Click here to apply


Criteria for being eligible to sit a Category 2 International Referee Exam, from the IPF Rulebook:

  • A national referee of at least two years standing, having officiated in the position as a referee with a minimum of two National Powerlifting Championships within this period.

Additional considerations for the NZPF:

  • Experience as a National Referee 

  • Competence as a National Referee

  • Demonstrated willingness and availability to referee and contribute to our sport at the local and national level

  • Availability to referee at future International meets (as per IPF Rulebook for Cat 1 refs)

  • Knowledge of english (as per IPF Rulebook for Cat 1 refs)

When the NZPF has the opportunity to nominate candidates to sit their Category 2 International Referee exams at an upcoming international meet, the following procedure will apply:

  1. Candidates apply through a form on the NZPF website

  2. If they fulfill the above criteria, they are nominated by the NZPF to the Chairman of the Technical Committee and Referee Registrar to sit their exams, at least three months before the start of the meet. 

In the case that we have more eligible candidates than there are opportunities to sit their exams, the following procedure will apply:

  1. Candidates apply through a form on the NZPF website

  2. A Selection Committee is formed, made up of the current RDOs (excluding any who are candidates for selection) and NEC members, to make a total of three. 

  3. The selection committee chooses and ranks the candidates according to the above criteria.

  4. The selection committee determines from the Meet Organizers and the Chairman of the Technical Committee and Referee Registrar how many exam slots are available, and nominates that number of referees from among the candidates, at least three months before the start of the meet. 

***How many candidates will have the opportunity to sit the exam will depend upon the availability of exam timeslots and Category 1 referees to supervise. This is at the discretion of the meet organizers and the Chairman of the Technical Committee and Referee Registrar.