Rules

2023 QUALIFICATIONS TO COMPETE IN NPC NATIONAL LEVEL CONTESTS – JANUARY 2023 UPDATE

ALL NPC National Level / IFBB Professional League Qualifying Contests are currently scheduled to take place on these respective dates, although changes may occur:

  • NPC Junior USA Championships, TBD
  • NPC Junior National Championships, TBD
  • NPC Universe & NPC National Fitness Championships, TBD
  • NPC Teenage, Collegiate & Masters National Championships, TBD
  • NPC USA Championships, TBD
  • NPC North American Championships, TBD
  • NPC Masters USA Championships, TBD
  • NPC National Championships, TBD

The Qualification Guidelines are as follows for ALL NPC National Level / IFBB Professional League Qualifying Contests:

TO ENTER OPEN CLASSES: You must have COMPETED IN AND PLACED TOP 5 in an NPC National Level / IFBB Professional League Qualifying Contest such as;

2023 or 2024 NPC Junior USA Championships
2023 or 2024 NPC Junior National Championships
2023 or 2024 NPC Universe & NPC National Fitness Championships
2023 or 2024 NPC North American Championships
2023 or 2024 Arnold Amateur (USA only)
2023 or 2024 NPC USA Championships
2023 or 2024 NPC National Championships
2023 or 2024 Olympia Amateur (USA only)

Or;

  1. You placed TOP 2 in any 2023 or 2024 NPC National Qualifying Contest Open Class.
  2. There Are No Changes To The Qualifying System For the 2024 NPC Teenage, Collegiate & Masters National Championships, NPC Masters Universe Championships & NPC Masters USA Championships which are; Competitors must have competed in any NPC competition after January 1, 2023.

QUALIFICATIONS For the 2024 NPC North American Championships for Canadian Physique Alliance and NPC Worldwide Mexico competitors they are;

Requirements for CANADA competitors

Must be a current CPA member, must have competed in Canada within 12 months at any of the open pro qualifiers in Canada. This will qualify Canadian competitors to compete in the USA no later than 12 months to the following NPC pro qualifiers;

  • NPC North American Championships
  • NPC Worldwide Olympia Amateur (USA)
  • NPC Arnold Amateur (USA)

This will also qualify Canadian competitors to any NPC Worldwide pro qualifier.

Canadian competitors competing at the Natural Canada are qualified for 12 months to any Natural Pro Qualifier including the NPC Ben Weider Natural Championships (USA) & any NPC Worldwide natural Pro Qualifier.

Placings at any of the out of country Pro Qualifiers will not be considered a qualification to return to the out of country Pro Qualifiers, except for the Ben Weider Naturals held in the USA/Canada where Top 5 qualifies competitors for Natural Canada or Ben Weider Naturals for the next 12 months.

Any further questions, please contact CPA President Ron Hache.

Requirements for MEXICO competitors

All NPC Worldwide Mexico competitors must have competed in a Regional Contest in 2023.

2022 NPC Worldwide Regional Certificates Requirements

Effective January 1, 2022, Regional Certificates are valid ONLY within the same calendar year. 

Any athlete who resides in a country with a Regional Certificate requirement must compete in a Regional contest in his or her country and must obtain a Regional Certificate before competing in a Pro Qualifier contest anywhere in the world.  This Regional Certificate is valid only until December 31, 2022.  In 2023 and each year thereafter, this athlete must again compete in a Regional contest in his or her country to meet the yearly Regional Certificate requirement.

If an athlete resides in a country with a Regional Certificate requirement but there are no Regional contests in that country until later in the year, the athlete may compete in a Pro Qualifier contest anywhere in the world provided the Pro Qualifier contest is held before the first Regional contest in his or her country.  When this Regional contest is held, the athlete may not compete in any other Pro Qualifier contest without first obtaining a Regional Certificate from his or her country.

