Taking place from May 18 - June 4, the 2023 individual and team NOBULL CrossFit Games Semifinals will determine who will be invited to compete at the finals in Madison, Wisconsin, at the end of the season. CrossFit will host three Semifinals in the North America East, North America West, and Europe regions and partner with event organizers to host the remaining four in Asia, South America, Africa, and Oceania.
The NOBULL CrossFit Games Age-Group Semifinal will take place online from April 28-30 and will determine which age-group athletes will advance.
The Semifinals aren’t merely the last qualifying stage before the 2023 NOBULL CrossFit Games; they’re also a chance for the CrossFit community to do what we do best: support and cheer on athletes from around the world vying for an invitation to the Games.
Whether you’re competing, attending the event live, or watching from home, the Semifinals are a fun opportunity for everyone to participate in the quest to find the Fittest on Earth. This article will break down everything you need to know about this stage of competition.
Kealan Henry at the 2022 Fittest in Cape Town Semifinal | Photo by @roarkebouffe
What’s New in 2023?
Based on feedback and observations from the 2022 season, the Semifinals stage will look a little different this year:
- There will be seven regions in which athletes will be placed based on their country of citizenship. Athletes will know which region they will compete in (if they qualify) upon Open registration. Learn more here.
- CrossFit will standardize and program all tests for the entire season, including the Semifinals.
- Individual athletes and teams from the same affiliate will compete at the same Semifinal.
- NOBULL's partnership with CrossFit will expand into Semifinals, becoming the title sponsor for every event.
The 2023 NOBULL CrossFit Games Semifinals
| Date | Region | Location | Event Name | Comp Field - Men | Comp Field - Women | Games Spots - Men | Games Spots Women |
| April 28-30, 2023 | N/A | Online | NOBULL CrossFit Games Age-Group Semifinal | 30/age group | 30/age group | 10/age group | 10/age group |
| Date | Region | Location | Event Name | Comp Field - Individual | Comp Field - Team | Games Spots - Individual | Games Spots - Team |
| May 18-21, 2023 | NA East* | Orange County Convention Center - West Concourse 9800 International Dr. Orlando, FL 32819 | NOBULL CrossFit Games North America East Semifinal* | 60 | 40 | 11 Women, 12 Men | 10 |
| May 19-21, 2023 | Africa | University of Witwatersrand, Johannesburg 1 Jan Smuts Ave Braamfontein Johannesburg 2000 | REBEL Renegade Games, an official 2023 NOBULL CrossFit Games Semifinal | 30 | 20 | 1 Woman, 1 Man | 1 |
| May 25-28, 2023 | NA West* | Pasadena Convention Center 300 E. Green St Pasadena, CA 91101 | NOBULL CrossFit Games North America West Semifinal* | 60 | 40 | 10 Women, 9 Men | 10 |
| May 26-28, 2023 | Oceania | Pat Rafter Arena - Brisbane 190 King Arthur Terrace Tennyson, QLD 4105 | Torian Pro, an official 2023 NOBULL CrossFit Games Semifinal | 30 | 20 | 3 Women, 3 Men | 3 |
| May 26-28, 2023 | South America | Arena Carioca 1 Av. Embaixador Abelardo Bueno Barra da Tijuca Rio de Janeiro, RJ 22775-039 Brazil | Copa Sur, an official 2023 NOBULL CrossFit Games Semifinal | 30 | 20 | 2 Women, 2 Men | 2 |
| June 1-4, 2023 | Europe* | Max-Schmeling-Halle Am Falkpl. 1 10437 Berlin, Germany | NOBULL CrossFit Games Europe Semifinal* | 60 | 40 | 11 Women, 11 Men | 10 |
| June 2-4, 2023 | Asia | Bexco 55, APEC-ro, Haeundae-gu, Busan, Republic of Korea Exhibition Center 2, A, B Hall | Far East Throwdown, an official 2023 NOBULL CrossFit Games Semifinal | 30 | 20 | 2 Women, 2 Men | 2 |
*CrossFit Owned/Operated
The CrossFit owned/operated Semifinal events will be one day longer than the licensed events due to the larger number of athletes participating.
