How Do I Earn A Pro Card?
Minimum DOTS score of 475 female / 500 male + one of the following placings:
- Best Lifter 2023 Arnold Amateur part of Pro/AM
- Best Lifter at 3-4 other Pro Qualifier Meets
- Top 3 in Weight Class at Nationals (Open Division)
(37-38 Total Female & 40-41 Total Male Pro Cards available)
* Any lifter achieving a minimum DOTS score of 550 (female) or 575 (male) at a Pro Qualifier event will earn a Pro Card, even if they are not the "best lifter".
Minimum DOTS score of 475 female / 500 male + one of the following placings:
- Best Lifter 2023 Arnold Amateur part of Pro/AM
- Best Lifter at 1-2 other Pro Qualifier Meets
- Top 2 in Weight Class at Nationals (Open Division)
(26-27 Total Female & 28-29 Total Male Pro Cards available)
* Any lifter achieving a minimum DOTS score of 550 (female) or 575 (male) at a Pro Qualifier event will earn a Pro Card, even if they are not the "best lifter".
- Best Lifter 2023 Arnold Amateur part of Pro/AM
- Top 2 in Weight Class at Nationals (Open Division)
(23 Total Female & 25 Total Male Pro Cards available Raw/Equipped)
How Do I Earn A Master Pro Card?
Updated 3/14/23
Minimum Age-Adjusted DOTS score of 400 female / 425 male + one of the following placings:
- 2023 Arnold Masters of Iron Best Female & Male Lifter (DOTS + age)
- Best Female & Male Lifter (Masters Division) at Regionals (DOTS + age) - up to 8 Regions
- Top 5 Female & Top 5 Male Best Lifters (pro or non-pro) at Masters World Cup (DOTS + age)
- Top 15 Female & Top 15 Male Best Lifters (pro or non-pro) at Nationals (DOTS + age)
- Must be entered in Masters Division
(29 Total Female & 29 Total Male Masters RAW Pro Cards available)
* Any lifter achieving a minimum Age Adjusted DOTS score of 475 (female) or 500 (male) at a Masters Pro Qualifier event will earn a Masters Pro Card, even if they are not the "best lifter".
Additionally, per the 2022 Pro Series Rules: those that qualify, compete and achieve a total in the 2022 Masters Pro Series Finals (2023 Arnold) will earn a Masters Pro Card.
Age-Adjusted DOTS Score = Dots Score x Age Coefficient
Updated 3/14/23
Minimum Age Adjusted DOTS score of 400 female / 425 male + one of the following placings:
- 2023 Arnold Masters of Iron Best Female & Male Lifter (DOTS + age)
- Best Female & Male Lifter (Masters Division) at Regionals (DOTS + age) - up to 8 Regions
- Top 5 Female & Top 5 Male Best Lifters (pro or non-pro) at Masters World Cup (DOTS + age)
- Top 10 Female & Top 10 Male Best Lifters (pro or non-pro) at Nationals (DOTS + age)
- Must be entered in Masters Division
(24 Total Female & 24 Total Male Masters EQUIPPED Pro Cards available)
* Any lifter achieving a minimum Age Adjusted DOTS score of 475 (female) or 500 (male) at a Masters Pro Qualifier event will earn a Masters Pro Card, even if they are not the "best lifter".
Additionally, per the 2022 Pro Series Rules: those that qualify, compete and achieve a total in the 2022 Masters Pro Series Finals (2023 Arnold) will earn a Masters Pro Card.
Age-Adjusted DOTS Score = Dots Score x Age Coefficient
- 2023 Arnold Masters of Iron Bench Best Female & Male Lifters (DOTS + age)
- Top 10 Female & Top 10 Male Best Lifters (pro or non-pro) at Nationals (DOTS + age)
- Must be entered in Masters Division
(11 Total Female & 11 Total Male Masters RAW Bench Pro Cards available)
Additionally, per the 2022 Pro Series Rules: those that qualify, compete and achieve a successful bench in the 2022 Masters Bench Pro Series Finals (2023 Arnold) will earn a Masters Bench Pro Card.
Age-Adjusted DOTS Score = Dots Score x Age Coefficient
- 2023 Arnold Masters of Iron Bench Best Female & Male Lifter (DOTS + age)
- Top 10 Female & Top 10 Male Best Lifters (pro or non-pro) at Nationals (DOTS + age)
- Must be entered in Masters Division
(11 Total Female & 11 Total Male Masters RAW Bench Pro Cards available)
Additionally, per the 2022 Pro Series Rules: those that qualify, compete and achieve a successful bench in the 2022 Masters Bench Pro Series Finals (2023 Arnold) will earn a Masters Bench Pro Card.
Age-Adjusted DOTS Score = Dots Score x Age Coefficient
How Is the Series Scored?
