True Novice vs Novice

[Howard]

Novice know is open to everyone who hasn't won their class yet

Exactly.
It's been that since I first competed going back to the 70's .

[Howard]

The entire division system is sort of a moot point these days.


The used to have novice division -- because open divisions were actually big, with stiff competition. (Or Junior division, which I've never actually seen in person.)


Since prolly 2016 or so, numbers in open BB have gone down from year to year, from what I've seen (and I follow a good amount of local shows). OCB always offered a "true novice" division, NPC never did until maybe 4 years ago or so.


I have clients ask "which divisions they should compete in". From what I've seen the last few years:

1) novice -- usually has 3x more people than open does, and is often more competitive than open
2) true novice -- because it's usually just 1 group rather than broken into subdivisions ("novice" often has "novice lightweight vs. novice heavyweight") -- is often more competitors than novice OR open, and just statistically speaking, ends up being a more-stacked division than open or novice, quite frequently


I had a MPD guy doing an OCB show last weekend, wanted to know which divisions to enter. I told him he was crazy if he didn't do open. He did that, also decided to do master's 35+ and true novice. Placed 3rd in open class -- 3rd in master's 35+ -- and got murdered in true novice because there were 30 guys in the class (and only 5-6 in the other classes).


So the entire system has sort of "ceased to make sense", and serve the purpose it was intended to serve. These days, from what I can tell, the different divisions (at the local/regional level) are simply a way to encourage crossovers and get more entry fees for promoters -- and for the modern IG-famous "competitor", to trophy hunt in the weakest classes they can find.

Great post .

When I competed you were never allowed to enter novice and open in the same show.

Now, if you pay the extra entry fees you can compete in any you desire.
If the promoter gets paid you get to compete and can bring home more trophies.

[leigh]

Back in Australia I remember novice being for anyone who’d never placed in the top 3.

Essentially you could be a veteran competitor… just of a really poor standard lol.

[nomercy]

all bull shit just give them there money do all the divisions

[leigh]

This will give you a laugh.
At NPC Worldwide competitions here in Japan these are the Men’s Physique classes.
Are also be split in to 3 or 4 height categories per class. A, B, C, D etc….


Local:

Those who live, work, or study in the prefecture where the contest is held or in neighboring prefectures

Novice First Challenge:

Can only participate once in a lifetime, only for players who have not finished in the top 6 in the open and novice classes in the past. If you are new to the contest and are worried about it, we recommend this first. *Non-attendance will not be counted.

Novice Challenge:

Super introductory class, can participate up to 2 times in a lifetime, only for players who have not finished in the top 6 in the open and novice classes in the past * Missing will not be counted

True Novice: (new category for 2022)

Only players who have not finished in the top 6 in the introductory class, open class and novice class in the past are eligible. The winner is then ineligible.

Novice:

Introductory class, only for players who have not finished in the top 6 in the open class in the past

Masters:

Over 40

Open:

General class, open to all.

[lifepulse]

This will give you a laugh.
At NPC Worldwide competitions here in Japan these are the Men’s Physique classes.
Are also be split in to 3 or 4 height categories per class. A, B, C, D etc….


Local:

Those who live, work, or study in the prefecture where the contest is held or in neighboring prefectures

Novice First Challenge:

Can only participate once in a lifetime, only for players who have not finished in the top 6 in the open and novice classes in the past. If you are new to the contest and are worried about it, we recommend this first. *Non-attendance will not be counted.

Novice Challenge:

Super introductory class, can participate up to 2 times in a lifetime, only for players who have not finished in the top 6 in the open and novice classes in the past * Missing will not be counted

True Novice: (new category for 2022)

Only players who have not finished in the top 6 in the introductory class, open class and novice class in the past are eligible. The winner is then ineligible.

Novice:

Introductory class, only for players who have not finished in the top 6 in the open class in the past

Masters:

Over 40

Open:

General class, open to all.

Pretty silly, but I have to ask -- what is the difference between "open" and "general class, open to all"? That one seems particularly redundant.

[leigh]

Pretty silly, but I have to ask -- what is the difference between "open" and "general class, open to all"? That one seems particularly redundant.

Ah sorry that’s the description for open class. It’s a general class open to all. Google translate did that lol.

[lifepulse]

Ah sorry that’s the description for open class. It’s a general class open to all. Google translate did that lol.

Lol, gotcha, no worries. I thought it was "we have open, then we have general open to all". I thought, man, they're really stretching now.

[leigh]

Lol, gotcha, no worries. I thought it was "we have open, then we have general open to all". I thought, man, they're really stretching now.

Well we are lucky now that they joined the NPC Worldwide, as they had to drop some divisions.

Just to mention a few of my favorites:

- Jeans & Tanktop

- Just Jeans

- Tanktop and shorts

- Fitness wear (anything you like)

[leigh]

[Beti ona]

IFBB amateur divisions?

[Bestia]

Well we are lucky now that they joined the NPC Worldwide, as they had to drop some divisions.

Just to mention a few of my favorites:

- Jeans & Tanktop

- Just Jeans

- Tanktop and shorts

- Fitness wear (anything you like)

Hahahahahahahahahaha. W T complete F is that?!?!?! The circus of Doucheville!

My God I thought we had reached the bottom. I was wrong

[leigh]

IFBB amateur divisions?

I believe JBBF (IFBB amateur) still does similar classes, like those seen in Europe. I guess the NPC has a template that you need to follow so they dropped them all when they joined.

[leigh]

Hahahahahahahahahaha. W T complete F is that?!?!?! The circus of Doucheville!

My God I thought we had reached the bottom. I was wrong

Hahaha I used to judge for the federation.

I was like WTF am I judging? Delts and arms? My favorite jeans?

[Beti ona]

I believe JBBF (IFBB amateur) still does similar classes, like those seen in Europe. I guess the NPC has a template that you need to follow so they dropped them all when they joined.

Those classes are made by IFBB Santonja in some eastern countries, Hungary was the most recent.