CRITERIA EXPLAINED
Women’s Class Guidelines
The Classes for Women in the DFAC are Figure, Athletic, Bodybuilding and Bikini.
The information contained within this document provides indicators of judging criteria which pertains to both amateur and professional competition. The information provided is for guidance purposes only and is not considered to be exhaustive or exclusive. DFAC judges will be expected to exercise professional judgement where they consider appropriate in a formalized judging environment.
Bodybuilding
The judging criteria comprises 3 rounds: Symmetry, Muscularity and Evening Performance. The weighting of each individual round with regards to scoring is divided evenly across the 3 rounds.
Round 1 – Symmetry
Competitors will be judged on the overall shape, structure and proportion of their physique. Competitors should display an evenly balanced physique which is aesthetically pleasing and equally proportioned from the front, side and rear. In addition, an even balance between the upper and lower half of the body should be evident. Competitors will be judged through a series of quarter turns, starting in a front relaxed pose facing the judges and moving in a clockwise direction, quarterly, upon the request of the head judge.
Competitors should be judged on muscular mass relative to frame size and as such an athlete should not be penalized for appearing to be of a smaller structure than other competitors.
Note: The level of conditioning displayed by competitors should not form the overriding basis for judgement in the symmetry round. Judges are required to provide their own inference as to how influential a competitor’s level of conditioning is when being judged on symmetry.
Round 2 – Muscularity
Competitors will be judged on the degree of muscle mass relative to frame size displayed on their physique combined with their level of conditioning and muscular fullness. The level of conditioning a competitor displays is of paramount importance in this round. Competitors should display a degree of conditioning sufficient so that their muscularity is clearly evident, defined and can be properly judged. Conditioning should not be to an extreme that it has a detrimental effect on symmetry or muscularity.
The process of judging for this round will be through the 8 mandatory poses: front double biceps, front lat spread, side chest, side triceps, rear double biceps, rear lat spread, abs & thighs and the most muscular pose.
Round 3 – Evening Performance
In the 3rd and final round, competitors will be judged on their evening performance. Competitors will have the opportunity to display their physique for the judges through an individual routine, lasting no more than 90 seconds (60sec for amateurs). Competitors must supply and pose to their own choice of music. Props may be employed by the competitor in order to enhance their performance, but should be subtle and not hide or obscure areas of their physique. There are no poses which are deemed to be compulsory in this round, rather a competitor must aim to showcase the strengths of their physique in order to achieve the highest possible placing.
This round will be judged on how well a competitor showcases their physique and will not be judged purely on the best choice of props, styles of dancing or choice of music. Competitors should keep their routines to a bodybuilding format where possible, with any additional choices of entertainment aimed at complementing the strengths of their physique.
Scoring
Competitors will be individually numbered and scored on a numerically 1 through to 6, with a score of 1 being the highest possible score for any given round. For example, a competitor deemed to be in 1st place in all 3 rounds will end up with a score of 3 ( symmetry – 1, muscularity – 1 and evening performance – 1 = 3) Any competitors out with the top 6 places in any round will automatically be given scores of 7. The scores from all judges are subsequently collated by the head judged upon completion of a class, tabulated and competitors are then awarded their final places.
Figure
The judging criteria comprises 3 rounds: Symmetry, Shape and Tone and Evening Performance. The weighting of each individual round with regards to scoring is divided evenly across the 3 rounds. Round 1 and 2 judged in preliminaries and round 3 judged at the evening performance.
Round 1: Symmetry – Quarter Turns
Round 2: Shape and tone 1 pose to front 1 pose to side and 1 pose to the rear.
Round 3: T walk.
Two-piece suits and high-heeled shoes are used for all rounds.
Round 1 Symmetry – Competitors will be judged on the overall shape, structure and proportion of their physique. Competitors should display an evenly balanced physique which is aesthetically pleasing and equally proportioned from the front, side and rear. In addition, an even balance between the upper and lower half of the body should be evident.
Competitors will be judged through a series of quarter turns, starting in a front relaxed pose facing the judges and moving in a clockwise direction, quarterly, upon the request of the head judge.
