Blue Card Bench is issued for which fault?

• A. Any downward movement of the whole of the bar when pressing
• B. Failure to press the bar to straight arms length, elbows not locked
• C. Touching the bench with the bar
• D. Lifting the bar before reaching the chest

Answer: (A)

The important idea here is the control of the bar during the press. In a bench press, once the bar is on the chest and the lifter is pressing, the bar should move upward in a controlled path toward lockout. If, at any point during the press, the entire bar moves downward instead of continuing upward, that shows the lifter has lost control and isn’t meeting the required bar path. That downward movement of the whole bar is the fault signaled by the blue card.

Other listed faults describe different issues—not fully extending the arms at lockout, the bar touching the bench, or lifting the bar off the chest before it reaches the chest—each is a separate violation and handled differently.