As a new year approaches, thousands of people are training with the hopes of going deep into the season. All potential competitors should be familiar with the Rule Book.
CrossFit has just released the revised CrossFit Games Rule Book for the 2013 competition season.
As a new year approaches, tens of thousands of people are training with the hopes of going deep into the season. There have been some revisions to the rule book that all potential competitors should be familiar with.
Below you will find several of the significant changes from last year, including Team requirements, judging and winning prizes. Don’t stop here though, be sure to check out the full rule book HERE, as all participants are expected to be in full compliance of all the rules.
Team competition
The intent of the Team competition is to determine the fittest gym on Earth, which requires that all athletes truly represent that gym. Combining Athletes onto a local all-star team will not be allowed. In order to participate on any Team, Athletes must meet the “more than half” rule, meaning the majority of each member's training needs to happen at the Team’s gym or affiliate by any metric.
Team members must train together continuously for the entire Games season (starting Jan. 1, 2013). In other words, if a Team advances to Regionals or the Games, they must maintain their eligibility by continuing to train at the same location throughout the season.
It is always a good idea to keep a detailed training log, especially for any Athlete who thinks their situation may look complicated. In addition to a journal, they should also keep photos and/or videos of their training logs beginning in January. It will be the Athlete’s responsibility to provide all necessary documentation in the event that their eligibility is called into question.
If Teams are found to be breaking the rules or operating outside the intent of the competition, they may be disqualified and their individual members may be banned from competition.
Video During the Open
CrossFit will implement a new “five-rep” rule for video submissions, meaning that if an official video submission score is off by more than five reps, the entire performance will not be valid. If the video is invalidated after the deadline, you are out of luck. This means that everyone planning to submit an official video should be sure to check each rep carefully before entering a score online. A good rule of thumb is to perform and review a few reps for the camera, at speed, before you begin recording your official video.
Again this year, the male and female winners of each week's workout worldwide will receive a cash prize ($2,013 each). To be eligible for the cash prize, athletes must submit a video of their complete workout even if they had the workout validated at a registered affiliate. Anyone who thinks they have a shot at winning an Open workout should record a video of their performance. No video means no cash, though the validated score will count toward qualifying for Regionals.
Athletes advancing to Regionals
At the end of the Open, the top 48 men and 48 women from each region will be invited to compete at Regionals. CrossFit may invite additional athletes if a significant number of athletes decide not to compete or if they go Team. The dates for the initial acceptance period and any secondary invitation period will be both clearly announced and strictly enforced. If you are in the top 60 to 70 athletes in your region, please pay extra attention to the website so you don't miss any notices or opportunities to compete at Regionals.
Introducing the New Online Judges Course
Any affiliate manager that intends to validate scores must pass the Judges Course. Passing the Judges Course will also be a pre-requisite for anyone who wishes to be a judge at Regionals. Anyone interested in being a Regional Judge should take and pass the course before the Open. In addition, Regional Judges will be expected to validate workouts during the Open. In other words, validating scores inside an affiliate or watching video submissions will be considered when determining the local pool of Judges for each Regional event.
The course will come online at the beginning of the year and will include educational and testing components. More information about the Online Judges Course will be released soon.