Round 2 – Shape and Tone – Competitors should show visible signs of strength training. Relative leanness means a competitor should show definition without striations there should be a roundness to the muscle which accentuates the female form. There should be noticeable abdominal detail. There should be some visible lines in the quadriceps. Very hard condition and striated muscle will be considered wrong for the class. Posing form required is flexible. Poses to the front, rear and side will be asked for they are and the athlete should display poses that accentuate their feminine shape and tone to their best advantage. They should display a V taper.
Round 3 T Walks – Individual Presentations (Evening Only)
The individual presentation portion for Figure is a stage walk. Competitors walk out to music and perform a “T” walk. A T-walk consists of walking out to rear center stage and pausing briefly in a pose of choice.
Competitors than walk up to front center stage and perform a series of quarter turns (it can incorporate poses if the athlete choses, then walk to stage left and pose briefly, then walk to stage right and pose briefly, then walk to the front center of the stage and pose briefly, and finally walk off stage diagonally to the side from which they entered. The walk resembles a “T”, which is how it got its name.
The judges will be looking at the overall presentation of the T walk, they will look at the movement, the muscle tone and the general appearance of the athlete.
Scoring
Competitors will be individually numbered and scored on a numerically 1 through to 6, with a score of 1 being the highest possible score for any given round. For example, a competitor deemed to be in 1st place in all 3 rounds will end up with a score of 3 ( symmetry – 1, muscularity – 1 and evening performance – 1 = 3) Any competitors out with the top 6 places in any round will automatically be given scores of 7. The scores from all judges are subsequently collected by the head judged upon completion of a class, tabulated and competitors are then awarded their final places.
Athletic
The judging criteria comprises 3 rounds: Symmetry, Athletic Muscularity and Evening Performance. The weighting of each individual round with regards to scoring is divided evenly across the 3 rounds. Round 1 and 2 judged in preliminaries and round 3 judged at the evening performance.
Round 1 Symmetry – Quarter Turns
Round 2 Athletic Muscularity
Round 3 Routine
Two-piece suits are used for all rounds. Heels of no more than 3 inches are allowed for rounds 1 & 2, a dance shoe is highly recommended to allow flexibility of the foot during poses in round 2. A dance shoe will be very elegant but functional as it has a flexible sole.
Round 1 Symmetry – Competitors will be judged on the overall shape, structure and proportion of their physique. Competitors should display an evenly balanced physique which is aesthetically pleasing and equally proportioned from the front, side and rear. In addition, an even balance between the upper and lower half of the body should be evident.
Competitors will be judged through a series of quarter turns, starting in a front relaxed pose facing the judges and moving in a clockwise direction, quarterly, upon the request of the head judge.
Round 2 – Athletic Muscularity – Competitors will be judged on Athletic Muscularity. They should be harder in condition than the figure competitors and show very detailed abdominals and strong detailed quads. They will not get marked down for having striations and muscular condition will be a rewarded. They should not be over muscular, heavily muscled athletes will be considered wrong for this class. They look should be athletic with long hard muscle rather than the bigger full muscle bellies of the Ms Physique.
The competitors will be asked to carry out 5 poses.
1 Leg out to the side front bicep pose (open Hands)
2 Straight arm chest pose with leg outstretched to the side.
3 Cross legged rear bicep (open Hands)
4 Side tricep pose with leg stretched out to side
5 Any pose showing abdominal detail and quads
Round 3 – Evening Routine – This will be a routine to music done with bare feet. The routine should display the athletic muscularity, include strong movement and any poses the athletes feels showcases her shape and athletic muscle. It can also include strength moves. Flips and tumbles should not be included. It will be assessed on the presentation of the athlete’s musculature, symmetry and movement on stage.
Scoring
Competitors will be individually numbered and scored on a numerically 1 through to 6, with a score of 1 being the highest possible score for any given round. For example, a competitor deemed to be in 1st place in all 3 rounds will end up with a score of 3 ( symmetry – 1, muscularity – 1 and evening performance – 1 = 3) Any competitors out with the top 6 places in any round will automatically be given scores of 7. The scores from all judges are subsequently collated by the head judged upon completion of a class, tabulated and competitors are then awarded their final places.
