New 2012 IFBB rules for all pros and shows (including Olympia)

[JasonH]

It wasn't necessary 20 years ago, as there were only 8-10 pro shows a year...now there are close to 20. Also...the pros 20 years ago competed much more often than the pros of today...which is part of the problem when it comes to new guys having the ability to qualify....better in that the top pros are making some serious cash, but we don't want or need 30 pros at the Olympia...

Ah I see - duly noted.

[65stew]

September 21, 2011

NEW OLYMPIA QUALIFYING RULES

After meetings held during the Olympia Weekend and following further discussions between IFBB Professional League and Mr. Olympia, LLC, beginning 2012, only the following competitors will qualify for the Olympia:

1) Olympia - Top four (4) in each division at the Olympia.
2) Arnold -  Top three (3) in each division at the Arnold Classic / Interntional.
3) New York Pro - Top two (2) in each division at the New York Pro.
4) All Other Competitions - First place at all other competitions.

The top four (4) in each division at the 2011 Olympia will qualify for the 2012 Olympia.

The remaining 2011 competitions are not affected.






http://www.ifbbpro.com/news/ifbb-pro-league-advisory-notice-092111/

[io856]

Dexter, Branch and Dennis need to qualify

[titusisback]

shit that's brutal, but I see their point.. Mr. O had around 10 totally useless dudes

[SF1900]

Dexter, Branch and Dennis need to qualify

lets hope branch doesnt qualify. one less shitty physique on stage.

[Colemans#1]

so they are flooding the ifbb with new pros and allowing less guys to qualify for the O. should be interesting to see how this goes in the next 5 years. will there be more stacked and competitive shows all year? or will alot of guys only compete every few years or not at all?

[Stormcloud]

Kiss goodbye to a number of competitors who have been on the Olympia stage. Especially regarding figure and bikini.  Half of the girls are done.  They will never place fist at these contests nor the top three at the Olympia or the Arnold.  The 2012 Olympia will be fine, as the rules don't apply until January 1st, and there are quite a few bikini and figure contests until then to place in the top three.

But next year, expect much less competitors on that stage.  The goal is to bring more competitors to the stage, but if you have a qualified competitor competing, then why even try to compete against him or her.  What if one or two qualified figure or bikini competitors decide to compete respectively for six contests in a row.  There will be zero Olympia qualified competitors during that span.  Does it happen?  It did in figure this year for the last 5 competitions.

Expect never  to see Sonia Gonzales on the Olympia stage again, nor many others who might of had a chance.   Dennis Wolf, Victor Martinez, Dexter Jackson might not be on the O stage either, unless they choose to do another contest after the Arnold Classic.  For what? For the prize money? Come on.

[musclecenter]

12 competitors is a good number for the Mr.Olympia contest.
And all 12 competitors must doing their best freeposing (no more 3:00) at evening show.
Due to freeposing round not be scored, Mr.O finals now has become very BORING!
Freeposing Round must be scored, and top 6 be announced after this round.

[musclecenter]

If any competitor already be qualified at the previous contest,then the second placer will be qualified.
But if Mr.O competitors already reach to 10 or 12, and the winner was qualified, then 2nd place can’t be qualified.

[Palpatine Q]

lets hope branch doesnt qualify. one less shitty physique on stage.

Indeed, he looks like a blob of mayonnaise

[closeline]

very good

also there should be a points for wins system taken into the result at the "season final" Mr Olympia

for expample if a guy wins 3 shows pprior the olympia he should be given an advantage over a guy who just qualified with one win or even placing 3rd the year before

maybe it should be a grand prix series with 5-6 shows every one to two month highlighted with a season final like in formula one racing

would force the pros to stay in shape all year around and compete every 2 mont or so followed by a 4-5 Month offseason to make gains and improve

[erics]

12 competitors is a good number for the Mr.Olympia contest.
And all 12 competitors must doing their best freeposing(no more 3:00) at evening show.
Due to freeposing round not be scored, Mr.O finals now has become very BORING!
Freeposing Round must be scored, and top 6 be announced after this round.

The new qualifying rules are a step in the right direction.

However, freeposing needs to be scored. With qualifying places limited, freeposing could be used to separate those physiques that are very close. If the IFBB decides to go with this, then you would definitely start to see real improvements in freeposing since the ability to pose would have a direct impact on those final scores.

Should this happen, you will start to see more Makkawy or Labrada style routines - physique display rather than just dancing.

[jwb]

This will backfire big time.

Who will bother not only promoting but competing in smaller shows if so few Olympia berths are up for grabs?

Think about the Aussie pro show you think Tony will be able to attract competitors with only one Olympia berth?

[The_Iron_Disciple]

Hopefully some fucktards should learn how to be a seasoned professional, compete in multiple shows during the year in order to earn earn their place at the Mr. Olympia.. rather than staying out...hiding behind their sponsors, getting all fat and bloated and call it a "2 year offseason"...

*cough* Stalkerpani.

I couldn't agree more !

[gh15]

this is great rule and i had alot to do with it ,, i congratulate the ifbb for this rule ,, ATLAST ,,

ONLY FIRST PLACE GET INVITATION! the o become some place where everyone think they compete in ,, no no no ,, from now on first place only

gh15 approved

[gh15]

this is VERY VERY GOOD RULE!,, I JUST HAD TIME TO GO OVER IT!,, THIS IS EXELENT ,, ITS ABOUT TIME THAT FELLAS WILL WORK THEIR ASS TO BE ON O STAGE ,, every moron now day just go on pro stage and think he can go into o ,, no...you need to win first place! even the arnold i would do first place but the show is big money maker and deserve coupel spots,,

this is one of the best ifbb rules in recent times,,

BRAVO

gh15 approved

[MB]

The next step is to combine pre-judging and finals.  No need for 2 shows with only 12 guys competing.  Leave Friday night for the women and have the men's show Saturday night.   

