5TH ANNUAL JOHN COTTON
BENCH PRESS CHAMPIONSHIPS
FALL SEMESTER 2011
TOOKES, SR. RECREATION CENTER
(Date: Wednesday, November 16, 2011 Time: 6:00PM)
RULES
1. Only FAMU Students, Faculty, and Staff are eligible. Competitors must bring valid
FAMU IDs during the weigh-in and competition.
2. No “bench press shirts” are allowed.
3. The weigh-in times are between 9:00a – 4:00p on the day of the competition.
4. Each competitor is allowed a total of three (3) attempts to lift a weight. Only the best
weight of the three lifts will be considered for the final placing in one’s weight division.*
5. Baggy and/or loose shirts must be tucked in to allow judges to see total body movements.
6. Rest between attempts is a maximum of four (4) minutes.
7. Lifters may provide their own spotter/s (see below).
8. Music or Headphones may not be played/worn during competition lifts.
FACTORS THAT CONSTITUTE A LEGAL BENCH PRESS
A. Both feet must remain flat on the floor surface and remain in the same spot for the
duration of the attempt.
B. The buttocks must remain in contact with the bench for the duration of the attempt. Any
lifting of the buttocks off the bench will be deemed a NO-LIFT.
C. Competitors will hear 3 separate directions from the judge during the attempt: “DOWN”,
“PRESS” & “RACK”.
a. After the lift-off, the judge will say, “DOWN” when the arms are straight (lockedout).
i. Arms must be straight (locked-out) at the start of the lift and before the bar
moves down.
b. After the bar is lowered down to touch the chest, the judge will say, “PRESS”.
i. The bar must touch the chest.
ii. Competitors must wait for the direction “PRESS” before pushing up the
bar from the chest position.
iii. Any bounce-off from the chest position will be deemed a NO-LIFT by the
judge/s.
c. After the bar is pressed upward where the arms are straight (locked-out) in the
final position, the judge will say, “RACK”.
i. Re-racking the weight before the direction is given & where arms are not
straight (locked-out) will be deemed a NO-LIFT by the judge/s.
D. Lifters may provide their own spotter/s. However, if the spotter/s touch the bar at time
during the attempt (other than during lift-off) the attempt will be deemed a NO LIFT by
the judge/s.
WEIGHT DIVISIONS (LBS):
Men
Women
150 – Under
129 – Under
151 – 165
Over 129
166 – 179
180 – 194
195 – Above
*A minimum of 3 people are required for competition in a particular weight division. Extra
weight divisions may be added or dropped if there is a need.