must indicate their judgement of the lift by giving signals. "Good lift"- white light; "No lift"- red light. A lift is a "Good lift" with two or three white lights; A lift is "No lift" with two or three red lights.

During the competition, the referees must not receive any document concerning the progress of the competition. They must abstain from any comment. A referee must not attempt to influence the decisions of the other referees.

After the competition the referees must:

2. The final nomination of competitors is done at the technical conference. Information concerning the name, bodyweight category, date of birth and best total achieved by each competitor must be given. After this nomination the name of the competitors cannot be modified and the indicated bodyweight category may not be changed.

Note: The rule of competitors not being able to change bodyweight categories after the technical conference applies to Australian Championships but is waived in Queensland competitions.

3. In any category, during a competition, the athletes may be divided into two (2) or more groups by the competition secretary. The allocation of groups depends on the performance achieved previously by the lifter.

4. At the technical conference, the appointed jury members, referees, technical controllers and doctors on duty are assigned to the categories and groups.

5. Information must be given on the program of the competition.

1. At the technical conference a number is drawn for each athlete entered. This number is retained by the athlete throughout the competition, even if they move to a higher category.

2. The lot number decides the order of the weigh-in and the order of lifting during the course of the competition.

1. The weigh-in of each bodyweight category begins two (2) hours before the start of the competition and last one hour.

2. The official weigh-in takes place in a room equipped with the following facilities:

· the official scale of the competition

· a table and chairs for the secretariat

· all the necessary competition forms

3. The chief referee operates the scale and the two (2) referees verify with him the bodyweight that the competition secretary records.

4. Each competitor of a specific category must be weighed in the presence of the three (3) appointed referees, one official from the lifter's team and the competition secretary. During the weigh-in, the only other persons that can also be present are: the President and the General Secretary of the IWF, the President of the Medical Committee and of the Technical Committee as well as the technical controller.

5. The bodyweight list can only be published after all the competitors have been weighed.

6. The competitors are called one by one to the weigh-in room, according to the progression of the lot numbers drawn. Should a competitor not be present when it is his/her turn to be weighed according to the lot number, he/she will be called again once all other competitiors have been called to the weigh-in room.

7. Each competitor must prove his/her identity by presenting a passport or identity card to the secretariat.

8. The competitors are weighed nude or in underwear.

10. An athlete entered in a specific category may pass on to a heavier category if him/herself or his/her representative announces this wish at the latest at the technical conference and if he/she meets the minimum requirements of the relevant rule for weigh-in.

11. During the weigh-in, the coach of each competitor must write the first attempts (snatch and clean & jerk) on the competitor's card.

Fifteen (15) minutes before the start of the competition of each bodyweight category or group, there are presentations as follows:

1. the competitors of the category or group are presented in the order of the lots drawn. After the presentation the competitors leave the stage together.

2. the officials of the competition are then presented i.e.

• the referees
• the technical controller
• the doctor on duty
• the jury members
• the competition secretary

These persons appear at the presentation together and also leave together, except the jury members and the competition secretary who are presented at their place.

1. The competition organisers have to appoint a sufficient number of officials to arrange, under the supervision of the competition secretary, the order and the progress of the attempts chosen by the competitors. For this purpose they have to use the competitor's cards which have spaces for the three attempts of the two lifts. These officials are called marshals.

2. The marshals ask each competitor or the coach to write on the card the weight required for each attempt. The card is then brought immediately to the speaker who can make the proper announcement. After each attempt, the marshals ask the competitor or his coach to write the required weight for the next attempt. Whenever technical facilities allow, the marshalling may be carried out by means of an intercom system (with one telephone in the warm up area and another one on the competition secretariat table), or with the help of a video camera and two monitors (one in the warm-up area and the other one in front of the competition secretary).

3. One or more speakers have to be appointed and their duty is to make the appropriate announcements. This includes the name of the competitor called to the platform, the name of his country, the weight of the barbell, and the number of the attempt. The speaker also notifies the next competitor in advance.

4. The barbell is loaded in progression, the competitor taking the lowest weight lifting first. Under no circumstances may the barbell be reduced to a lighter weight when a competitor has performed a lift with the weight announced. The competitors or their coaches must therefore observe the progress of the loading and be ready to make their attempt at the weight they have chosen.