Countries with a Regional Certificate requirement:

Argentina, Australia, Austria, Bolivia, Brazil, Canada, Chile, Colombia, Denmark, Ecuador, Finland, France, Germany, Hungary, India, Italy, Japan, Mexico, Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Paraguay, Portugal, South Africa, South Korea, Spain, Taiwan, United Kingdom, Uruguay

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MEDIA INFO

NPC Press Credentials

All Media Requests Must Be Approved By The NPC National Office, NPCFirst@NPCRegistration.com

MEDIA INFO

NPC Press Credentials

All Media Requests Must Be Approved By The NPC National Office, NPCFirst@NPCRegistration.com

OTHER RULES OF NOTE

The NPC will not impose any sanction or penalty, or otherwise interfere in any way with, any person on account of that person’s participation in any amateur bodybuilding or other amateur fitness contest offered by another organization, whether such person is an athlete, promoter, sponsor, vendor, or otherwise, and does not condone, ratify, facilitate or permit such actions by any NPC officer and/or employee.

NPC NATIONAL CONTEST IFBB PROFESSIONAL LEAGUE QUALIFYING INFORMATION

*number of height classes are subject to change and may be combined if there are a low amount of entries in a height class

  • Men’s & Women’s Overall Winners
  • Fitness ~ Overall Winner (3 Classes)
  • Figure ~ 3 Class Winners (6 Classes)
  • Bikini ~ 4 Class Winners ( 8 Classes)
  • Women’s Physique ~  Class Winners (2-4 Classes *DEPENDING ON NUMBER OF ENTRIES*)
  • Men’s Physique ~ 3 Class Winners (6 Classes)
  • Classic Physique ~ Top 2 Placings in each class (4 classes)
  • Wellness ~ Overall Winner
  • Class Winners in Fitness (3 Height Classes)
  • Class Winners in Figure (6 Height Classes)
  • Class Winners in Bikini (6 or 8 Height Classes)
  • Class Winners in Men’s Physique (6 Height Classes)
  • Class Winners in Women’s Physique (4 Height Classes)
  • Class Winners in Men’s Classic Physique (4 Classes)
  • Overall Winner in Wellness
  • Top 2 In Each Class (3 Height Classes)
  • Open Figure the Top 2 in each Height Class (6 Height Classes)
  • Masters Over-35 Figure: Winner of Each Height Class*
  • Masters Over-40 Figure: Winner of Each Height Class*
  • Open Bikini: Top 2 in each Height Class (6 or 8 Height Classes)
  • Masters Over-35 Bikini: Winner of Each Height Class*
  • Masters Over-40 Bikini: Winner of Each Height Class*
  • Women’s Physique: Top 2 in each Height Class (4 Height Classes)
  • Masters Over-40 Women’s Physique: Winner of Each Height Class*
  • Open Men’s Physique: Top 2 in each Height Class (6 Height Classes)
  • Masters Over-35 Men’s Physique: Winner of Each Height Class*
  • Masters Over-40 Men’s Physique: Winner of Each Height Class*
  • Open Men’s Bodybuilding: Overall Winner**
  • Masters Over-35 Men’s Bodybuilding: Overall Winner
  • Masters Over-40 Men’s Bodybuilding: Overall Winner
  • Masters Over-50 Men’s Bodybuilding: Overall Winner
  • Men’s Classic Physique the top 2 in each Height Class (3 or 4 Classes)
  • Masters Over-35 Men’s Classic Physique: Overall Winner
  • Masters Over-40 Men’s Classic Physique: Overall Winner
  • Masters Over-50 Men’s Classic Physique: Overall Winner
  • Open Wellness the Top 2 in each Height Class

