BREAKING: 2024 CrossFit Games Rulebook Released, Here’s What You Need to Know
The 2024 CrossFit Games rulebook has dropped. We’ve broken down some of the changes for the upcoming season and what you need to know heading into the new year.
One big thing: Before delving into any specific changes to the season’s policies and rules, it’s important to note that the cover refers to the Games as the “2024 CrossFit Games,” not the “2024 NOBULL CrossFit Games.” In previous years, the title sponsor was listed on the cover of the rulebook.
Remind me: The release of the rulebook this year is considerably later than last but in line with other years (making the 2023 season the anomaly).
Here’s a list of when CrossFit HQ has dropped its rulebook in recent history:
- 2024 Season: December 21, 2023
- 2023 Season: November 15, 2022
- 2022 Season: December 28, 2021
- 2021 Season: January 7, 2021
- 2020 Season: August 28, 2019*
*The Open took place in October in 2020
- 2019 Season: January 7, 2019
Some details: As expected, the general season format for elite individuals and teams will remain mostly the same, with slight and some more significant changes outlined below.
- The Open will take place over three weeks
- Workout 24.1: February 29-March 3
- Workout 24.2: March 7-March 11
- Workout 24.3: March 14-March 18
- Quarterfinals will take place in two different competition blocks
- Team Quarterfinal: April 3-8
- Individual Quarterfinal: April 17-22
- Age Group Quarterfinal: April 17-22
- Semifinals (7 in total, the same as last year) will take place across three weeks
- Week 1 (Europe and Asia): May 17-19
- Week 2 (Oceania and North America West): May 24-26
- Week 3 (North America East, South America, and Africa): May 31-June 2
What’s changed?: As with every iteration of the CrossFit Games, there are both minor and significant changes to this season’s rules.
Some of the changes are related to larger shifts in the season structure (moving the age groups to their respective season-ending events and shifting the adaptive divisions to WheelWOD), while others are responses to events and developments that occurred last season.
The following list is not comprehensive of all the changes in the rulebook this year but highlights some of the most significant.
Format Changes (related to events and season structures)
- 1.09 Open Registration – Region Selection – Uncommon Situations and Petitions for Exemptions
- Removes the stipulation that “extreme financial hardship” can be used as a factor in determining a region selection exemption.
- Adds a stipulation that athletes are required to apply annually to maintain their eligibility to compete in a region outside their country of citizenship.
- 2.06 Quarterfinals – Event Format
- The event windows were updated to this year’s calendar and season format.
- 3.01 Semifinals – Individuals and Teams
- Last year, CrossFit operated three of the seven Semifinal competitions. This year, outside directors will organize and run all Semifinal events, but CrossFit will program, manage the scoring, and issue the invitations for all seven.
- 3.02 Semifinals Invitation Process – Eligible Individuals and Teams
- Last year, the numbers of competitors at Semifinals varied. This year, there is a set number per event across the board.
- Each Semifinal will host 40 men, 40 women, and 30 teams.
- 3.12 Semifinals – Individuals and Teams – Advancement
- The number of teams qualifying out of each region to the Games has been updated for this season.
- Importantly, the rule also notes that the total number of qualifying positions at each Semifinal will be announced before on-site registration at the first Semifinal.
- 5.03 Games Registration Process – Teams
- At the Games last year, just after checking in on-site, a member of Team CrossFit Believe was injured and could not compete, but because the team had checked in, they could not use an alternate.
- To keep this from happening again in the future, CrossFit added this section: “Teams may substitute any athlete on their competition roster up to the point of athlete check-in prior to the first official team brief. Once the team is checked in for the first brief, no further substitutions will be allowed throughout the remainder of the competition.”
- 5.04 Games Registration Process – Age Group Athletes
- With the introduction of a separate Age Group finals this year, separate from the CrossFit Games, athletes who qualify across multiple divisions (Age Group and Individual or Team) may compete in both finals.
- 6.01 Adaptive Athletes
- The adaptive season will be administered by WheelWOD, who will also be publishing their own rulebook. The adaptive season will begin on February 29, with an online Open running concurrently with the CrossFit Games Open. From there, athletes will advance to an online semifinal stage, and from there, they will move on to the Adaptive CrossFit Games, which will be held live. No dates or locations are given at this point in time.
Judging Changes (related to video submission and other scoring issues)
- 1.22 Open Workouts – Video Submissions – Scoring Protocol
- New in this rulebook, when a “Major Penalty” is applied to an athlete’s video, their score can be deducted 15% to 40% from the total rep count (with an equivalent time penalty in a timed workout).
- Previously, a major penalty could only result in a 15% penalty.
- 2.07 Quarterfinals – Scoring Format
- An athlete competing in both the Individual and Age Group Quarterfinals only needs to register and complete the workouts once and their scores will appear on both leaderboards.
- 2.08 Quarterfinals – Video Review
- There are some additions to this rule relating to video submissions. Athletes will be required to submit videos for all workouts, and CrossFit will select one workout to review at the close of the competition. If more review is required, CrossFit may review another workout.
- 2.09 Quarterfinals – Leaderboard Finalization
- Lists the dates when the Quarterfinals leaderboard will be set.
- The Team leaderboard will be set no later than April 15, 2024.
- The Individual leaderboard will be set no later than April 29, 2024.
- The Age Group leaderboard will be set no later than May 1, 2024.
- Lists the dates when the Quarterfinals leaderboard will be set.
- 3.03 Semifinals Invitation Process – Individual Invitations and Registration
- This adjustment from last year adds a lock date for Semifinal rosters when the backfill process ends.