5. The weight of the barbell must always be a multiple of 2.5Kg. The only exception to this is for a record attempt where it must be a multiple of 500 grammes.

6. The progression after any successful attempt must be a minimum of 2.5Kg.

7. The normal time limit for an athlete to begin an attempt after his/her call to the platform is one minute (60 seconds). The warning signal will go at 30 seconds remaining. When a competitor takes two attempts in succession he/she is permitted two minutes (120 seconds) - again with the warning signal sounding with 30 seconds remaining.

8. When a competitor wishes to increase or decrease the weight which he/she originally selected, the competitor or his/her coach must notify the officials/marshalls before his/her final call.

9. Before the first attempt or between two attempts only two changes of weight are allowed. After the competitor has received the final call to the platform, he/she cannot have the weight on the barbell changed.

10. The final call is the signal given by the time-keeper 30 seconds before the end of the allocated time. In order to save time, the coach may go directly to the speaker's table and request the change verbally, instead of writing it on the competitor's card.

11. When a competitor asks for a change of weight and he/she must take the higher weight, the clock is stopped while the weight is changed. After the change has been completed, the clock continues to run until the end of the allocated time. When a competitor asks for a change and in doing so, follows another competitor, he/she receives the normal one minute when he/she is called again for the attempt.

12. Competitors or their coaches cannot change their decision about the decline of any attempt or the withdrawal from the competition, once it has been officially announced.

13. In an international match between two individuals or between two nations contested in separate categories, the competitors may lift alternately. The competitor taking the lighter weight lifts first and that order is maintained throughout that particular lift.

14. The weight announced by the speaker must be immediately written on the attempt board.

15. During any competition organised on a platform or stage, nobody other than the members of the jury, the officiating referees, the speakers, the technical officials, the managers (one per country taking part) and the competitors of the specific category or group are allowed around the platform or the stage.

1. The weight of the barbell
2. The number of the attempt ( first, second, third)
3. The lot number drawn by the competitor
4. The progression (the difference in kg between the previous attempt and the requested attempt)

II. In consideration of the above-mentioned factors, the order of calling is the following:

1. the competitor taking the lighter weight lifts first
2. the competitor with the lower number of attempts lifts before the one with the higher number i.e. a first attempt is executed before a second attempt.
3. when more than one competitor ask for the same weight and the number of their attempts is identical, the order of calling is decided by the lot number drawn, done in a progressive way i.e. the athlete with the lower lot number lifts before the one with a higher number. EXCEPTION: if the athlete with the higher number lifter earlier than the athlete with the lower number (the progression between his/her previous attempt and the requested attempt is bigger than the one of the other athlete).
4. the order of calling applies to both the snatch and the clean & jerk.

Fourth attempts are not permitted in International or national competitions but are permitted in Queensland competitions in respect of Queensland records.

Only barbells meeting IWF specifications and approval may be used in Weightlifting competitions. The barbell consists of the following parts:

Different bars must be used for male and female competitors.

The bars must meet the following specifications:

Men’s bar

1. the weight: 20Kg
2. the length of the bar: 2200mm with a tolerance of plus or minus 1mm
3. the diameter of the bar: 28mm with a tolerance of plus or minus 0.03 mm on the smooth part of the bar.
4. the diameter of the sleeve: 50 mm plus or minus 0.2 mm
5. the distance between the inside collars: 1310 mm plus or minus 0.5 mm
6. the width of the inside collar including the collar of the sleeve : 30 mm plus or minus 1 mm
7. in order to facilitate the grip and the position of the hands of the lifter, the bar must be knurled according to the diagram below.

Women’s Bar

The discs must meet the following specifications:

The tolerance on the nominal weight of each component weighing more than 5Kg must be + 0.1% and - 0.05%. On each component weighing 5Kg or less, the tolerance is +10 g and - 0 g per part.

The electronic referee light system consists of the following components:

During the course of the competition, as soon as the three (3) referees have judged a lift "Good Lift", they press the white button on their control box. Immediately, the apparatus located in front of the platform gives a simultaneous visual and audible "Down" signal telling the competitor to lower the barbell.