Competition Schedules
The competition schedule for North America East, North America West, and Europe is:
- Teams
- Thursday: on-site registration.
- Thursday-Saturday: competition.
- Saturday night: podium ceremony.
- Individuals
- Thursday: on-site registration.
- Friday-Sunday: competition.
- Sunday night: podium ceremony.
The competition schedule for Africa, Asia, Oceania, and South America is:
- Teams and Individuals
- Thursday: on-site registration.
- Friday-Sunday: competition.
- Sunday night: podium ceremony.
Semifinals Qualification
Out of the 2023 NOBULL CrossFit Games Quarterfinals, 60 men, 60 women, and 40 teams will be invited to compete at the North America East, North America West, and Europe Semifinals. Thirty men, 30 women, and 20 teams will be invited to compete at each of the Semifinals in Africa, Asia, Oceania, and South America.
For age groups, 30 men and 30 women from each age group from Quarterfinals will be invited to the online Age-Group Semifinal.
The Worldwide Ranking System and Strength of Field
For the 2023 season, CrossFit has introduced a worldwide ranking system. This system will be similar to both professional tennis and professional golf ranking systems. Athletes will earn points based on their performance during the CrossFit Games season. The previous two years of an athlete's performance in the Open, Quarterfinals, Semifinals, and Games will be used to calculate their ranking. Placing higher in these stages and advancing further in the season will earn them more points.
This worldwide ranking system will be used to determine the final number of qualifying spots for individual athletes at each Semifinal event. Highly competitive regions will be awarded more qualifying spots for the Games based on the rankings of the qualifying athletes after Quarterfinals.
With a minimum number of Games-qualifying spots guaranteed at each Semifinal, the total number of individual athletes invited to the CrossFit Games will stay at 40 men and 40 women, the same as last year.
Why is CrossFit using the worldwide ranking system? This provides an objectively measured level of competition by region to ensure we are inviting the fittest athletes worldwide to compete at the 2023 NOBULL CrossFit Games.
NUMBER OF GAMES-QUALIFYING SPOTS
Differences in Competition
Scoring
The field of competitors at Semifinals is much smaller, which necessitates a change in scoring structure.
The Open and Quarterfinals include thousands of athletes in each division, and the final number of registered athletes is unknown until the competition is underway. Therefore, athlete placement on the leaderboard for each test becomes the number of points awarded. At the end of the competition, athletes’ points from each test are totaled and the lowest score wins.
During Semifinals and the Games, each division of competing athletes is considerably smaller, with a predetermined number of competitors. With a smaller field of athletes, points per placement does not offer enough scoring granularity. Therefore, points are awarded per placement based on a points table. Commonly during Semifinals and the Games, each test will result in a maximum of 100 points for first place. At the end of the competition, the athletes’ points from each test are totaled and the highest score wins.
Points tables also offer the opportunity to weight some tests differently than others. Occasionally a test will be scored out of 50 possible points for first place. Depending on the competition, weighting some tests less than others may be appropriate.
