Rules and Regulations

AFFILIATE MEMBER:
ICN may sanction events although not conducted by or part of the ICN calendar. Affiliate Members are bound by ICN rules and doping policy from the date they join and terminate when event placings are Official - after the return of the drug test results and finalised placings. A positive drug test by an Affiliate Member at a sanctioned event will have all penalties outlined in the current ICN Doping Policy applied.

CANCELLATIONS:
A division may be amalgamated (Dropped) with another if less than three competitors register.

DRESS CODE:
Category outfits are given for certain categories such as Men’s Fitness Model, Men’s Muscle Model, Men’s Classic Physique & Miss Sports Model. For categories not listed above, there is no such restriction on colour or design based on your category and you must bring your own.

ENTRIES:
You are required to enter the event BEFORE the event day via the iCompete Athlete Portal. No entries are accepted on the day of EVENT, unless they are of very special circumstances deemed by the Country President. This policy is necessary because iCompete Natural (ICN) gives each entrant a competitor/achievement medal along with competitor packs. Furthermore, the appropriate drug testing has to be planned, competitor details entered into the computer scoring program and we like to have all competitor names and details printed in the contest program before contest day to ensure efficiency of the event.

ENTRY FORM:
An ICN Entry Form constitutes an Application to compete. The entry form is completed online, at the ICN Portal (www.icompetenatural.com) ICN reserve the right to refuse or withdraw any Application at their discretion and at any time, prior to the athlete competing.

ELIGIBILITY:
Athletes must be drug free for a minimum of 5 years. It is the athlete’s responsibility to know which substances are banned. This information can be found on the official WADA website. In addition, there may be certain qualifiers set by State presidents to compete in the National titles. Athletes/members must be an Indian citizen or have a working residency visa for India to take part in the National shows. International shows have different eligibility criteria. Only Indian citizens or Aliens (Non-Indian persons) who have lived in India for the past five years can win and receive the title of ICN Mr/Ms India and represent India. If a non-Indian citizen possessing the work/residency visa required to compete does win the Indian championship, they will be given the Overall Indian Title and the runner up will be awarded the Mr/Ms India title and represent India.

FEEDBACK:
Feedback can be given once the competitor sends 4-6 pictures of their stage photos, name, competitor number and categories/divisions. This should be emailed to icnindia@icompetenatural.com

HIGHLIGHTS:
At most events there will be professional photographers taking pictures that you can purchase. Based on the ICN India contest, a film crew may also be present.

INTERNATIONAL:
All members of ICN are eligible to compete in ICN International contests. Most International events require a Top 5 placing in your division in any Indian domestic event and then participation at either of the two. Special consideration can be given to athletes wanting to compete internationally through email: icnindia@icompetenatural.com

INVITATION:
To receive an ICN Invitation to compete at the ICN INDIA National titles, the competitor must satisfy two criteria. Invitations are rarely granted:
i) The competitor must be of National standard.
ii) Have a reason why the competitor is unable to compete and qualify as per the normal standards.

It is considered that if a competitor avoids competing in order to qualify, they have an unfair advantage - they only have to peak once. Reasons accepted in the past, include they were needed to act in an official capacity - i.e. a judge, or they were competing elsewhere on the same day.

DT (Drug Test) Cost:
By participating in ICN INDIA events, the competitor acknowledges and agrees that they are drug free and agree to the terms that if they fail a drug test, they are subject to paying for the test and retest in full. If the competitor passes the drug test, ICN pays the cost.

JUDGING:
Every event will have an odd number of judges, the head judge is known as the ‘Chairman of Judges’. Judging is subjective based on the guidelines and personal preferences of the judges. Judging can vary from location to location and over time according to the prevailing popularity of certain looks and trends. Judging is executed based on the competitors on stage. The Chairman of Judges can ask any competitor to do any reasonable action, whether it’s a regulation pose or not, so that the panel of judges can see the bodies better in an effort to adjudicate more fairly. Athletes should be cognizant of the fact that they may be requested to perform walking, standing and posing that they may not have practiced.

MEMBERSHIP:
You must join as a Premium Member to compete in ICN Events.

