Compare Powerlifting Federations

How to Choose the Right Powerlifting Federation

With over 200 active powerlifting federations worldwide, choosing where to compete can be overwhelming. The most important decision every lifter faces is whether to compete in a drug-tested or untested organization, followed by equipment rules, weight class structure, and how often meets are held in your area.

Drug Testing: The Primary Dividing Line

Tested federations such as the IPF, USAPL, CPU, and British Powerlifting require athletes to pass urinalysis or polygraph testing and maintain an active whereabouts program for out-of-competition testing. Untested federations such as the USPA, WRPF, RPS, and SPF impose no drug testing requirements. Some organizations, including the USPA, run both tested and untested divisions within the same meet structure.

Drug testing choice also affects record eligibility and pathways to international competition. If representing your country at the World Championships is a goal, you must compete through your national IPF affiliate, which requires passing drug tests. For most recreational and competitive-but-not-elite lifters, the choice often comes down to which organization has the most meets in their region.

Equipment Rules: Raw, Single-Ply, and Multi-Ply

"Raw" powerlifting permits a belt, wrist wraps, and knee sleeves or knee wraps depending on the federation. "Single-ply" adds one layer of a supportive squat suit, bench shirt, or deadlift suit made from polyester or similar fabric. "Multi-ply" allows multiple layers of heavier supportive gear, which can add hundreds of pounds to competition totals compared to raw lifting.

The IPF and all its national affiliates (USAPL, CPU, British Powerlifting, etc.) only sanction Raw and Single-ply equipment. Federations like the USPA, WRPF, RPS, APF, and WPC allow all three categories. If you plan to compete equipped in Multi-ply, your federation options are more limited - the IPF ecosystem is not available.

Weight Classes and Scoring

Weight class structures vary between federations. The IPF and its affiliates moved to a new set of classes in 2011 (59, 66, 74, 83, 93, 105, 120 kg for men), while many non-IPF federations still use the older classes (52, 56, 60, 67.5, 75, 82.5, 90, 100 kg). This matters if you are on the boundary between two classes - a weight that is comfortable in one federation might put you at a disadvantage in another.

Scoring systems also differ. The IPF and USAPL use IPF GL Points for best-lifter awards. Most other major federations, including USPA and RPS, use Wilks. Use the Coefficient Comparison Calculator to see how your total translates across all three major scoring systems.

Meet Frequency and Accessibility

Some federations run meets year-round and in large numbers - the USPA, RPS, and USAPL each host hundreds of local meets annually across the United States. Others, particularly regional or international bodies, may run only a handful of national championship events per year. Use the Meet Finder to search for upcoming meets near you across all federations in our database.

Browse all federations in the federation directory, or use the Percentile Calculator to see where your current numbers rank within any federation.