Credentials / USA Powerlifting

USA Powerlifting State Referee

certificationverifiedby USA Powerlifting· Compare
Verified: this record was checked against its official source. Last verified 2026-09-03. 7 sources on file.

At a glance

Credential type
certification
Status
active
Target professional
Powerlifting competition referees/officials
Country
unknown
Official page
https://www.usapowerlifting.com/committees/technical-committee
Recertification page
unknown
Categories
Powerlifting, Professional Development

Accreditation

No accreditation on record — status unknown. Absence of a claim is recorded honestly rather than guessed.

Eligibility & examination

Eligibility

Minimum age
18
Education
unknown
Degree required
no
Experience
Involved with USA Powerlifting for at least one year (12 months) as an athlete, coach, meet director, and/or scoring table official
CPR/AED
unknown
Other prerequisites
Current USA Powerlifting member in good standing; approval of state chair to sit for exam; pass open-book written exam (\u226580%) and practical exam (\u226590%); complete SafeSport training and background check (after passing both exams)

To serve as a referee at any event, current USAPL membership, SafeSport completion, and a background check must be on file with the National Office. Certification must be maintained by working required events each four-year cycle.

Examination

Format
Two parts: online open-book, unproctored written exam (multiple choice, taken on candidate's own device via link emailed by state chair) plus an in-person practical exam at a full power meet (40 squats, 30 bench presses, 30 deadlifts = 100 graded attempts judged from the side referee position)
Online exam
yes
Testing center
no
Length
120 minutes
Questions
100
Passing score
Written: at least 80%; Practical: 90% agreement across all 100 graded attempts
Attempts included
unknown
Retake policy
Candidates who fail may retake, but must wait a minimum of 6 weeks; no limit to the number of retakes. Written exam must be passed before the practical. Submitting more than one set of results per attempt is an automatic fail.

Renewal & CEU requirements

4 yr
renewal cycle
Recertification required
yes
CEU unit system
unknown
Ethics requirement
yes
CPR/AED at renewal
no
Deadline rule
Fixed 4-year certification cycle running January 1 – December 31 (e.g., Jan 1, 2022–Dec 31, 2025; new cycle began Jan 1, 2026); compliance for the ended cycle is reviewed each January.

Maintenance is activity-based, not CEU-based: a state referee must serve as a scoring table official, technical controller, or platform referee for a full session at two (2) events during each four-year certification cycle. Prorated for mid-cycle certification (those certified in 2022–2023 needed one event as platform referee/technical controller before Jan 1, 2026; those certified in 2024–2025 were automatically recertified). State referees failing the requirement lose referee status and must restart the entire exam process (written 80%, practical 90%, SafeSport, background check). To serve as a referee at any event one must hold current USA Powerlifting membership plus SafeSport completion and a background check on file with the National Office. Any referee inactive for 4+ years is moved from 'active' to 'inactive' and must petition the Technical Committee in writing (compelling reason plus justification) for reinstatement, subject to Technical Committee recommendation and Presidential approval, possibly at a lower rank or with re-testing.

Pathway

What this credential requires

All of:
  • AgeAt least 18 years old
  • MembershipCurrent USA Powerlifting member in good standing
  • ExperienceAt least 12 months involved in powerlifting as an athlete, coach, meet director, or scoring-table worker
  • OtherState Chair approval to sit for the State Referee examination

Leads to

Credentials that formally require this credential.

Open in Pathways →

Sources (7)

Latest verification activity: initial verification → confirmed (2026-09-07) · reverification → confirmed (2026-09-06) · initial verification → confirmed (2026-09-06) · initial verification → confirmed (2026-09-04) · reverification → confirmed (2026-09-03)

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