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CrossFit Amends Rulebook to Extend Team Eligibility Deadline

The team eligibility rule that required the owner of a CrossFit affiliate, also known as Licensee of Record (LOR), to have changed by January 1 if the athlete wished to compete in a different team for the Affiliate Cup has been extended.

CrossFit announced that the deadline has been changed from Jan. 1, 2021, to Feb. 15, 2021.

According to section 1.17 of the 2021 CrossFit Games Competition Rulebook, which covers team eligibility for LORs, “The Licensee of Record (LOR) for an affiliate may not compete on any team other than a team from their own affiliate. The LOR for an affiliate may not be changed in order to allow the original LOR to compete for a different team.”

The following sentence has now been updated: “If an affiliate’s LOR is changed between Feb. 15 and the close of the first Open event, both the original LOR and the new LOR may only compete on a team from that affiliate during the CrossFit Games season.”

Why this matters: the rulebook was released on January 7, but team eligibility rules dated back to the start of the year.

When four-time CrossFit Games team winner, Mayhem Freedom, announced their updated roster, which replaced three of its four athletes, there were questions regarding its eligibility.

The team for the 2021 season is formed by Rich Froning, team founder and captain, Andrea Nisler, Taylor Williamson and Chase Hill. However, it was unclear whether Nisler and Hill, who owned affiliates, had changed their LOR status before January 1.

From CrossFit: “After multiple inquiries regarding the Jan. 1 deadline for Licensee of Record (LOR) status in the rulebook, CrossFit has decided to extend that deadline to Feb. 15 to ensure there is no confusion and all athletes have sufficient time to change their LOR status as needed to participate on their intended teams,” said Andrew Weinstein, CrossFit Head of Communications and Public Policy. “Further, CrossFit is aligning any address documentation requirements for eligibility with the same Feb. 15 deadline.”

Mayhem Freedom had to update its 2020 team, which was formed by Rich Froning, Scott Panchik, Chyna Cho and Tasia Percevecz, due to changes in the rulebook and personal developments. The team won two Sanctionals during the 2020 season before it was cut short, but is no longer eligible to compete together as Panchik and Cho live over 100 miles away from CrossFit Mayhem. Percevecz also announced she’s taking a break for the 2021 season due to adrenal/hormonal issues.

Team Mayhem Freedom have cemented themselves as the most dominant CrossFit Games team in history, having won the Affiliate Cup four times so far.

Any athlete or team requiring assistance to determine their eligibility for the Affiliate Cup competition should contact support@crossfitgames.com for guidance.

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