New Rules and regulations You should Know
1) The lock out – Say goodbye to the lock out rule in the bench press.
The EPF has eliminated the lock out rule that use to be the finishing step which triggered the referee to
give the command “Rack It”. We believe this rule has caused countless injuries and long term damage to
the elbow. Your arms must still be fully extended to complete the lift and receive the “Rack It” command. It
is the discretion of the head referee to determine the lifter has fully extended the arms.
With this new rule also comes the decision to not allow lifters to compete in the bench if they cannot extend
their arms at least 98%. In the past we have been soft on this lock out rule and allowed some lifters to
complete the lift with only an 85% extension of the elbow. We truly believed these guys would extend the
elbow as much as they could, but it still wasn't fair to the other lifters who received red lights when they
were at the same position.
2) No baggy pants or shorts – You MUST have a wrestling singlet or spandex material.
If you have shorts that you think are tight enough to pass, you better check with the head judge or meet
director first. Normal everyday shorts won’t cut it anymore. This rule applies to all lifters. From teenage to
master lifter.
3) Breaking a record – The EPF will allow any member to break a state record in another state as long
as it's a sanctioned meet & the lifter is a member of the EPF. Example: A Vermont resident can break a VT
record at one of our Sanctioned meets in NH.
4) Top Ten - Each weight class will have a Top Ten list. This list will rank the top ten competitors in each
class for the previous six months. This list will be posted on the website and updated twice each year. This
gives the lifters who do not hold a record the opportunity to be recognized for their efforts.
5) Foot Loose while benching – During the bench press your foot moves, pops up or slip out. This will
not be a penalty. If anything… this usually makes it more difficult to complete the press as you have lost
your stability. If however this causes the weight to go downward and then back up, this will be a penalty
and the weight could be taken by the spotters if they feel the situation became unsafe.
No Pre-weigh In's - All weigh In's must be done by an official EPF member the night before the meet or
the morning of the meet during posted weigh in times. No exceptions
More Changes to Come…………………….
1) The lock out – Say goodbye to the lock out rule in the bench press.
The EPF has eliminated the lock out rule that use to be the finishing step which triggered the referee to
give the command “Rack It”. We believe this rule has caused countless injuries and long term damage to
the elbow. Your arms must still be fully extended to complete the lift and receive the “Rack It” command. It
is the discretion of the head referee to determine the lifter has fully extended the arms.
With this new rule also comes the decision to not allow lifters to compete in the bench if they cannot extend
their arms at least 98%. In the past we have been soft on this lock out rule and allowed some lifters to
complete the lift with only an 85% extension of the elbow. We truly believed these guys would extend the
elbow as much as they could, but it still wasn't fair to the other lifters who received red lights when they
were at the same position.
2) No baggy pants or shorts – You MUST have a wrestling singlet or spandex material.
If you have shorts that you think are tight enough to pass, you better check with the head judge or meet
director first. Normal everyday shorts won’t cut it anymore. This rule applies to all lifters. From teenage to
master lifter.
3) Breaking a record – The EPF will allow any member to break a state record in another state as long
as it's a sanctioned meet & the lifter is a member of the EPF. Example: A Vermont resident can break a VT
record at one of our Sanctioned meets in NH.
4) Top Ten - Each weight class will have a Top Ten list. This list will rank the top ten competitors in each
class for the previous six months. This list will be posted on the website and updated twice each year. This
gives the lifters who do not hold a record the opportunity to be recognized for their efforts.
5) Foot Loose while benching – During the bench press your foot moves, pops up or slip out. This will
not be a penalty. If anything… this usually makes it more difficult to complete the press as you have lost
your stability. If however this causes the weight to go downward and then back up, this will be a penalty
and the weight could be taken by the spotters if they feel the situation became unsafe.
No Pre-weigh In's - All weigh In's must be done by an official EPF member the night before the meet or
the morning of the meet during posted weigh in times. No exceptions
More Changes to Come…………………….