For example, take this hypothetical 20-athlete field:
| 100-pt. Table | 50-pt. Table | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| 1st | 100 | 1st | 50 |
| 2nd | 95 | 2nd | 47 |
| 3rd | 90 | 3rd | 44 |
| 4th | 85 | 4th | 41 |
| 5th | 80 | 5th | 38 |
| 6th | 75 | 6th | 35 |
| 7th | 70 | 7th | 32 |
| 8th | 65 | 8th | 29 |
| 9th | 60 | 9th | 26 |
| 10th | 55 | 10th | 23 |
| 11th | 50 | 11th | 21 |
| 12th | 45 | 12th | 19 |
| 13th | 40 | 13th | 17 |
| 14th | 35 | 14th | 15 |
| 15th | 30 | 15th | 13 |
| 16th | 25 | 16th | 11 |
| 17th | 20 | 17th | 9 |
| 18th | 15 | 18th | 7 |
| 19th | 10 | 19th | 5 |
| 20th | 5 | 20th | 3 |
| The Open and Quarterfinals | Semifinals and the Games |
|---|---|
|
Large field of athletes. |
Small field of athletes. |
|
Potential number of athletes is unknown. |
Predetermined number of athletes. |
|
Score = placement on the leaderboard. |
Score = sum of points per place, based on a points table. |
| Lowest point total wins. | Highest point total wins. |
Individual and Team Semifinals Points Tables
| IND TABLES FOR NA AND EU | IND TABLES FOR AFRICA, ASIA, OCEANIA, AND S.AMERICA | TEAM TABLES FOR NA AND EU | TEAM TABLES FOR AFRICA, ASIA, OCEANIA, AND S. AMERICA | |||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 60 | 30 | 40 | 20 | |||||||||||
| 1st | 100 | 1st | 100 | 1st | 100 | 1st | 100 | |||||||
| 2nd | 97 | -3 | 2nd | 96 | -4 | 2nd | 97 | -3 | 2nd | 95 | -5 | |||
| 3rd | 94 | -3 | 3rd | 92 | -4 | 3rd | 94 | -3 | 3rd | 90 | -5 | |||
| 4th | 91 | -3 | 4th | 88 | -4 | 4th | 91 | -3 | 4th | 85 | -5 | |||
| 5th | 88 | -3 | 5th | 84 | -4 | 5th | 88 | -3 | 5th | 80 | -5 | |||
| 6th | 85 | -3 | 6th | 80 | -4 | 6th | 85 | -3 | 6th | 75 | -5 | |||
| 7th | 82 | -3 | 7th | 76 | -4 | 7th | 82 | -3 | 7th | 70 | -5 | |||
| 8th | 79 | -3 | 8th | 72 | -4 | 8th | 79 | -3 | 8th | 65 | -5 | |||
| 9th | 76 | -3 | 9th | 68 | -4 | 9th | 76 | -3 | 9th | 60 | -5 | |||
| 10th | 73 | -3 | 10th | 64 | -4 | 10th | 73 | -3 | 10th | 55 | -5 | |||
| 11th | 70 | -3 | 11th | 60 | -4 | 11th | 70 | -3 | 11th | 50 | -5 | |||
| 12th | 67 | -3 | 12th | 56 | -4 | 12th | 67 | -3 | 12th | 45 | -5 | |||
| 13th | 64 | -3 | 13th | 52 | -4 | 13th | 64 | -3 | 13th | 40 | -5 | |||
| 14th | 62 | -2 | 14th | 48 | -4 | 14th | 61 | -3 | 14th | 35 | -5 | |||
| 15th | 60 | -2 | 15th | 45 | -3 | 15th | 58 | -3 | 15th | 30 | -5 | |||
| 16th | 58 | -2 | 16th | 42 | -3 | 16th | 55 | -3 | 16th | 25 | -5 | |||
| 17th | 56 | -2 | 17th | 39 | -3 | 17th | 52 | -3 | 17th | 20 | -5 | |||
| 18th | 54 | -2 | 18th | 36 | -3 | 18th | 49 | -3 | 18th | 15 | -5 | |||
| 19th | 52 | -2 | 19th | 33 | -3 | 19th | 46 | -3 | 19th | 10 | -5 | |||
| 20th | 50 | -2 | 20th | 30 | -3 | 20th | 43 | -3 | 20th | 0 | -10 | |||
| 21 | 48 | -2 | 21 | 27 | -3 | 21 | 40 | -3 | ||||||
| 22 | 46 | -2 | 22 | 24 | -3 | 22 | 37 | -3 | ||||||
| 23 | 44 | -2 | 23 | 21 | -3 | 23 | 34 | -3 | ||||||
| 24 | 42 | -2 | 24 | 18 | -3 | 24 | 32 | -2 | ||||||
| 25 | 40 | -2 | 25 | 15 | -3 | 25 | 30 | -2 | ||||||
| 26 | 38 | -2 | 26 | 12 | -3 | 26 | 28 | -2 | ||||||
| 27 | 36 | -2 | 27 | 9 | -3 | 27 | 26 | -2 | ||||||
| 28 | 34 | -2 | 28 | 6 | -3 | 28 | 24 | -2 | ||||||
| 29 | 32 | -2 | 29 | 3 | -3 | 29 | 22 | -2 | ||||||
| 30 | 30 | -2 | 30 | 0 | -3 | 30 | 20 | -2 | ||||||
| 31 | 29 | -1 | 31 | 18 | -2 | |||||||||
| 32 | 28 | -1 | 32 | 16 | -2 | |||||||||
| 33 | 27 | -1 | 33 | 14 | -2 | |||||||||
| 34 | 26 | -1 | 34 | 12 | -2 | |||||||||
