IPF Proposes Shortened Time to take Platform

This rule is another ridiculous rule the IPF should NOT pass. Bench press set-up takes longer than any of the other lifts. How in the world can you justify shortening the time to setup for bench? Deadlift is the only lift that this could be reasonably done with, and even that would just be dumb.

If the IPF wants to keep its lifters, then they better knock it off with all these dumb rules.

I believe the rules should be the same for all 3 lifts, but 45 seconds would be okay with me.

Ditto what Andrew said.

I think this is great but I do agree with Jim that all three lifts should be the same time. 40-45 seconds would be ideal (I think) and would cut down on the length of a meet.

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My first question is how strictly will this be enforced??? I know that APA has the same 60 second rule, but at the few small meets I have been at I have never seen anyone red lighted for taking too long. Hell never seen anyone watching a time clock for that matter. I say if they want to do it at the national or international level that is cool, but being too strict about this with new lifters would be overkill, and possibley discouraging for a new lifter having trouble getting set up.

Paul, I think most of these rules are mostly for the benefit of national and international competition. I don't think I've ever seen anyone at a local meet get a no lift for going past 60 seconds as long as they were on the platform or approaching it. with that said it seems pointless to reduce the time allowed. 60 seconds isn't that long to begin with and most lifters seem to get their lifts in under that. So I don't really understand how this really changes much or speeds things up much other than making the lifter even more anxious.

I know that the USAPL enforces this rule at national meets. Last year at the High School National's I saw three or four lifters red lighted for time violations. Now that I think back they were all on squat attempts and not bench or dead lifts. So if they were to shorten the time in would probaby be more appropriate for these two disciplines.

It really doesnt matter.
They will just change it back next time they have a meeting.

The current rule is and should be enforced, but the proposed change would have little to no effect on the the length of a meet, since the vast majority of lifters are already on the platform and ready to go as soon as the weights are loaded. In the very limited instances that the minute time limit actually comes into play, it's usually because something unexpected has come up in the lifter's preparation, and that full minute should be allowed to allow the lifter to try to remedy the situation, rather than have to forfeit his or her lift on a technicality.

I think a minute per flight would be fun. THe loaders would have to be bad ass.

It definitely would not shorten the time of the meet. F*CK, how much faster do you want to run a session? At the National level, you only have 15 minutes between events anyway. Sounds retarded to me... just leave it alone for christs sakes.

...just another excuse for the IPF to bomb more people out at meets and turn more lifters away in discouragement.

Putt Houston.... now with more Bom Chicka Wahwahhhhhh

This is a bad proposal that I really hope doesn't pass. What is so wrong that needs to be fixed? Is this going to draw more lifters to the IPF and affiliates? Is this the difference between getting in the Olympics or not?

There should be one time limit for all lifts. Different time limits will be confusing, and show needless bias to a lift. One minute has worked fine. Shorter time limits reduce any margin for error, and will have other undesirable consequences. Since deadlifts have comparatively few first lift misses, is there a desire to bring this number up? Remember, the real time that a lifter has to begin the lift starts the second that the prior lift ends. If 30 seconds for the deadlift really does come to pass, then, at the very least, every lifter should be entitled to have the bar cleaned before the official clock starts.

All I can say to this is "please don't".

I think the 1 min rule is sufficient. I'm sure there are plenty who think the rule is too stringent, but I for one am a fan of it. At too many multiply meets both my teammates and I have sat waiting for the other lifters to start wrapping their knees when the BAR IS LOADED for them. Its a little ridiculous because If you have been in the powerlifting game long enough to make it to a big (national or higher level meet) you should be able to figure out when you need to wrap your knees and get your belt on to be on time for the bar. That being said, I do think that 1 minute is NECESSARY here as well, because the IPF requires you to get a squat or a bench command before the clock times out the 1 minute, not just on the platform. And since recently the starting position has been a problem for IPF benching (i know ive gotten a few reracks within the time limit) this would be punitive to the lifter and unnecessary.