  • Join between January 1 and June 30 your membership is renewable on December 31
  • Join between July 1 and December 31 your membership is renewable on June 30 the following year

MEMBERSHIP REFUNDS:
Membership refunds are rarely given and only apply to those people who have not competed yet. Once you compete there is no refund. We can only consider a refund if you join and cancel before competing minus a $35 AUD administration fee. You must make a written application to ron.ziemiecki@icompetenatural.com stating the reasons why you should get a refund, reasons such as you changed your mind, didn't know something, something came up, will not be considered. The refund clause is only for genuine medical hardships that can be documented.

MISCONDUCT:
Misconduct by an ICN competitor at an event will attract point deductions on their score. Misconduct by any ICN member, at any time, may incur a suspension from competing. Misconduct can also cover drug testing as ICN considers cheating by natural competitors as blatant Misconduct. Hence in addition to any penalty imposed under the ICN Anti-Doping Policy, the ICN may impose a second sanction under Misconduct. If a competitor fails to a request to supply a sample for testing, fails on more than one substance, fails for taking a substance that ICN consider a known bodybuilding drug, or fails for taking an anabolic substance, the ICN can impose a second sanction - which is usually a LIFE ban.

MUSCLE IMPLANTS:
Athletes with muscle implants/injections are not eligible to compete at any ICN event.

NOVICE:
‘Novice’ class refers to competitors who are still gaining experience and are not ready to compete in the OPEN class of your chosen category.

NO SHOW:
Competitors who fail to complete an event by not appearing on stage for the Trophy Presentation will be considered a "No-Show" and given last place. ICN deems a competitor, who does not, or can not make the Finals for the announcement of placings, has not completed the event. Circumstances within or outside the control of a competitor may prevent them from making the Presentation. However, until the scores and placings have been announced a competitor is still subject to the rules of competition requiring athletes to complete the event. "Bad-luck" is part of sport. ICN cannot change bad-luck. Like a competitor who falls sick the night before the event, will not be compensated by the promoters delaying the event until the following weekend, if a competitor fails to make the Trophy Presentation due to illness, accident or circumstances outside their control, ICN cannot change the unfairness or bad-luck.

ON STAGE:
It is the competitor’s responsibility to be ready and, in their category/division line up before going on stage. Once judging has begun in any category/division, and if by chance you have missed it, you will not be allowed to enterthe stage and perform. The responsibility is yours to know when you are meant to be ready to go on stage and to be in the line-up. No excuse will be accepted, no refund for the division fees will be given. In this scenario, you will still receive a Competitor/Achievement medal.

PRIZES:
ICN focuses on offering great prizes to competitors. Prizes vary from gadgets, photoshoots, vouchers and supplement bundles to cash prizes at certain events. Generally, Cash prizes are reserved for ICN PRO athletes. However, certain ICN INDIA shows may offer cash prizes for winners.

PROOF OF AGE:
Those competing in the Teenage, Junior or Senior division may be required to show provide proof of age; drivers license or birth certificate. The minimum age for all athlete competitors, all divisions is 15 years as at January 1st. This excludes the ICN Kids divisions which have a different registration process.

QUALIFICATION:
ICN India has a qualification system in place designed to make sure that competitors meet the required development for any specific event. For those events that have qualification criteria, the qualification is that a member has placed in the top 5 in any ICN domestic competition in the previous 12 months prior to the competition in question.

REFUSAL:
Members can refuse to participate in a drug test on the contest day or with the RDTP and incur no cost. However, drug testing is the cornerstone behind Natural Bodybuilding, and as such a refusal is considered gross Misconduct by an ICN Member and the Member will be subject to a life time ban.

RESIGNATION:
Members who do not intend to compete again should notify ICN of their decision in writing. This will remove their name from the Members list along with the Random Drug testing program list.

REPRESENT INDIA:
ICN India offers 'Provisional Qualification' for our competitors to enter International Events.

Top 5 in every division at every ICN domestic show in the previous 12 months (from date of the International contest) provisionally qualify for International Competition. The provision is you must compete in at least one ICN INDIA show before the international contest. ICN India wishes to open the opportunity to be part of Team India to as many competitors as possible. By providing “early (provisional) qualification” allows competitors to save and plan for what may be a trip of a life-time. ICN understands that many people need to apply for annual leave many months prior and also to take advantage of using airline Frequent Flyer programs, early bookings are required.