| 35 | 25 | -1 | 35 | 10 | -2 | |||||||||
| 36 | 24 | -1 | 36 | 8 | -2 | |||||||||
| 37 | 23 | -1 | 37 | 6 | -2 | |||||||||
| 38 | 22 | -1 | 38 | 4 | -2 | |||||||||
| 39 | 21 | -1 | 39 | 2 | -2 | |||||||||
| 40 | 20 | -1 | 40 | 0 | -2 | |||||||||
| 41 | 19 | -1 | ||||||||||||
| 42 | 18 | -1 | ||||||||||||
| 43 | 17 | -1 | ||||||||||||
| 44 | 16 | -1 | ||||||||||||
| 45 | 15 | -1 | ||||||||||||
| 46 | 14 | -1 | ||||||||||||
| 47 | 13 | -1 | ||||||||||||
| 48 | 12 | -1 | ||||||||||||
| 49 | 11 | -1 | ||||||||||||
| 50 | 10 | -1 | ||||||||||||
| 51 | 9 | -1 | ||||||||||||
| 52 | 8 | -1 | ||||||||||||
| 53 | 7 | -1 | ||||||||||||
| 54 | 6 | -1 | ||||||||||||
| 55 | 5 | -1 | ||||||||||||
| 56 | 4 | -1 | ||||||||||||
| 57 | 3 | -1 | ||||||||||||
| 58 | 2 | -1 | ||||||||||||
| 59 | 1 | -1 | ||||||||||||
| 60th | 0 | -1 | ||||||||||||
The Appeals Process
Online Competition
Age-Group online Semifinalists may appeal any penalty issued after video review of their performance following the same process set in place during the Open and Quarterfinals. Appeals are reviewed by a separate individual from the initial review process.
Live Competition
Individuals and teams experience a different appeals process during live competition. First, there is a dedicated individual who will receive and process all appeals. The Appeals Manager will be available at athlete registration, the initial athlete brief, and at a designated location after each test has concluded.
Each athlete and team will begin the competition with two appeals. If an appeal is submitted and, after investigation, the appeal is resolved in the athlete/team’s favor, they will retain their appeal count. If, after investigation, the submitted appeal rules against the athlete/team, they will lose one appeal. If an athlete or team exhausts their appeal count they will not be able to submit any other appeals for the remainder of the competition. A no rep that the athlete disagrees with is not grounds for an appeal.
Pressure to Perform
The Semifinals test an athlete’s ability to perform in the moment more than the Open and Quarterfinals.
The online Age-Group Semifinal required specific tests to be performed during certain time frames with less opportunity for redos. A password was released at the beginning of each score submission window. Athletes had to state the correct password in their video submission to prove the test was completed within the appropriate submission window.
Live individual and team competition provide the greatest pressure test of the season before the Games. Athletes only take the field once during each test and must perform directly against their peers.
2022 Strength in Depth Semifinal | Photo by @shutterwod
How to Watch the 2023 Semifinals
Semifinals represent one of the few times each year we as a global CrossFit community can come together not only to cheer on our favorite athletes and represent our affiliates but also to witness some of the most exciting moments in our sport.
The atmosphere at Semifinals is indescribable and will leave you inspired and motivated as you face your own workouts in the year ahead. If you haven’t yet made a trip to a Semifinal event, this is your year.
We have put together a quick-start guide to help plan your trip to a CrossFit Semifinal event. Check it out HERE.
Can't make it to an event? Here is a guide to watching Semifinals at home!
Featured image by @benywatson