IPA EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE STATEMENT REGARDING REFEREE JUDGMENT OF DAVE HOFF’S 1270 LB. SQUAT

This statement is in reference to the referee judgment of Dave Hoff’s 1270 lb. squat attempted at the 2017 IPA Tennessee State Powerlifting Championships, March 11, 2017 in Murfreesboro, TN.  As a result of this All-Time Record breaking attempt receiving strong criticism from the powerlifting community, the IPA Executive Committee deemed it necessary to secure and review video segments of the lift to determine its legitimacy.  Upon review, the IPA Executive Committee including the Tennessee State Chairman, Bobby Betts, regretfully announce its unanimous conclusion that the judgment of the lift be rescinded by the IPA.

Dave’s squat attempt at 1270 lbs. at 284 lbs. bodyweight, was awarded two white lights from the front and side judges, and a red light from the other side judge. It is the policy of the IPA to review All-Time Record attempts if there is one red light given. This is required if there isn’t at least one Executive Committee member or State Chairman actively judging the All-Time Record or IPA World Record attempt, which was the case for this record attempt.

IPA Rule Book: Records can be broken or set at IPA sanctioned local meets only if a board member is actively judging and qualified referees are present.

The IPA Executive Committee is not able to question the depth of the squat because of the angle of the viewed videos, however, the consensus is that Dave was not in control of the weight at the finish losing his balance backwards as the spotters supported him from falling before he received the audible “rack” signal.

From the IPA Rulebook:

  1. The lifter must recover at will, from the deepest point of the squat, without double bouncing or any downward movement (stopping is allowed) to an upright position with the knees locked. If the lifter’s feet move or if the lifter takes a step but regains control without the assistance of the spotters, the lift is considered good.
  2. When the lifter demonstrates control, the referee will give the signal to replace the bar on the rack. The signal to replace the bar will consist of a backward motion of the hand and an audible command “RACK”. The lifter must make a legitimate effort to return the bar to the rack at which point the lifter may request assistance from the spotters to replace the bar in the rack.

We value our State Chairmen.  We depend on them to shoulder the responsibility as an officer of the IPA to maintain the integrity of the Association and to agree to follow the rules set forth in the IPA Rule Book.  The IPA requires from its meet directors: fair/quality judging (all judges must be current, certified IPA Judges), a safe environment, experienced and plentiful spotters and loaders, quality equipment that meets IPA standards, that lifter gear is legal for the division, drug testing, and that weigh-ins follow protocol set forth in the Rule Book.  Importantly, all IPA World Record and All-Time Record attempts MUST have a member of the Executive Committee or the State Chairman on the platform sitting as a judge for any records to count.

We are proud to have this living legend, Dave Hoff, support the IPA over the years and to grace our platforms with his amazing lifting accomplishments. The IPA Executive Committee stands by this statement and hope that Dave Hoff and powerlifting community understands that we support our lifters 100%, but sometimes our efforts to ensure the integrity of the Association for the lifters as a whole can be unpleasant.  This wasn’t an easy decision for the Executive Committee.

I welcome any questions or comments regarding this matter.  Please contact me at ipapower2@gmail.com.

Thank you,

Mark Chaillet

IPA Chairman and CEO