Here's another good reason - if it ain't broke, don't fix it. Let's just add something more we can all fight over and have changed again.

What's the damn rush?

If the bar is loaded the same weight, the lifter already has a reduced opportunity to be on the platform and properly set up before the command to start in the bench press, which also includes making sure if you don't have a hand off person, that the spotter is awake and aware of your needs. The deadlift, much depends on your style regarding time to set up. Also consider that your title may be on the line and you may have shifted your attempt on the third especially, coupled with the sometimes lack of good help at tables and announcing, and may have to hurry to get your suit up or in some meets in the past, discover the platform chalk is GONE by your attempt! There is no need to harass the lifter further than IPF already has. they should stick to getting rid of the doping violators!

Let's say that you have 50 lifters in a meet and they ALL do a full meet. Taking 15 seconds fromt 60 seconds will only save 25 minutes, give or take a minute. I personally wouldn't want the extra aggravation from the reduction in time just to save a measly 25 minutes.

Not quite. 25 minutes = 1500 seconds. Which would mean that each lifter is saving 15 seconds on exactly 2 lifts. If they were saving 15 seconds across 9 lifts each, (or 15 seconds on the benches, 30 seconds on the deadlifts) that is 6750 seconds, or about 1 hour and 52 minutes. Which of course assumes that every lifter takes every second they can. Which of course is ridiculous.

Putt, at Charlotte, I saw only 2 attempts in 2 days called for time. For the most part, I believe most of us (me included) earned our bombouts - not judging or clock problems.

that was just a joke Jim.

The IPF is now like George Bush, Nicole Ritchie and Anna Nicole Smith..... it won't matter what they are in the news for they are destined for satire and ridicule.

Hey, I didn't build their ship.......

Putt

ps. there is a real good chance it will turn lifters away in discouragement rather than attract them. From a business point of view, in attracting new and potentiel customers while maintaining the ones you got, this would be a really bad move.

It is what it is....

wow IPF, i lifted in it for years, the strictness has gotten out of hand, i switched to apf because they do not know what they are doing. They do not even know their own rules. Breaking parallel is how i squat but they want you to touch your ass to the floor. Now this rule, just dumb. whats next? a 5 second pause on bench.

The IPF bylaws state:
“Bench press Championships shall be organised without a special division of disabled lifters. Disabled lifters can compete within the non-disabled classes, if they fulfill the IPF rules as for non-disabled lifters pertaining to the actual lift. The blind, sight impaired, mobility impaired, may be assisted to and from the bench with the aid of the “coach” or/and with the aid of crutches, or sticks.”

Imagine the stress you put on a disabled lifter or the blind, sight impaired, mobility impaired who know has even less time to get onto the platform and get set up to bench. You get faster meets by getting the lifting order sorted out and communicated, having efficient loaders etc- I can't see how reducing the time would make the situation better for lifters.

First, I believe the current 1 minute rule is adequate. But before we go jumping all over the proposal, here is some relevant data from 2008 USAPL Master Nationals(3 day contest with 140-150 lifters). (The scoring program we use keeps track of when every attempt is entered and completed.) The average time between squat attempts (including loading the bar, changing the rack height, and actually completing the lift) was 68 seconds, for bench it was 57 seconds and deadlift it was 51 seconds. The platform manager and loading crew were outstanding. If it takes 20-30 seconds to change the load and rack height, the lifters were already pretty close to the proposed times, without changing the rules. It looks like the time time takes is more a function of the load crew than the lifters and I'd like to see the lifter who is a little behind be able to take that full minute if he needs it.

Joe M

Every lifter gets one minute from the time the bar is called "loaded". Even when there is no weight change the bar is called "loaded" by the Chief Referee. There is always one minute. The above statement by you shows that you have never lifted in an international competition. There is no way an experienced IPF lifter would not be aware of the rule.

Putt Houston.... now with more Bom Chicka Wahwahhhhhh

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Dumb,Dumb,Dumb,Dumb,Dumb,Dumb,Dumb,Dumb,Get the hint IPF this is a dumb idea.