Bikini
The judging criteria comprises 3 rounds: Symmetry, Shape and Tone and Evening Performance. The weighting of each individual round with regards to scoring is divided evenly across the 3 rounds. Round 1 and 2 judged in preliminaries and round 3 judged at the evening performance.
Round 1: Symmetry – Quarter Turns
Round 2: Shape and tone 1 pose to front and 1 pose to the rear (HALF TURNS). Competitors may also be asked to walk to the back and front of the stage during this round.
Round 3: T walk.
Two-piece suits and high-heeled shoes are used for all rounds.
Round 1 – Symmetry – Competitors will be judged on the overall shape, structure and proportion of their physique. Competitors should display an evenly balanced physique which is aesthetically pleasing and equally proportioned from the front, side and rear. In addition, an even balance between the upper and lower half of the body should be evident.
Competitors will be judged through a series of quarter turns, starting in a front pose facing the judges and moving in a clockwise direction, quarterly, upon the request of the head judge.
Competitors are encouraged to hold their pose and avoid shifting side to side.
Round 2 – Shape and Tone – Competitors should show visible signs of strength training on a slender build. There should be faint abdominal detail. The muscles should appear tight, but hard or striated muscles would be considered wrong for this class. Posing form required is flexible. Poses to the front and rear will be asked for. The athlete should display poses that accentuate their feminine shape and tone to their best advantage.
Competitors may be asked to walk to the back and front of the stage during this round. At this time the judges are assessing how toned the muscles remain.
Round 3 – T Walks – Individual Presentations (Evening Only)
The individual presentation portion for Biking is a stage walk. Competitors walk out to music and perform a “T” walk. A T-walk consists of walking out to rear center stage and pausing briefly in a pose of choice.
Competitors than walk up to front center stage and perform a series of quarter turns (it can incorporate poses if the athlete choses, then walk to stage left and pose briefly, then walk to stage right and pose briefly, then walk to the front center of the stage and pose briefly, and finally walk off stage diagonally to the side from which they entered. The walk resembles a “T”, which is how it got its name.
The judges will be looking at the overall presentation of the T walk, they will look at the movement, the muscle tone and the general appearance of the athlete.
Scoring
Competitors will be individually numbered and scored on a numerically 1 through to 6, with a score of 1 being the highest possible score for any given round. For example, a competitor deemed to be in 1st place in all 3 rounds will end up with a score of 3 ( symmetry – 1, muscularity – 1 and evening performance – 1 = 3) Any competitors out with the top 6 places in any round will automatically be given scores of 7. The scores from all judges are subsequently collected by the head judged upon completion of a class, tabulated and competitors are then awarded their final places.
Men’s Bodybuilding Guidelines
The following document contains an overview of DFAC judging Criteria for male bodybuilding. The information contained within this document provides indicators of judging criteria which pertains to both amateur and professional competition. The information provided is for guidance purposes only and is not considered to be exhaustive or exclusive. DFAC judges will be expected to exercise professional judgement where they consider appropriate in a formalised judging environment.
DFAC competition will be based around the same judging criteria for both male and female divisions within both amateur and professional competition. This document relates to judging criteria for bodybuilding only.
The DFAC judging criteria comprises the judgement of competitors over 3 rounds : Symmetry, Muscularity and Evening Performance. The weighting of each individual round with regards to scoring is divided evenly across the 3 rounds.
Round 1 – Symmetry
Competitors will be judged on the overall shape, structure and proportion of their physique. Competitors should display an evenly balanced physique which is aesthetically pleasing and equally proportioned from the front, side and rear. In addition, an even balance between the upper and lower half of the body should be evident.
Competitors will be judged through a series of quarter turns, starting in a front relaxed pose facing the judges and moving in a clockwise direction, quarterly, upon the request of the head judge. Competitors should be judged on muscular mass relative to frame size and as such an athlete should not be penalised for appearing to be of a smaller structure than other competitors.
