IFPA General Contest Guidelines

All participants at IFPA events are required to be current members of the IFPA. IFPA memberships are $80 per year and are good for the month they are purchased through the end of the previous month of the following year (Ex. Membership purchased on 5/21/2012 is good through 4/30/2013.
 Pro Open Eligibility All of the following currently meet the requirements for being eligible for IFPA Pro Open events:

Competitors must maintain a current IFPA Pro membership in order to maintain their IFPA Pro eligibility.

Competitors who allow their membership to lapse will be required to pay the past membership fee plus a $100 reinstatement fee.

Also, competitors who allow their membership to lapse will have until the end of the third year of the date last competed to pay past memberships plus the reinstatement fee of $100.

Competitors who compete in an IFPA Pro event after January 1, 2010 are considered eligible until the end of the third year after the date of their participation (Ex. Competing in an IFPA pro contest on July 9, 2011 would make one’s eligibility good through December 31, 2014).

*Note: Competitors must maintain a current IFPA Pro membership to avoid letting their IFPA Pro eligibility expire.  If a competitor allows their IFPA Pro eligibility to lapse past the three years they must re-qualify through an amateur affiliate to the IFPA.

Competitors who win an IFPA pro-qualifying placement through any IFPA amateur affiliate after January 1, 2010 and who submit an IFPA Membership form within 60 days of the date of their win must keep a current IFPA Pro membership to maintain their IFPA Pro eligibility. Competitors are considered eligible until the end of the third year after the date of their pro qualifying win (Ex. Qualifying at a May 7, 2011 contest would make one’s eligibility good through December 31, 2014). Competitors who do not submit an IFPA Membership form within 60 days of the date of their win lose their eligibility and have to re-qualify prior to competing in an IFPA Pro event.

Competitors who won an IFPA pro-qualifying placement through any IFPA amateur affiliate prior to January 1, 2010 and who submitted an IFPA Membership form prior to March 1, 2010 are considered eligible through December 31, 2012 (competitors who won an IFPA pro-qualifying placement prior to January 1, 2010 who did not submit an IFPA Membership form prior to March 1, 2010 lost eligibility and have to re-qualify prior to competing in an IFPA Pro event).

*Note: Submitting an IFPA Membership form confirms desire to maintain pro eligibility. Competitors still have the option of continuing to compete as amateurs in IFPA amateur affiliates' shows, if desired, until after participating in an IFPA pro show.

IFPA Pro Masters show overall winners will be considered eligible for Pro Open events afterwards, if not already, until the end of the third year after the date of their win.

IFPA Pro Masters competitors who place above any competitor who is Pro Open-qualified at an IFPA Pro Masters contest are considered eligible for IFPA Pro Open events afterwards, if not already, until the end of the third year after the date of their placement.

Other Federations Pro Competitors from NGA, PNBA, WNBF or SNBF pro contest are considered eligible to compete in the IFPA.

Winning pro status with any federation outside of IFPA affiliates after December 31, 2011 does not make one eligible for IFPA pro competition.

Pro Masters Eligibility IFPA Pro qualifiers held with NANBF and OCB events are also IFPA Pro Masters qualifiers. Masters (Age 40+ for males, Age 40+ for females) division winners at these events become qualified to compete in IFPA Pro Masters competitions. IFPA Pro Masters qualifier winners become eligible for IFPA Pro Masters events only (not IFPA Open Pro shows too). Once a competitor participates in an IFPA Pro Masters event, he/she is no longer eligible for OCB/NANBF amateur Masters competition but may still compete in amateur Open divisions in order to be able to try to win Open pro status.

In addition to the criteria for IFPA Pro Open eligibility, substituting IFPA Pro Masters in place of IFPA Pro Open, competitors qualified to compete as IFPA Open Pros who are age 40 or over for males, or age 40 or over for females, are also qualified to compete in IFPA Pro Masters competitions.

IFPA Yorton Cup Pro World Championships Eligibility In order for pros to be eligible to compete in the IFPA Yorton Cup World Championships, they must participate in at least one other IFPA Pro contest earlier in the year and place in the top half of their class. Exceptions to this policy can be made for competitors not residing in the United States, for competitors who qualify to compete as pros prior to the Yorton Cup event but after any other IFPA pro shows for their category (example, qualifies at OCB Cape Cod Natural on 10/06/12, no other IFPA pro shows prior to the IFPA Yorton Cup Pro Worlds on 10/27/12), for IFPA affiliated organizations' contest promoters (if having competed in the Yorton Cup Pro World Championships previously, must have finished in top half of class for this to apply), and for past division overall Yorton Cup Pro champions. Whenever there is an odd number of participants, the greater half (example, top 5 of 9 instead of top 4 of 9) qualifies.

In cases where an already-qualified competitor is in an event, he or she is disregarded with respect to qualification placements. For example, if there are 10 competitors in a class but one is already qualified for the Yorton Cup, the class will be considered to have 9 excluding the individual already qualified, where the top half of those not already qualified - the top 5 of the 9 in this case - will then become eligible for the Yorton Cup.

Entry Deadlines Entry deadlines for IFPA pro shows are generally three weeks prior to event dates. Accepting entries beyond that point is at promoter discretion and late entry fees may apply.

Intent to Compete Once competitors are entered into an IFPA pro contest, they must carry through their plans and participate or they will lose their eligibility. Exceptions may be made if proper documentation can be supplied (For example, medical documents supporting injury preventing participation).

Pro/Amateur Policy Once becoming an IFPA member and competing in an IFPA pro show afterward, competitors are no longer eligible to compete in any OCB, NANBF, or any other IFPA amateur affiliates' events in the same category until after expiration of IFPA Pro eligibility, unless they elect to voluntarily give up pro status to go back to amateur competition, in which case they cannot ever go back to the IFPA pro level.

Categories The IFPA offers four categories of pro physique competition: Men's Bodybuilding, Women's Bodybuilding, Figure and Bikini.

Divisions The IFPA offers two types of pro divisions within each category: Open and Masters. Open Pro divisions have no specifications regarding age while Masters Pro divisions are limited to: Men: Age 40 and Over, Women: Age 40 and Over.

Classes Fifteen competitors is the defined breaking point for creating another class in IFPA Pro divisions. For example, if an IFPA contest advertises having one Men’s Pro class but receives 15 or more entries for the division (say 18 for this example) it would split the division and have two classes.

Crossovers Crossover entries between Women's Pro Bodybuilding, Pro Figure and/or Pro Bikini at the same event are not permitted in the IFPA.

Additional InformationThere are no restrictions preventing IFPA pros from receiving non-affiliated media exposure or from competing in or assisting at non-affiliated amateur or pro events.

IFPA shows will typically be held in conjunction with an amateur contest. IFPA athletes must adhere to all rules of the show's promoters, in addition to IFPA regulations.