All ICN India members wishing to compete Internationally must send an e-mail to icnindia@icompetenatural.com stating your intention to compete, you will then be contacted privately and given instructions on how to proceed.

SCHEDULED DIVISIONS:
The President/promoters of any event have the right to alter the conditions without notice. The schedule of events that may be publicised are only an estimate, neither the order of divisions or the approximate times are guaranteed, they are only a guide. The judging interpretation of divisions is subjective and under the control of the Chairman of Judges, neither the promoters or sanctioning body can be held responsible for the subjective opinion of the judging panel. All results are final except in the case of disqualification due to a breach of the banned substance code.

SIGNS OF DRUG USE:
A Competitor who displays any sign of using drugs (i.e. Gynecomastia – swelling of male chest area where the male chest becomes like female breasts) is encouraged not to compete until they have rectified the problem. This is regardless whether they are drug free or not. The credibility of the Natural athlete and the competitor themselves is undermined when the audience see what they believe is the result of drug use on stage in a natural contest. The judges will be notified to treat any sign of drug use as a substantial fault and mark the competitor down. Judges have the rights to ask for an athlete to be drug tested if they suspect drug usage.

TROPHIES:
All competitors receive either a trophy or medal. If a competitor returns a positive drug test, the trophy/medal must be returned to ICN.

iCompete Natural Anti-Doping Policy

INTRODUCTION

The ICN guidelines for natural bodybuilding, sports & fitness modelling and transformation events, this document also known as INADP, is updated from time to time and published on the HQ official ICN website at http://www.icompeteaustralia.com.au/ this policy document will be dated and stands as the official position of the ICN.

All affiliated ICN associations, federations and national bodies must agree to the INADP notwithstanding that their own sovereign governments anti-doping policies will supersede the INADP.

The ICN has the sole right to impose sanctions on any member who is found to be in contravention of the INADP. It is a necessary requirement by all ICN members to read, understand and agree to the ‘Participation Agreement & Drug-Free Acknowledgement’ prior to registering for any event on the ICN Members Portal, which is the exclusive method of entering ICN events.

Participation Agreement & Drug-Free Acknowledgement

  1. I consent to the use of any photographs, video recording or other images taken or recorded at this event by iCompete Natural or its nominees, in any magazine, broadcast transmission or any other printed or electronic media for the purposes of promoting this or future events, iCompete Natural or nominees or their sponsors.
  2. I fully understand a condition of entering this contest was I have not taken any banned substance for five (5) years prior to this competition. Further, I agree to provide a urine or blood sample for analysis for detection of substances prohibited on the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) list of Doping Classes and Methods and maintained by iCompete Natural (ICN).
  3. I realize it is each Athlete's personal duty to ensure that no Prohibited Substance enters his or her body. Athletes are responsible for any Prohibited Substance or its Metabolites or Markers found to be present in their bodily Specimens. Accordingly, it is not necessary that intent, fault, negligence or knowing Use on the Athlete's part be demonstrated to establish an anti-doping violation has occurred.
  4. If I produce a positive test result to a prohibited substance, within 7 days I can elect to pay for B sample to verify the result. If I elect not to challenge the result of the A sample, or not reply within 7 days, I am acknowledging the result of a positive test and iCompete Natural will impose a sanction according to WADA guidelines.
  5. I will reimburse all the costs of my testing and all resulting consequences, including forfeiture of any placing, titles, financial benefits and return trophies and prizes within 7 days of such notification to do so.
  6. Decisions of iCompete Natural shall be final and enforceable, and that I will not bring any claim, arbitration, lawsuit or litigation in any other court or tribunal.

This INADP does not include ICN rules and regulations pertaining to eligibility, judging etc. Please visit the rules and regulations tab here (hyperlink to rules and regulations tab). this policy is exclusive to anti-doping, as such every effort has been taken in compiling the policy, it’s enforcement and the education of our members.

 

ICN DRUG SANCTIONS

We follow the WADA penalties. A one substance positive is 2 years. A multi substance positive is 4 years. The second positive test has these sanctions doubled and the third time is a life ban.