When the three (3) referees judge that the athlete has committed a fault during the execution of the lift, they give a "No Lift" decision by pressing the red button on their control box. Immediately, the apparatus in front of the platform gives a simultaneous visual and audible "Down" signal telling the athlete to lower the bar.

The "decision light" displays light up only after all three (3) referees have given their decision, and remain on for a minimum of 15 seconds.

To operate the visual and audible "Down" signal, two (2) of the three (3) referees must have given an identical decision, "Good Lift" or "No Lift".

Should one of the referees press the white button and another press the red button while the third referee does not press any, the latter hears an intermittent audible signal coming from the control box, urging him to give a decision. Also when any two (2) white lights or two (2) red lights have been given by two (2) of the three (3) referees and the down signal has been seen and heard, then the third referee is reminded to give a decision by the intermittent audible signal.

For World Championships, Olympic Games and other International competitions the scales must have the capacity to weigh up to 200kg and be precise to a minimum of 10 grammes.

When scales of this accuracy are used, bodyweights are recorded as such.

At official IWF competitions, an electrical or electronic chronometer must be used. This timing device must have the following characteristics:

1. operate continuously up to a minimum of two (2) minutes
2. indicate intervals up to a minimum of ten (10) seconds
3. give an automatic audible signal thirty (30) seconds before the end of the lifter's allocated time.

The elapsed time has to be well displayed in both the competition and warm-up areas.

The following forms are necessary for the good running of a Weightlifting competition;

A scoreboard has to be set up at a prominent place in the competition area in order to record and display the results of a specific category. The scoreboard contains the following information:

A board has to be set up in the competition area to display the following information:

The competitors must be provided with a warm-up area located close to the competition platform. This area has to be equipped with an appropriate number of platforms, barbells, chalk, etc, in relation with the number of competitors. In addition, it has to be equipped with the following:

1. a loudspeaker linked with the microphone of the speaker
2. a scoreboard showing the names of the competitors in order of the lot numbers, their respective bodyweights and the weights which they have requested before being called to the platform.
3. a table for the doctor on duty
4. a display of the timing clock operating in the competition area
5. an appropriate display of the referee light system operating in the competition area.

Competitors must wear clothing which is clean, designed and worn to comply with the following:

1. A one-piece close-fitting costume which covers the trunk and hips and does not cover the knees or elbows and is collarless. A lifting costume may be of any colour.
2. A collarless T shirt may be worn under the costume but the sleeves may not cover the elbows.
3. Close fitting leotard/cycling type shorts may be worn under or over the costume. They must not cover the knees
4. a T shirt and trunks can not be worn in place of a costume.*

1. The competitors must wear sports shoes (called weightlifting shoes) to protect their feet and give them stability and a firm stance on the competition platform. See diagram below.

2. The weightlifting shoes must be made in such a way as not to give the athlete an unfair advantage or additional support other than is hereby specified.

3. A strap over the instep is permitted.

4. The part of the shoe that covers the heel may be re-inforced.

5. The maximum height permitted on the upper part of the shoe, measured from the top of the sole, is 130 mm.

6. The sole cannot project from the shoe by more than 5 mm at any point.

7. The heel of the shoe must not be tapered.

8. The shoes may be made of any material or combination of materials.

9. There are no minimum or maximum heights for the soles.

10. There are no restrictions for the shape of the shoes.

1. The maximum width of the belt worn may be 120 mm at its widest part.

1. Bandages may be worn on wrists, the knees, the hands, the fingers and the thumbs.

2. The bandages may be made of gauze, medical crepe or leather. A one piece elastic bandage may be worn on the knee.

3. The maximum width of skin that can be covered at the wrists is 100 mm.

4. The maximum width of skin that can be covered at the knees is 300mm.

5. There is no limit for the length of the bandages.

6. The use of plasters and bandages on both inner and outer surface of the hands is allowed. These plasters or bandages, however, can be fastened to the wrists but not the barbell.

7. Plasters on fingers are allowed, but cannot cover the tips of the fingers.