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        The lifter positions him/her self under the barbell which is supported by racks.  After the lifter positions the barbell behind the head and shoulders and supports it on the upper back muscles, the lifter backs out of the racks and waits for the head judge to command "squat".  The head judge does not give this command until the lifter is set (feet set, body upright, barbell and body in stable control).  Before the "squat" command, the lifter should look at or nod to the head judge to acknowledge readiness.  In conjunction with the verbal command "squat," the head judge will also perform a hand/arm gesture in a downward motion to also signal the squat command.

        The lifter lowers the barbell by remaining upright at the upper body but bends at the knees until the center of the hip joint is as low or lower than the knee joint.  The minimum depth of the squat is that the hip joint is at least parallel to the knee joint.

        After squatting to proper depth, the lifter must return to the upright starting position.  When this position is reached, the head judge will command "rack," and with the help of spotters, the barbell will be returned to the racks.  For a successful lift, a lifter needs a minimum of two of the three judges to "white light" the lift.  A white light indicates a good lift, while a "red" light indicates an unsuccessful lift.

    -Failure for Squat-

    • Failure to go deep enough (parallel or beyond)

    • Foot movement between commands

    • Foot movement during the squat movement

    • Squatting or racking before the command

    • Failure to return to the upright position

    • Bouncing (up or down) during the squat movement