- Athletes must accept their Semifinal invitations by May 3 or forfeit their spot at the competition. CrossFit will make an attempt to fill the Semifinal roster by backfilling; however, on May 10, the rosters will be locked and backfilling beyond that point will not be permitted.
- 3.04 Semifinals Invitation Process – Team Invitations and Roster Declaration
- Applies the same process and roster lock date for the teams as the individuals outlined in the rule above.
- 3.08 Semifinals – Individuals and Teams – Scoring
- The following paragraph was added to this rule, likely as a response to the medical withdrawals at North America East in 2023:
- “If there is no minimum work requirement for a test, athletes are expected to continue attempting to complete each test for the duration of their heat. This means they are actively attempting to complete the specific movements of the test as it is written until the time cap expires. Athletes who are unwilling or unable due to injury to continue attempting to complete each test within the time cap may be removed from competition. This does not apply to athletes who have reached failure and are taking extended recovery time in an attempt to finish.”
- The following paragraph was added to this rule, likely as a response to the medical withdrawals at North America East in 2023:
- 3.09 Semifinals – Individuals and Teams – Appeals
- There are several changes to the appeals process in competition, including the creation of an “Appeals Manager” role. Here’s a description:
- “Athletes are welcome to bring all concerns to the Appeals Manager, who will help them determine if a situation is up for appeal. It is likely that judgment calls made during an event are final and not negotiable or subject to change, modification, or appeal. In addition, athletes may not protest discrepancies related to the judging, scoring, or performance of another athlete or team.”
- There are several changes to the appeals process in competition, including the creation of an “Appeals Manager” role. Here’s a description:
- 3.10 Semifinals Individuals and Teams – Appeals Process
- New to the rulebook are guidelines for an appeals process regarding competing individuals and teams at Semifinals.
- The competing athlete or team captain will request an Appeal Form from an Appeals Manager, which they will be able to fill out and turn in. The Head Judge will review the submitted form and complete a “fact-finding process.” When a decision has been reached, the athlete will be notified.
- No media is allowed to be present and the Head Judge’s and Semifinals organizer’s decisions are final.
- 3.11 Semifinals – Individuals and Teams – Injury Policy
- New this year is a clear injury policy for individual athletes as well as teams at the Semifinal stage, bringing it in line with the Games.
- If an individual cannot finish a test due to injury or seeks medical attention following a test, they must receive clearance in order to continue on in the competition. Individuals or teams who miss their heat due to injury will be disqualified. If a team cannot take the field with a full roster, they will be disqualified.
- 5.11 Games – Appeals
- Like last year, athletes are able to file up to two appeals based on certain events or actions. New this year is the addition of an Appeals Manager, who will serve as a liaison between the athlete or team captain and the head judge.
- 5.12 Games – Appeals Process
- This adjustment updates the Games appeals process to include the Appeals Manager.
- 7.01 Equipment – General
- This sentence was added: “Gymnastics grips may only be used during movements where the athlete is hanging from a pull-up bar or gymnastics rings.”
- 7.03 Live Competition – Specific Attire Requirements
- These two bullet points were added:
- “When the gymnastics grip is fastened to the wrist and fully extended, the length of the grip may not exceed the athlete’s fingertips.”
- “Gymnastics grips may only be used during movements where the athlete is hanging from a pull-up bar or gymnastics rings.”
- These two bullet points were added:
Appendix D is Important
With a good portion of the Games season occurring virtually, CrossFit has added a set of “Virtual Competition Guidelines.” These guidelines include:
- Setup Consideration: An outline of how athletes are to set up their workout spaces to provide adequate space for movement.
- Video Submission Requirements: An outline of any video submission violations that will result in a score of 0.
- Penalties: CrossFit has included a detailed section outlining possible athlete errors and the penalties that will result, including both major and minor penalties.
- Video Submission Best Practices: An outline of best practices for athletes when considering their camera setups for video submissions.
- Weight Conversions: An outline of standard weight conversions from pounds to kilograms to be used for all online competitions. It was also noted that the list was not exhaustive and that if a weight was not listed below and appeared in the online competition format, CrossFit would include it in the movement standards.
Dates and Deadlines
All Divisions
- February 29–March 18, 2024: CrossFit Open
- August 8–11, 2024: CrossFit Games in Fort Worth, Texas
- Prize money for all divisions will be released once the drug testing process has been finalized.
Individuals
- February 1: Deadline to submit a regional exemption for the duration of the season
- Decisions will be communicated by February 22
- April 17: Individual Quarterfinals (Registration begins April 1)
- April 29: Individual Quarterfinals Leaderboard finalized
- May 1: Invitations sent for Individual Semifinals
- May 3: Deadline for Individuals to accept Semifinal invitation
- May 10: Semifinals roster will be locked
- Semifinals will take place over three consecutive weekends:
- May 17–19
- May 24–26
- May 31–June 2
Teams
- April 3: Team Quarterfinals (Registration begins April 1)
- Competition rosters are locked at this point for the remainder of the season.
- April 3: Team leaderboard will be set
- April 18: All Team Semifinal invitations will be emailed
- April 25: Deadline for Teams to accept Semifinal invitation
- May 10: Semifinals roster will be locked
- Teams will compete at the same Semifinal events as Individuals.
Age Groups
- April 1: Age Group Quarterfinals registration begins
- April 17-22: Age Group Quarterfinals
- May 1: Age Group Quarterfinals leaderboard finalized
- May 2: Age Group Semifinal invitations will start to be sent
- Athletes must accept their invitation prior to the close of the first submission window.
- May 8–13: Age Group Semifinals