[Ron]

Freeposing Round must be scored,

Freeposing means what?   How exciting the routine is, how creative the routine is, or if they are muscular, in shape, etc?

Do you give this round to someone like Melvin Anthony or Marcus Haley which make the audience clap loudly, or to someone
 like Phil Heath or Jay Cutler, which have slower routines, but look sensetional on stage?

[MB]

Freeposing means what?   How exciting the routine is, how creative the routine is, or if they are muscular, in shape, etc?

Do you give this round to someone like Melvin Anthony or Marcus Haley which make the audience clap loudly, or to someone
 like Phil Heath or Jay Cutler, which have slower routines, but look sensetional on stage?

Combine free posing into the pre-judging.  Instead of having the judges call out the 8 mandatories, have the competitors perform a 2 minute routine where they have to hit all 8 mandatories, but can add any other poses they would like during the 2 minutes.  Then, move on to comparisons and crown a champion.  How do you score the posing round?  The same way the mandatories are scored now, but give the competitors a chance to add their own flare to it.  No, dancing and clapping is not scored. 

[musclecenter]

Combine free posing into the pre-judging.  Instead of having the judges call out the 8 mandatories, have the competitors perform a 2 minute routine where they have to hit all 8 mandatories, but can add any other poses they would like during the 2 minutes.  Then, move on to comparisons and crown a champion.  How do you score the posing round?  The same way the mandatories are scored now, but give the competitors a chance to add their own flare to it.  No, dancing and clapping is not scored.  

agree

[erics]

Freeposing means what?   How exciting the routine is, how creative the routine is, or if they are muscular, in shape, etc?

Do you give this round to someone like Melvin Anthony or Marcus Haley which make the audience clap loudly, or to someone
 like Phil Heath or Jay Cutler, which have slower routines, but look sensetional on stage?

Free posing ought to be marked on the basis of physique quality - according to the pose.

For example;

- limit the time per routine (2-3 minutes, for example). Literally add a point for every 30-60sec block over the limit. At the end of the round, the competitor with the lowest freeposing score gets one point for that round (in keeping with how the rest of the rounds are scored) and so on,

- only allow the mandatories to be done once during aroutine. For every extra mandatory done, again, add a point. The idea being that a good physique will look good in more poses than a poorer physique.

- Physiques ought to match the pose and vice versa. Often you will see a guy do an oblique crunch type shot but not see any obliques! So what the hell is the pose for?!?! That kind of posing ought to be penalised. Bodybuilders need to do poses that improve how they look.

If the IFBB do not know by now what constitutes a good posing routine after all of these decades of running the show, then clearly, something has gone wrong. Gather a list of recognised 'master' posers and study why they are known as such. Here is a starters list for reference:

John Grimek
Arnold Schwarzenegger
Ed Corney
Frank Zane
Chris Dickerson
Mohamad Makkawy
Shawn Ray
Lee Labrada
Kai Greene (minus the acrobatics, the man can actually pose)

Hope this helps.

[deceiver]

On top of that I would also:
 - remove 202
 - remove bikini
 - spend money from bikini and 202 on special prizes for best posers to motivate people to work on their routines
 - start judging routines but use them ONLY when two competitors come very close in comparisons

First of all posing routines get worse and worse every year. This year it got really pathetic. It was so boring and pathetic I couldn't stand watching it. Just fucking compare that Vic routine to what Makkawy did... Shameful.

Secondly 202 is bullshit. Okay, I get it, I get it - it's for the smaller guys to give them chance! Oh wait... Tell me, since fucking when Olympia is about giving chances to handicapped people? It's not paraolympics, if you're too short to compete against taller guys then TOO BAD, bodybuilding ain't for you.

[erics]

- start judging routines but use them ONLY when two competitors come very close in comparisons

First of all posing routines get worse and worse every year. This year it got really pathetic. It was so boring and pathetic I couldn't stand watching it. Just fucking compare that Vic routine to what Makkawy did... Shameful.

Using the posing routine to separate close competitors is the best way to avoid lesser physiques winning.

I just don't understand why the IFBB cannot see the value in good freeposing.

[Meso_z]

I would suggest the IFBB to:

- Ban "female bodybuilding".

- Ban bikini.

- Ban Mens Physique division.

- Ban "202's".

- Ban Mens Open.

- Fire Bob from MC.

- Hang the judges.

- Set the schmoes in the audience on fire.

- Arrest "Supplement promoters"/Drug pushers in the expos.

- Kill yourselves.

oh wait.. 

[DK II]

I would suggest the IFBB to:

- Ban "female bodybuilding".

- Ban bikini.

- Ban Mens Physique division.

- Ban "202's".

- Ban Mens Open.

- Fire Bob from MC.

- Hang the judges.

- Set the schmoes in the audience on fire.

- Arrest "Supplement promoters"/Drug pushers in the expos.

- Kill yourselves.

oh wait.. 

I agree with everything except the Bikini.

Keep them, some fine ass up on stage there, best thing the IFBB invented in the last 20 years.