Why do weightlifting lifts get red lights?
I · Intermediate · The lifts and winning · 1 of 7A lift is a no lift when the lifter breaks the pattern of the movement or does not finish it. The common reasons are a press-out, a pause on the way up, an elbow touching the thigh in the clean, touching the platform with anything but the feet, and lowering the bar before the signal.
How it works
Faults in any lift:
- pulling from the hang, which means stopping the upward movement of the bar during the pull;
- touching the platform with any part of the body other than the feet;
- a pause during the extension of the arms;
- finishing with a press-out: continuing to extend the arms after reaching the lowest point of the squat or split;
- bending and extending the elbows during the recovery;
- leaving the platform, or touching the area outside it, before the lift is complete;
- releasing the bar from above the shoulders;
- failing to replace the complete barbell on the platform;
- not facing the centre referee at the beginning of the lift;
- lowering the bar before the referees' signal.
In the snatch: a pause during the lifting of the bar.
In the clean: resting the bar on the chest before its final position; touching the thighs or knees with the elbows or upper arms.
In the jerk: an apparent effort to jerk that is not completed; deliberate oscillation of the bar.
At the finish: uneven or incomplete extension of the arms; feet and bar not in line and parallel to the trunk; knees not fully extended.
An unfinished attempt in which the bar has reached the height of the knees counts as a no lift.
Tricky cases
The lifter lifts the bar a few centimetres and puts it down. Has an attempt been used?
No. If the bar does not pass the height of the knees and is returned to the platform, it does not count as an attempt and the clock restarts.
The lifter steps off the platform while holding the bar overhead, then steps back. Is the lift good?
No. Leaving the platform before the complete execution of the lift is a fault.
A lifter cannot fully straighten one arm because of an old injury. Is every lift a no lift?
No. The lifter must report it to the referees and the jury before the competition and remind them before each lift.
The lifter throws the bar down from overhead after the signal. Is that a fault?
Yes. The bar is lowered in front of the body and the grip released only once it has passed below the shoulders.
Why the rule exists
Each fault marks a way of getting a bar overhead that is easier than the lift is meant to be: pressing with the arms what the legs failed to throw, resting the bar halfway, propping the elbows on the knees. The elbow and press-out rules also protect joints under very heavy loads, which is general reasoning and not stated in the rule book.
Where it differs
| Where | What changes | Source |
|---|---|---|
| The rule book read | As above | BWL 2.4.2; BWL 2.5 |
| Touching the bar with a shoe | Before the attempt, a red light. After a good lift, a warning the first time and a no lift if repeated | BWL 2.4.11 |
| Young children in British events | With the 5 kg technique bar, the bar must not be released above knee height | BWL 2.5.1 |
From the rule book
British Weight Lifting Technical and Competition Rules and Regulations (updated 22 July 2026), rules 2.4, 2.5 and 6.6.13. A national rule book that follows the IWF rules. The IWF document itself was not read. Checked 14 October 2026. Official document: BWL Technical and Competition Rules and Regulations 2026 (PDF).