IFPA Pro Bodybuilding Guidelines

Physique judging takes four elements into account: Muscularity (size), Definition (leanness), Symmetry, and Presentation (ability to display development during posing in the group comparisons)

Group Comparisons Judging

Competitors will first be asked to stand with heels together and to make quarter turns (turning right) so the judges can assess them for symmetry and proportion from the front, left, right, and back views. During the side views, competitors should keep both feet flat on the floor and face the same direction that their feet are pointing. The upper body should not be twisted more than a 15-degree angle.

Darren Vernon	Carolina Davis	Dave Lovelace	Karly Green

After the quarter turn poses, competitors will be directed through a series of poses that can consist of the following:

Front Double Biceps
Front Lat Spread
Left Side Chest
Left Side Triceps
Rear Double Biceps (either heel spiked to show calf)
Rear Lat Spread (either heel spiked to show calf)
Right Side Chest
Right Side Triceps
Hands over Head Abs (hands behind head, one leg ext.)
Hands on Hips Most Muscular (males only)
Crab Most Muscular (males only)
Hamstrings Curl
Double Calf Raise
Side Serratus
Single Quadriceps
Ballerina Stance (female only)
 
The judges may ask to see certain competitors together, change the order of the line up at any time during group comparisons, and may request to see certain poses again for closer comparison of select individuals. Callouts may be executed for larger sized classes for judges to compare a few select individuals at a time. The group comparisons round concludes once all judges are finished scoring competitors.

Elaine Goodrow	Doug Miller	Carolyn Brinkley	Philip Ricardo, Jr.

Group Comparisons Scoring

Each judge assigns one score in the form of rank during group comparisons, such as 1st through 7th place, for example. A highest and lowest rank for each competitor is dropped as a safeguard against bias (whether conscious or subconscious) either for, or against a particular competitor by a particular judge, and also to safeguard against human error. The remaining judges’ placements are summed, and the lowest sum receives first place in the class for the group comparisons portion of the judging. Second lowest sum receives 2nd place, and so on. In cases of ties, competitors ranked higher by the majority of all (including dropped scores) judges serving on the panel are awarded the higher placements.

Example 1 – tabulation for group comparisons scoring:

Competitor 1 was ranked higher by four of the seven judges so final placements for the tie in this case would be #1 1^st, #2 2^nd.

Individual Presentations

Competitors individually perform a posing routine to music of their choice. Individual presentations are not factored into scoring. They apply to "Best Poser" awards.