Under this Anti-Doping Policy, ICN are strictly following the WADA sanctions and consequences for those who disregard our drug-free rules and disrespect our natural competitors and organization. Cheating in ICN events is a serious offence and harsh penalties are necessary to work as a deterrent. Over and above the disqualification and ban applied under this anti-doping policy ICN may publish the athlete's name, photograph and drug-test results on ICN websites, groups and portals.

This anti-doping policy seeks to preserve what is intrinsically valuable about sport. Anti-Doping guidelines, like Competition rules, are sport rules governing the conditions under which sport is played. Athletes accept these rules as a condition of participation.

The purpose of this policy to clearly outline the conditions and responsibilities of an ICN Member in relation to this INADP. We define what is considered a drug violation, how the drug policy and testing process functions and what to do if your health requires your doctor to prescribe a banned drug (for a legitimate medical reason).

The cornerstone behind the success of the ICN has been the resilience of our competitor's ethics. Our competitors chose the ICN because they value the concept of 'fair play', refuse to take drugs, have an awareness of the harmful effects of drug use and support the ICN INADP.

Since our first contest in 1991, ICN has contracted the accredited WADA (and formerly IOC) drug testing body, in Australia until 2017 when ICN became an International Sports Association and now contracts with various WADA agencies and accredited laboratories worldwide. Our first 25-year history with ASADA, an independent government agency, demonstrates our serious intent and endeavour to keep Natural Bodybuilding and Sports Modelling and Transformations drug-free and use the highest world standard available in drug detection.

ICN enforces drug testing on the day of the contest as well as between contests. Drug testing at the event and who is tested, is usually under the control of the contracted agency or members of the ICN executive as nominated by the ICN Technical Committee. Obviously, competitors who display characteristics associated with drug use will be targeted as well as top place getters. Between contests, ICN athletes are subject to our 'no notice' Random Drug Testing Program (RDTP). Testing is again conducted by contracted agency trained staff or ICN approved nominees. Each member supplies ICN with athlete information outlining their usual place and time of training as well as home and work details. An ICN contracted agency staff member or nominated ICN Executive member can arrive 'without notice' at a member's training location, home or work and notify them a urine sample must be collected.

In 1999, the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) was formed to take over the position and role the IOC played as the drug authority in sport. Since this time WADA has comprehensively rewritten the Doping substances, standards and protocols for sporting bodies, which are now referred to as the Code. On January 1st 2004 the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) authority came into force. As such, each Country and Sporting group must be a signatory of WADA to be able to compete in the Olympic Games. The aim of WADA is to implement a Doping Policy that is standardised across all sports and all Countries. Furthermore, all signatories uphold sanctions imposed by any WADA signatory; therefore, a banned athlete, for the duration of the ban, cannot compete in another sport. ICN has adapted the new WADA initiatives and our sanctions will be recognised by other WADA signatory sports. As such ICN Natural athletes are subject to the same doping rules, procedures and sanctions as athletes that participate in an Olympic sport.

A list of the banned substances can be viewed by visiting the WADA website. Drugs are listed by chemical name, not commercial name. As an example, the anabolic steroid dianabol appears under its chemical name methandrostenolone. As a guideline: never take a substance of a chemical nature or containing an unknown ingredient without considering and checking if it may be a prohibited substance. If in doubt you are earnestly encouraged to research thoroughly what you put into your body. There are many Drugs in Sport Handbooks, White Papers and respected clinical science documents available on the internet. It is not the responsibility of the ICN to undertake this education for you, ignorance is not an excuse.

ICN takes a hard line with those who use drugs because competitors have a choice to compete with other bodybuilding organisations that do not drug test.

 

ICN ANTI-DOPING GUIDELINES (SUMMARISED)

Doping is defined as the occurrence of one or more of these anti-doping rule violations. The full ICN Doping Policy can be viewed by visiting the national website, the INADP is current as it appears on the ICN Australian National website. These Anti-Doping Rules are in furtherance of ICN's continuing efforts to eradicate doping in the sport of Natural Bodybuilding, Sports Modelling and Transformations. Note: Athlete admissions are treated in accordance as evidence of a Doping rule violation.

