Section 7: Violations & Penalties
7.1 No-Lift Infractions (Red Light)
- Press-out: The elbows visibly bend and re-extend during the overhead phase (indicates the athlete did not lock out cleanly).
- Incomplete lockout: Arms not fully extended at the finish position.
- Touch-and-go: In the clean & jerk, failing to stand fully between the clean and the jerk phase. The athlete must demonstrate a clear pause at full standing before initiating the jerk.
- Elbow-to-thigh contact: Elbows touching the knees or thighs during the clean recovery phase.
- Dropping behind: Dropping the barbell behind the body plane during or after the snatch.
- Stepping off the platform: Feet touching the floor outside the 4 m x 4 m platform boundary during the lift.
- Lowering the bar: Lowering the barbell below shoulder level before the referee's "down" signal.
- Failure to show control: The athlete is unable to hold the bar motionless in the finish position.
7.2 Procedural Violations
- Exceeding the time limit: declared a no-lift
- Requesting a weight decrease: not permitted; the athlete must take the declared weight or pass the attempt
- Improper attire: belt worn under the singlet, singlet covering elbows/knees, or non-approved equipment results in the athlete being asked to correct before attempting
7.3 Anti-Doping
Weightlifting has historically faced significant doping challenges. The IWF operates under WADA (World Anti-Doping Agency) guidelines and conducts extensive in-competition and out-of-competition testing. All medallists and randomly selected athletes are tested at every IWF event. Adverse findings result in immediate provisional suspension, result annulment, and potential multi-year bans. Nations with multiple doping violations may face reduced Olympic quota places or suspension from competition.