Getting Involved with Scottish Powerlifting

Scottish Powerlifting is a volunteer run organisation, and without the dedication of our amazing members and supporters, we simply couldn’t operate. If you love the sport and want to give back, we would love your help to make competitions happen!

Why Volunteer?

Scottish Powerlifting hosts a full calendar of events each year, in 2025, we ran a record 20 competitions! Each one depends on a strong team of volunteers to ensure the day runs smoothly and safely.
Whether you’re a lifter, coach, friend or spectator, volunteering is a great way to get more involved, learn how competitions are run and be part of and give back to the community. You don’t need to be a member to volunteer, we just ask that you bring your energy and enthusiasm!

Ways to get Involved

There are many important roles that help keep Scottish Powerlifting running efficiently, both on competition days and behind the scenes.

Committee Roles

The day-to-day operations of the federation are handled by our committee, a team of volunteers responsible for organising competitions, maintaining standards and supporting our members.
Committee Positions are filled by volunteers who must be nominated and voted in or appointed in line with the constitution.
If you have skills or experience you feel could be useful to the committee in carrying out their duties or organising competitions, we’d love to hear from you! Please reach out and tell us more about how you’d like to contribute.

Competition Day Roles

Running a powerlifting competition takes a team. Here are the key roles we need for each event:
Platform Crew
Each flight requires a 5-person platform team:
1 Platform Manager
The Platform Manager coordinates the crew and back-spots squats. This role is typically filled by someone with prior experience.
4 Spotters & Loaders
Spotting and Loading requires no previous experience, full training and safety briefing are provided on the day.
Table Team
A two person team manages attempt slips, the software and record-keeping throughout the day. If you’re new to the role, you’ll be paired with an experienced volunteer.
Commentary Team
Usually a team of two, the commentary crew provides live updates and insights during the competition for our livestream viewers.
If you want to learn more about these roles, check out our guides:
Platform Manager | Spotting & Loading | Table Team | Commentary | Livestream Desk Configuration

Referees
If you are passionate about the sport and interested in playing a vital role in maintaining the standards of powerlifting, you can become a referee. You must initially pass the Divisional Referee Exam which you are eligible to sit, once you have been a member of the federation for at least 2 years.
Referees are responsible for ensuring that all lifts are judged fairly and in accordance with IPF technical rules. They are a critical part of competition day and without referees, there are no official lifts.
There are three levels of referees in IPF-affiliated federations:
Divisional Referee
National Referee
IPF International Category 2 & 1 Referee
Members will be notified via email as and when Referee exams are being held.