Powerlifting Federations

Powerlifting Federations differentiate between multiple types of powerlifting styles and preferences. If you are new to the sport of powerlifting and would like more information regarding which powerlifting federation is right for you check out the list below.

Glossery of Terms:

Federation - Name of governing body for the specific powerlifting federation
Division - powerlifting federation Divisional requirements.
Bench Shirts - Specialty Powerlifting Gear designed to enable lifters to press more weight.
Lifting Suits - Squat and Deadlift Suits designed to enable lifters to press more weight.
Mono - Refers to the use of a monolift. A monolift picks up weight for the lifter so that they do no have to walk out with the weight on squat or lift the bar out of the rack on the bench press.
Test - Drug Tested.
Plies - Refers to Bench, Squat, and Deadlift suit layers of supportive fabric.
Material - Canvass and Polyester. Denim suits no longer made.

United States Powerlifting Federations

Federation	Division	Bench Shirts		Lifting Suits			Mono	Test
		Plies	Material	Plies	Material	Brief
100% Raw		0	-	0	-	No	No	Yes
AAU	Raw	0	-	0	-	No	No	Yes
	Equip	1	Pol	1	Pol	No	No	Yes
ADAU		0	-	0	-	No	No	Yes
ADFPF	Raw	0(w)	-	0	-	No	No	Yes
	Equip	1	Pol	1	Pol	No	No	Yes
AFPF		UNL	Pol,,Can	UNL	Pol,,Can	Yes	Yes	No
	AAFPF	UNL	Pol,,Can	UNL	Pol,,Can	Yes	Yes	Yes
	AFPF Raw	0(w)	-	0	-	No	Yes	No
	AAFPF Raw	0(w)	-	0	-	No	Yes	Yes
APA	Open	2	Pol,	2	Pol	Yes	Yes	No
	Tested	2	Pol,	2	Pol	Yes	Yes	Yes
	Unl Open	Unl	Pol,,Can	Unl	Pol,Can	Yes	Yes	No
	Unl Test	Unl	Pol,,Can	Unl	Pol,Can	Yes	Yes	Yes
	Raw Open	0(w)	-	0(k)	-	No	Yes	No
	Raw Test	0(w)	-	0(k)	-	No	Yes	Yes
APC		2	Pol,	UNL	Pol,Can	Yes	Yes	No
	Raw	0(w)	-	0(k)	-	No	Yes	No
	UAPC	2	Pol,	2	Pol,Can	Yes	Yes	Yes
APF		UNL	Pol,,Can	UNL	Pol,Can	Yes	Yes	No
	AAPF	UNL	Pol,,Can	UNL	Pol,Can	Yes	Yes	Yes
	APF Raw	0(w)	-	0	-	No	Yes	No
	AAPF Raw	0(w)	-	0	-	No	Yes	Yes
APL	Single	1	Pol,Can	1	Pol,Can	No	No	No
	Multi	UNL	Pol,Can	UNL	Pol,Can	Yes	No	No
	Raw	0(w)	-	0(k)	-	-	No	No
EPF		2	Pol,	UNL	Pol,Can	Yes	No	No
	Raw	0(w)	-	0(k)	-	No	No	No
ESA		0(w)	-	0(k)	-	No	No	No
IBP	Raw	0(w)	-	0(k)	-	No	No	Yes
	Equip	1	Pol	1	Pol	No	No	Yes
IPA	Pro	Unl	Pol,Can	2	Pol,Can	Yes	Yes	No
	Amateur	2	Pol,Can	2	Pol,Can	Yes	Yes	Yes
	Pro-Raw	0(w)	-	0	-	Yes	No	No
	Am-Raw	0(w)	-	0	-	Yes	No	Yes
ISA		2	Pol,Can	2	Pol,Can	Yes	Yes	No
	ISAA	2	Pol,Can	2	Pol,Can	Yes	Yes	Yes
MSA		0(w)	-	0	-	No	No	No
NASA	Equip	1	Pol	1	Pol	Yes	Yes	Yes
	Raw	0(w)	-	0(k)	-	No	Yes	Yes
PPL	Raw	0(w)	-	0(k)	-	No	No	Yes
	Equip	1	Pol,Can	1	Pol,Can	Yes	No	Yes
NOVA		0	-	0	-	-	No	No
PRIDE	Raw	0(w)	-	0(k)	-	-	No	No
	Geared	2	Pol,	2	Pol,Can	Yes	No	No
	Unlimited	Unl	Pol,Can	Unl	Pol,Can	Yes	No	No
PRPA		0(w)	-	0	-	-	No	No
RAW United	Raw	0(w)	-	0(s)	-	-	No	No
	Ironman	0	-	0	-	-	No	Yes
SLP		1	Pol	1	Pol	Yes	No	Yes
SPF	Single	1	Pol,Can	1	Pol,Can	Yes	Yes	No
	Multi	UNL	Pol,Can	UNL	Pol,Can	Yes	Yes	No
	Raw	0(w)	-	0(k)	-	-	Yes	No
SSA	Unlimited	UNL	Pol,Can	UNL	Pol,Can	Yes	Yes	No
	Single	1	Pol,Can	1	Pol,Can	No	Yes	No
	Standard	0(w)	-	0	-	No	Yes	No
UPA	Open	UNL	Pol,Can	UNL	Pol,Can	Yes	Yes	No
	Tested	UNL	Pol,Can	UNL	Pol,Can	Yes	Yes	Yes
	Raw Open	0(w)	-	0(w)	-	No	Yes	No
	Raw Test	0(w)	-	0(w)	-	No	Yes	Yes
USAPL		1	Pol	1	Pol	No	No	Yes
	Raw	0(w)	-	0(s)	-	No	No	Yes
USPF	Single	1	Pol	1	Pol	Yes	No	No*
	Multi	2	Pol,	2	Pol,Can	Yes	Yes	No*
WABDL	Single	1	Pol,	1	Pol	Yes	-	Yes
	Multi	2	Pol,	-	-	-	-	Yes
WCPF	Single	1	Pol,	1	Pol,	No	Yes	No
	Multi	2	Pol,	2	Pol,Can	Yes	Yes	No
	Raw	0(w)	-	0(k)	-	-	Yes	No
WNPF	Raw	0(w)	-	0(k)	-	No	Yes	Yes
	Equip	1	Pol,	1	Pol,	No	Yes	Yes
	Unlimited	3	Pol,	2	Pol,	Yes	Yes	Yes
WNPFLT	Raw	0(w)	-	0(k)	-	No	Yes	Yes
	Equip	1	Pol	1	Pol	No	Yes	Yes