*Number of classes will be determined according to number of competitors

  • Men’s & Women’s Overall Winners
  • Figure 35 and Over, 40 and Over, 45 and Over, 50 and Over, 60 and Over – Class winners
  • Bikini 35 and Over, 40 and Over, 45 and Over, 50 and Over – Class winners
  • Men Physique 35 and Over, 40 and Over, 45 and Over – Class winners
  • Men Physique 50 and Over – Class winners
  • Men Classic Physique – Top 2 in each Class
  • Men Classic Physique 35 and Over – Class winners
  • Men Classic Physique 40 and Over – Class winners
  • Men Classic Physique 50 and Over – Class winners
  • Women Physique 35 and Over and 40 and Over – Class winners
  • Women Physique 45 and Over, 50 and Over, 60 and Over – Class winners
  • Women BB 35 and Over, 40 and Over, 45 and Over, 50 and Over and 60 and Over – Overall winners
  • Men BB 35 and Over, and 40 and Over – Top 4 placings in the Overall
  • Men BB 50 and Over – Top 2 placings in the Overall
  • Men BB 60 and Over – Overall Winner
  • Men BB 70 and Over – 1st place Winners

*Teen and Collegiate competitors do NOT qualify for IFBB Professional League Status

  • Men’s Bodybuilding All Class Winners (7 Weight Classes)
  • Top 2 Placers in the Overall of Women’s Bodybuilding (4 Weight Classes)
  • Figure the Top 2 in each Height Class (6 Height Classes)
  • Bikini the Top 2 in each Height Class (6 or 8 Height Classes)
  • Men’s Physique the Top 2 in each Height Class (6 Height Classes)
  • Women’s Physique the Top 2 in each Height Class (4 Height Classes)
  • Men’s Classic Physique the top 2 in each Height Class (4 Classes)
  • Wellness the top 2 in each Height Class
  • Figure Open & Masters Classes: Class Winners Receive Pro Cards
  • Fitness Open – Class Winners Receive Pro Cards
  • Bikini Open & Masters Classes: Class Winners Receive Pro Cards
  • Men Physique Open & Masters Classes: Class Winners Receive Pro Cards
  • Men Classic Physique Open & Masters Classes: Class Winners Receive Pro Cards
  • Women Physique Open & Masters Classes: Class Winners Receive Pro Cards
  • Women BB Open & Masters Classes: Class Winners Receive Pro Cards
  • Men BB Open, 35 and Over, and 40 and Over – Top 4 placings in the Overall Receive Pro Cards
  • Men BB 50 and Over – Top 3 placings in the Overall Receive Pro Cards
  • Men BB 60 and Over – Top placing in the Overall Receive Pro Cards
  • Men BB 70 and Over – Class Winners Receives Pro Cards
  • Wellness Open & Masters Classes: Class Winners Receive Pro Cards
  • Men’s Bodybuilding the Top 2 in each Weight Class (7 Weight Classes)
  • Class Winners in Women’s Bodybuilding (4 Weight Classes)
  • Figure the Top 2 in each Height Class (6 Height Classes)
  • Bikini the Top 2 in each Height Class (6 or 8 Height Classes)
  • Men’s Physique the Top 2 in each Height Class (6 Height Classes)
  • Women’s Physique the Top 2 in each Height Class (4 Height Classes)
  • Men’s Classic Physique the top 2 in each Height Class (4 Classes)
  • Wellness the Top 2 in each Height Class
  • Figure Over 35 and Over 40 Overall winners
  • Bikini Over 35 and Over 40 Overall winners
  • Men Physique Over 35 and Over 40 Overall winners
  • Men Classic Physique Over 35 and Over 40 Overall winners
  • Women Physique Over 35 and Over 40 Overall winners
  • Women BB Over 35 and Over 40 Overall winners
  • Men BB Over 35 and Over 40 Overall winners

Proof of USA citizenship must be one of the following:

  • USA Residency (Residency means residing in the USA for 4 months prior to the contest date or must be a full time student in the USA with proof of a College issued student ID)
  • A birth certificate
  • A voter’s registration card
  • Military discharge papers
  • Naturalization Papers – Form N560

 

  • Consular Service Form FS24 for those born outside of the United States to United States parents
  • A valid United States Green Card

 

To be able to compete in the Novice Class:

– a competitor must not have placed Top 10 at a National Show
– a competitor must not have won an Overall (this includes Novice, Masters, or Open Overalls)
– a competitor must not have won an Open Class with 3 or more competitors in the class.

A True Novice is an NPC athlete that has never entered an NPC contest.