In the event of equipment failure during a lift attempt, what action may the Chief Referee authorize?

• A. The lift counts as completed.
• B. The lifter is disqualified.
• C. The Chief Referee may pause the lift and allow a replacement or retry per protest/timeout procedures.
• D. The lifter may switch to a different lift.

Answer: (C)

When equipment fails during a lift attempt, the Chief Referee has the authority to pause the lift and allow a replacement or retry under protest/timeout procedures. This keeps the competition fair and safe by giving the lifter a genuine chance to complete the attempt with proper equipment. The lift isn’t automatically considered completed, and disqualifying the lifter or forcing a switch to a different lift would not address the equipment issue or fairness concerns. Instead, the pause enables the necessary replacement or retry while following the established protest/timeout rules to determine the next step.