Note : The level of conditioning displayed by competitors should not form the overriding basis for judgement in the symmetry round. Judges are required to provide their own inference as to how influential a competitor’s level of conditioning is when being judged on symmetry.
Round 2 – Muscularity
Competitors will be judged on the degree of muscle mass relative to frame size displayed on their physique combined with their level of conditioning and muscular fullness. The level of conditioning a competitor displays is of paramount importance in this round : competitors should display a degree of conditioning sufficient so that their muscularity is clearly evident, defined and can be properly judged. Conditioning should not be to an extreme that it has a detrimental effect on symmetry or muscularity.
The process of judging for this round will be through the 8 mandatory poses : Front double biceps, front lat spread, side chest, side triceps, rear double biceps, rear lat spread, abs & thighs and the most muscular pose.
Round 3 – Evening Performance
In the 3rd and final round, competitors will be judged on their evening performance. Competitors will have the opportunity to display their physique for the judges through an individual routine, lasting no more than 90 seconds (60sec for amateurs). Competitors must supply and pose to their own choice of music. Props may be employed by the competitor in order to enhance their performance, but should be subtle and not hide or obscure areas of their physique. There are no poses which are deemed to be compulsory in this round, rather a competitor must aim to showcase the strengths of their physique in order to achieve the highest possible placing.
This round will be judged on how well a competitor showcases their physique and will not be judged purely on the best choice of props, styles of dancing or choice of music. Competitors should keep their routines to a bodybuilding format where possible, with any additional choices of entertainment aimed at complementing the strengths of their physique.
Scoring
Competitors will be individually numbered and scored on a numerically 1 through to 6, with a score of 1 being the highest possible score for any given round. For example, a competitor deemed to be in 1st place in all 3 rounds will end up with a score of 3 (symmetry – 1, muscularity – 1 and evening performance – 1 = 3) Any competitors out with the top 6 places in any round will automatically be given scores of 7.
The scores from all judges are subsequently collated by the head judged upon completion of a class, tabulated and competitors are then awarded their final places.
Men’s Athletic Class Guidelines
The men’s classes are: MASTER, OPEN and ATHLETIC. This class, as the title indicates, is looking for competitors to showcase a more athletic look in comparison to that of bodybuilding criteria.Desired Look
The emphasis of this class is to showcase a well proportioned and aesthetic look. Competitors should demonstrate good chest and abdominal development, the back should have width and V taper and legs should be in balance with upper body and show separation in the muscles leg size is not a requirement but evidence of leg training should be apparent.
The athlete should be well conditioned but not necessarily to the degree where muscle striations are evident. An emphasis on symmetry and aesthetics will take priority in the judging of this class rather than size or extreme condition.
The class will be judged on 3 rounds:
Round 1: Symmetry Straight Quarter turns
Round 2 : Athletic Muscularity
5 Compulsory poses. Any form of:
- Front
- Side
- Back
- Side
- and any form of Abdominal pose.
The poses must be a variation of the quarter turn and should not just be duplicate poses.
(Variation on bodybuilding poses, ie single bicep with hand on hip are acceptable.)
Round 3 – T walk
This is to show balance, muscularity and stage presence. Grooming will be considered in this round including hair, tan/skin tone and facial
expression. They will also consider movement and poise and the overall a look of athleticism.
For all rounds hip-length posing pants (shorts) should be worn. (Any shorts covering the hips and gluteus they should show upper leg.) See fig 1 required length.
Round 3 Board Shorts (knee length)
The emphasis is on finding a well presented athletic competitor.
The scores will be awarded on a 1-6 basis with 1 being the highest placed athlete. All others will receive a 7. This is done for every round!
After the 3 rounds the scores will be tallied and the athlete with the least points is the winner.
At each DFAC event providing that there are at least 10 competitors one pro card will be awarded with a Class for these winners being included at the DFAC World Finals in 2014.
There will be no amateur mens Athletic at the World finals so the athletes who do make it to this event will be the best of the best.
Mens Athletic Pros can only win DFAC pro cards at DFAC qualifiers.
All Mens Athletic competitors will need to have a valid DFAC membership.