International Powerlifting Federations

Federation	Division	Bench Shirts		Lifting/Squat Suits			Mono	Test
		Plies	Material	Plies	Material	Briefs
GPA		0(w)	-	0(k)	-	-	Yes	No
GPC	Equipped	2	Pol,	UNL	Pol,Can	Yes	Yes	No
	Raw	0(w)	-	0(k)	-	-	Yes	No
IPF		1	Pol	1	Pol	No	No	Yes
WDFPF	Equip	1	Pol	1	Pol	No	No	Yes
	Raw	0 (w)	-	0	-	No	No	Yes
WPA	Open	2	Pol,	2	Pol	Yes	Yes	No
WPC		UNL	Pol,Can	UNL	Pol,Can	Yes	Yes	No
	AWPC	UNL	Pol,Can	UNL	Pol,Can	Yes	Yes	Yes
	WPC Raw	0	-	0	-	No	Yes	No
	AWPC Raw	0	-	0	-	No	Yes	Yes
WPF		1	Pol	1	Pol	Yes	Yes	No
WUAP		2	Pol,	Unl	Pol,Can,	Yes	Yes	Yes

Canada Powerlifting Federations

Federation	Division	Bench Shirts		Lifting/Squat Suits			Mono	Test
		Plies	Material	Plies	Material	Briefs
CDFPA	Equipped	1	Pol,	1	Pol	Yes	No	Yes
	Unequipped	0	-	0	-	No	No	Yes
CPA	Open	2	Pol,	2	Pol	Yes	Yes	No
	Tested	2	Pol,	2	Pol	Yes	Yes	Yes
CPO		3	Pol,	3	Pol,Can	Yes	Yes	No
CPU		1	Pol	1	Pol	No	No	Yes
IPA		2	Pol,	Unl	Pol,Can	Yes	Yes	No

Great Britain / UK Powerlifting Federations

Federation	Division	Bench Shirts		Lifting/Squat Suits			Mono	Test
		Plies	Material	Plies	Material	Briefs
BDFPA	Equipped	1	Pol,	1	Pol	Yes	No	Yes
	Unequipped	0	-	0	-	No	No	Yes
BPC		2	Pol,	UNL	Pol,Can	Yes	Yes	No
BPO		1	Pol	1	Pol	Yes	Yes	No
GBPF		1	Pol	1	Pol	No	No	Yes
GPCGB		2	Pol,	Unl	Pol,Can	Yes	Yes	No

Abbreviations Key:
Pol=Polyester | Can=Canvas
(w) - Wrist wraps allowed.
(k) - Knee wraps allowed.
(s) - Knee sleeves allowed.
* - Some USPF meets are drug tested as determined by the meet director.

Table used from http://www.powerliftingwatch.com

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Powerlifting Federations

United States Powerlifting Federations

International Powerlifting Federations

Canada Powerlifting Federations

Great Britain / UK Powerlifting Federations