Making Sense of the CrossFit Team Semifinals FAQs

At noon Pacific Time today the In-Affiliate Semifinals for teams officially began*. With the official start, CrossFit published a list FAQs (aka Frequently Asked Questions) they received since the workouts were released on Monday. The FAQs range from workout-specific topics to judging to general competitions questions.

After reading through the questions and answers, there are a few that leave me a bit…perplexed.

Let’s walk through some of the questions and you’ll start to understand.

Q: Do both rower monitors need to be shown?

A: There is no video requirement for Team Semifinals.

Uh…what? What do you mean there is no video requirement for Team Semifinals?

A look at the 2025 CrossFit Games rulebook expands on this question. In Section 2.07, the rulebook reads, “Individual and Age-Group divisions will be REQUIRED to submit videos of ALL workout performances at the time they submit a score.”

You will notice only individuals and age group athletes are required to submit videos when they submit scores.

Teams are a bit different. The same section of the rulebook states, “While not required at score submission, upon request, any team with a qualifying score on any Semifinal workout may be required to provide video of their performance. It is recommended teams aspiring to advance to the CrossFit Games video their performances in case they are requested.”

Going back to the question, it’s not really true that there is no video requirement for teams. Any team that wants to qualify for the CrossFit Games must still capture all their workouts on video, just in case.

The answer is too brief and is meant to say that you don’t have to submit your video when you submit your score.

To me I don’t understand why teams are the only group to not require a video at the time of score submission. Why are they different?

Q: Can athletes use an air runner during the workout?

A: NO. Air runners are not allowed.

Part of me understands. Part of me doesn’t.

Q: Can the team complete this workout at a track?

A: YES. The judges and team will need to measure the track for distance. If the team is in a qualifying position, they must provide proof of measurement as outlined in scorecard documents and this FAQ. All other workouts for this competition must be completed at an affiliate in good standing.

How many tracks have a rig, let along with rings? 

Q: What is required for video of the run measurement?

First, if you’re not really gunning for a spot at the CrossFit Games I guess you can ignore this requirement. 

Second, this seems like a lot of work to “verify” your run course when there is no requirement (or ability) to provide video evidence that the athletes actually completed said 800-meter course during the workout.

Rich Froning and crew addressed this same topic on today’s podcast.

During the middle of the show, Rory McKernan was able to get Adrian Bozman on the phone to discuss the outdoor run. Bozman addressed the topic and said that running needed to be part of a qualifying stage to the CrossFit Games. No one disagreed.

Then he said, “Is it possible that people could cheat in competition? Yes. Do we expect that there’s some integrity left in the community? Yes. Do we expect that with a minimum of six people having to coordinate a lie that it’s going to mitigate some of that? Yeah.”

Here’s the problem that I have with that. I do believe that there are plenty of teams that will do the right thing. However, it is very clear that there are plenty who skirt the rules, intentionally or not.

With only the top 20 teams in the world advancing to the CrossFit Games there is very little room for error. Let’s take CrossFit Mayhem for example. Most, if not all, would expect Angelo Dicicco’s team to advance to the Games.

What if they receive a minor penalty on Workout 3, taking them down from, let’s say, 6th worldwide to 21st. But what if Workout 4 (the outdoor run workout) is their worst performance and there are teams who cheated ahead of them. Those teams, however, aren’t in contention to qualify for the CrossFit Games so there is no video validation (or even a way to validate their run).

Keeping with this example, there is a high probability that if you were able to remove those teams who cheat (or not give them such an easy way to cheat) that CrossFit Mayhem ends up finishing 20th instead and is now going to Albany, New York.

Maybe this plays out and it’s a non-issue. My gut says there will be some weird anomalies on the scores for this one. 

Q: What is the judging requirement during the run?

A: The judge MUST be able to see the turnaround of the run to ensure the athletes have completed the distance. If the judge can view the turnaround from the rig or starting line, they may stay by the rig or starting line. If the judge cannot view the turnaround from the rig or starting line, they will need to travel to a point where they can verify the turnaround while the run takes place.

This is nonsense. If we are trusting the athletes and the entire affiliate team to do the right thing, requiring the judge to “see” the turnaround point is absurd. It won’t prevent cheating.

Let’s face it. If the athletes are going to cheat, the judges who they are using are going to go with it.

Q: Can athletes use other loads besides the ones listed in the rules?

A: NO. Athletes must use the loads listed in the rules.

This is for Workout 5, the Team Front Squat Total. The score is the sum of all 12 lifts (4 athletes x 3 lifts each).

Read the answer above again. Athletes can only lift a weight that is shown on the Loading Table below. Want to front squat 315 pounds…nope. It has to be 305 or 325 pounds.

What if an athlete wants to front squat 445 pounds? Nope. The most an athlete can lift is 425 pounds.

It’s insane. It’s a max lift workout, yet CrossFit is limiting athletes to a set weight.

Imagine a ‘for time’ workout with a 10-minute time cap and CrossFit says as long as you finish under the time cap, you all tie regardless of whether your time was 8:01 or 9:59. No one would ever say that.

Q: Are videos required at the time of submission?

A: NO. Videos are not required for Team Semifinals. Teams hoping to qualify for the CrossFit Games MUST have photo and video evidence of their run course from Workout 4 available on request.

I already touched on this, but it still makes no sense. Why wouldn’t you require videos to be submitted when the scores are submitted.

If you don’t want the public review process, fine. But just require videos to be public.

Q: Will there be a password sent?

A: NO.

So teams could have done the workouts on Monday? Again, I’m so confused. 

Q: How many judges are needed?

A: For Workouts 1, 2, and 3, athletes will need a Head Judge and two Floor Judges. For Workouts 4 and 5, athletes will need a Head Judge and one Floor Judge.

If you thought finding two people with their L1, 2025 judges course and advanced judges course was difficult, now you need THREE for three of the team workouts.

On top of that, how many affiliate teams have the owner on the team? In those situations finding someone else with the L1 is likely very difficult, especially for a small affiliate.

That’s all I got. Between the 800-meter trust run, no video requirements and the front squat loading table, I’m a bit confused as to what’s going on with the Team Semifinals.

I hope I’m just overreacting and everything comes out fine. But if it doesn’t, please refer back to my skepticism.