2023 Pro Series: Overall by DOTS (Open Division) / Overall by Dots & Age Coefficient (Masters Division)
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- Placing Overall (1st - 20th)
- Points: 50, 45, 40, 35, 30, 25, 22, 19, 16, 13, 10, 9, 8, 7, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2, 1
For example, 1st place earns 50 pts, 2nd place earns 45 pts, 3rd place earns 40 and down to 20th place, earning 1 pt.
- 1 Pro Meet Points (placing via DOTS) + Nationals Points (placing via DOTS) = Series Points
- One must achieve a DOTS score above zero at Nationals (achieve a total) in each respective division to remain in the Pro Series rankings for said division.
- Top Series Points go to Finals
- If two lifters are tied in total points, the tiebreaker goes to the lifter that scored more points at Nationals
(Open and Masters)
Raw:
- March 2023 - Arnold Sports Festival
- September 2023 - Raw Nationals
- December 2023 - Apex Pro
- TBD - International Pro Series Events
Equipped:
- March 2023 - Arnold Sports Festival
- June 2023 - Equipped Nationals
- November 2023 - Wisconsin Pro
- TBD - International Pro Series Events
Raw/Equipped - Bench Only:
- March 2023 - Arnold Sports Festival
- August 2023 - Bench Nationals
- November 2023 - Wisconsin Pro
- TBD - International Pro Series Events
Pro Card Status
All Pro Cards earned are valid for 3 calendar years for members.
Example: A Pro Card earned at any time during the year of 2023 will expire on December 31, 2025.
Competing in Pro Events within the three year period will continue to validate your Pro Card status (when meeting criteria listed under "How do I earn a Pro card").
Pro Cards are delivered within your Membership email.
Pro Card - Eligible to compete in any Pro Series Meet (excluding the finals). A qualifying total is still required to compete at Nationals.
-
- Any Master Lifter holding this card automatically earn a Masters Pro Card
Pro Bench Card - Eligible to compete in any Pro Bench Meet (excluding the finals). A qualifying total is still required to compete at Nationals.
- Any Master Bencher holding this card automatically earn a Masters Pro Bench Card
Masters Pro Card - Eligible to compete in any Masters Pro Series Meet (excluding the finals). A qualifying total is still required to compete at Nationals.
Masters Pro Bench Card - Eligible to compete in any Masters Pro Series Bench Meet (excluding the finals). A qualifying total is still required to compete at Nationals.
Coefficients used in the Pro Series
DOTS coefficient male
=500/(-0.0000010930*Bw^4+0.0007391293*Bw^3-0.1918759221*Bw^2+24.0900756*Bw-307.75076)
The male’s formula is only accurate from 40kg to 210kg. Lifters heavier than 210kg are assigned the coefficient for 210kg.
DOTS coefficient female
=500/(-0.0000010706*Bw^4+0.0005158568*Bw^3-0.1126655495*Bw^2+13.6175032*Bw-57.96288)
The female’s formula is only accurate from 40kg to 150kg. Lifters heavier than 150kg are assigned the coefficient for 150kg. After the DOTS coefficient is calculated, it is multiplied by the lifter’s 3-lift total to compute DOTS points. The lifter with the highest DOTS points is the “best lifter”.
A Master lifter's age-adjusted dots is calculated by multiplying their "DOTS score" by their "USA Powerlifting Age Coefficient" using the below:
Age | Coefficient |
40 | 1 |
41 | 1.003 |
42 | 1.008 |
43 | 1.014 |
44 | 1.02 |
45 | 1.026 |
46 | 1.033 |
47 | 1.04 |
48 | 1.048 |
49 | 1.057 |
50 | 1.066 |
51 | 1.075 |
52 | 1.086 |
53 | 1.096 |
54 | 1.108 |
55 | 1.12 |
56 | 1.134 |
57 | 1.147 |
58 | 1.162 |
59 | 1.178 |
60 | 1.194 |
61 | 1.211 |
62 | 1.23 |
63 | 1.249 |
64 | 1.269 |
65 | 1.29 |
66 | 1.312 |
67 | 1.335 |
68 | 1.36 |
69 | 1.385 |
70 | 1.411 |
71 | 1.439 |
72 | 1.468 |
73 | 1.498 |
74 | 1.529 |
75 | 1.562 |
76 | 1.596 |
77 | 1.631 |
78 | 1.668 |
79 | 1.706 |
80 | 1.745 |
81 | 1.786 |
82 | 1.829 |
83 | 1.873 |
84 | 1.918 |
85 | 1.965 |
86 | 2.013 |
87 | 2.064 |
88 | 2.115 |
89 | 2.169 |
90 | 2.224 |
91 | 2.281 |
92 | 2.34 |
93 | 2.4 |
94 | 2.462 |
95 | 2.526 |
DOTS Points Competition Calculator with Age Coeff
by Joe Marksteiner
Use the link above to download a calculator to calculate DOTS and Age-Adjusted DOTS.
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