  1. The presence of a Prohibited Substance in an Athlete's bodily Specimen. It is each Athletes personal duty to ensure that no Prohibited Substance enters his or her body. Accordingly, it is not necessary that intent, fault, negligence or knowing Use on the Athletes part be demonstrated in order to establish an anti-doping violation.
  2. Use or Attempted Use of a Prohibited Substance or a Prohibited Method. Defined as the application, ingestion, injection or consumption by any means whatsoever of any Prohibited Substance or Prohibited Method. The success or failure of the Use of a Prohibited Substance or Prohibited Method is not material. It is sufficient that the Prohibited Substance or Prohibited Method was Used or Attempted to be Used for an anti-doping rule violation to be committed.
  3. Refusing, or failing without compelling justification, to submit to Sample collection or otherwise evading Sample collection.
  4. Violation of the requirements regarding Athlete availability for Between-Competition Testing including failure to provide required whereabouts information.
  5. Tampering, or attempting to tamper, with any part of Doping Control.
  6. Possession of Prohibited Substances and Methods. Possession by an Athlete at any time or place of a substance that is prohibited or a Prohibited Method unless the Athlete establishes that the Possession is pursuant to a therapeutic use exemption or other acceptable justification.
  7.  Trafficking in any Prohibited Substance or Prohibited Method. Administration or Attempted administration of a Prohibited Substance or Prohibited Method to any Athlete, or assisting, encouraging, aiding, abetting, covering up or any other type of complicity involving an anti-doping rule violation or any Attempted violation.
  8. Administration or Attempted administration of a Prohibited Substance or Prohibited Method to any Athlete, or assisting, encouraging, aiding, abetting, covering up or any other type of complicity involving an Anti-Doping Rule Violation or any Attempted violation.
  9. Complicity. Assisting, encouraging, aiding, abetting, conspiring, covering up or any other type of intentional complicity involving an Anti-Doping Rule Violation or attempted Anti-Doping Rule Violation by another person.
  10. Prohibited Association. Association in a professional or sport-related capacity with a person serving a period of ineligibility for an Anti-Doping Rule Violation, or a person not subject to a sport policy who has been convicted or in a criminal, disciplinary or professional proceeding to have engaged in conduct which would have been an Anti-Doping Rule Violation.


SPORT SUPPLEMENTS

Neither ICN or any contracted WADA approved drug testing collection agency member can determine the status of supplement products in sport. Due to their multi-ingredient nature, supplements are considered to present more risk to athletes than registered pharmaceutical products. There is a risk that supplements may contain impurities, such as ingredients that are not listed on the label, which could cause a positive test. A 2001 International Olympic Committee study reported nearly 15 percent of supplement products tested, contained substances not labelled that could result in a positive drug test.


It seems weekly, the latest development or unpronounceable ingredient name in supplementation is on the shelf for us to buy, but are they safe to use for drug-tested athletes? Who should be responsible for substantiating their claims and drug-free status? Surely the manufacturer should be prepared to guarantee that their products do what they claim, include only those ingredients that appear on the label, and will not result in a positive drug test for an athlete. Some manufacturers are prepared to do this but others are not. As with all drug-free and drug tested athletes, the onus falls on your vigilance.

Steps to reduce the risk of inadvertently taking a prohibited substance in the form of a Food/Sports Supplement:

  1. Contact the company who makes or distributes the product. The manufacturer/distributor should know what they have made and whether it will pass a drug test. If they do not know or they do not guarantee - better in writing - their product will pass a drug test, do not use the product. End of story - they have not done research into what they have in the bottle.
  2. If you do not get a satisfying answer and you are still interested in using the product try researching the substance via the many hotlines established for all sports, don’t just look to website revolving around bodybuilding but look further afield, there are many fine information websites available created by other sports such as athletics, swimming and so on. You must know the ICN was not established to research or test supplement company’s new products. Official sports agencies can really only offer answers in relation to prescribed drugs because pharmaceutical companies are legally bound to precisely manufacture what is described in the ingredients, whereas supplement companies are not.
  3. If you do not get a satisfying answer after all your research, then don't risk your proud reputation on an unknown ingredient or supplement without a drug-free guarantee.