Frequently Asked Questions

What is the Warzone format & why is it being used?

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- The increase in the cost of living & rise of independant promotions putting on tournaments & supermatches has decreased participation in regional tournaments. The Warzone format gives lots of starts against random opponents & can account for any number of entrants. 

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Can I weigh in at home on my own scales on the morning of a competition & send in the photo of my weight?

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-No. At Nationals there is an opportunity to weigh in the night before an event on the official scales. Otherwise weigh ins on the day will be required. Regional warzones all weigh in on the day of competition in clothes & footwear. Latecomers (after scales are put away & before the safety brieifng) are recorded as beign 1kg heavier than heaviest so no advantage gained. If you miss the weigh in for Nationals & arrive before the safety briefing you can pull in +105kg class. After that, you won't be pulling. It takes some time & concentration for the scoring team to add the registration details into the scoring templates. Everyone complains about late finishes. Latecomers expecting to be added after weigh in closes are delaying all the people who turned up on time. 

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"What is Pro Status & do I get it automatically when I'm not a novice anymore?​​​"​​

- No. You have to earn Pro Status by winning. Novices are new people who appeared this or the last calendar year. See the Progression page for full details. 

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"What is Tier Two?"​​​

- Tier Two in our results is everyone below the first 6 pullers who get 10 pins in a Regional Warzone.

 

"I used to pull in Novice tournaments & now the PAA aren't running any. Am I still a Novice & how do I become a Pro?"  

-If you pulled your first competition last year (2025) or this year (2026) then we recognise you as a Novice & take a bit more care of you in the regional warzones. Once you have got a few places in the Tier Two warzone finals or better we award you as having achieved Pro Status. 

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"Why are there no more Novice Nationals?"

-Too many people have tried to cheat by pretending they are novices & some succeeded. This causes too much bad feeling & is a nightmare to try & regulate. 

 

I don't know any other armwrestlers in my area but want to join a club/participate in competitions. Can you help?​​​​​

-Check our Affiliated clubs page to see if there is a club near you. Most (but not all) armwrestling clubs use facebook so that can be a useful place to find out where people are. The Armbets app is also a good way to meet others interested in Armwrestling. Those wanting to enter their first competition need to have some basic understanding of safe pulling techniques & to have developed some specific conditioning beforehand. A club provides this structure. 

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Can I pull in the National Championships? - I don't have a British or Irish Passport.

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- Our criteria for competing in the National championships is RESIDENCY: a permanent address here in the UK & IRELAND for 5 years & COMMITMENT not to pull for anyone else. It is up to you to provide evidence of residency if asked. This could be a UK or IRISH driving licence issued for over 5 years, or home office papers where a passport is not yet available. If you haven't got it/forgot it you won't be pulling. Also we need to have seen you pull safely before - so no new people in the Nationals. Enter a Regional competition first. 

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Are the PAA entering a team for the WAF or IFA European  or World championships?

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-Yes, we are entering IFA European & World championships each year. We use IFA rules as a framework for our competitions, & are a member nation. Pullers wishing to compete in any international competition will need to check with the host organisation for entry requirements. As an organisation we will not be entering WAF championships but have no objection or sanctions against anyone who wishes to pull with them. 

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I haven't got a British or Irish Passport. Can I represent the UK & IRELAND in the IFA championships?​​

- Yes, if you fulfil the Residency & Commitment criteria listed above. This has been confirmed with IFA President Anders Axlo. All IFA entrants have to provide ID at registration before entry is confirmed at the championships.

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What about the the WAF championships?​​

The PAA has no objection. Entry via the BAF is the official route, we have no line of communication with them.  WAF website has contact details. 

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Why can't you put on a weight class that SUITS ME?​​

- We approximately follow the IFA weight classes in the National competitions but have less of the lower weight classes to reflect the amount of pullers. In regional competitions we are trying to provide events to suit a broad spectrum of pullers - both Pro & Novice. Too many weight classes & not many pullers devalues the standing of the competition. We also have to try to fit everything into the day. 

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"Some of our pullers have been active overseas & don't declare their successes."​​

-  We can only go on what information we have. If you have evidence of pro status elsewhere for a puller show it to us.

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"Covid meant some people didn't compete for 2 years. Do we still count that time period?"​​

- Yes. You had 2 years to condition your elbow & study technique. 

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"What if a puller gains a place on a day when no one else turned up & gets promoted too early?"

- Promotion is on merit, how can it be too early?

"What if a puller is only good on one arm. Can he stay novice on the bad arm?" ​

- No. Experience & technique are gained as you progress & that is part of it.

 

"Do you count both arms separately as qualification if they both win on the same day?"

-A dominant performance on both arms on the same day indicates that the puller is progressing. It can sometimes (but not always) suggest a weaker field that day. In some circumstances we count the day's performance overall as the qualifer. If places occur in both Tier 2 & Pro class it is more likely a reflection of a strong performance. If this interpetation is wrong than people are getting promoted too slowly so there is some leaway already for those who think it is too fast. The only benefit of being called a novice is to get an start against another novice in the first round. There are no novice competitions or medals to be won anymore - winning matches against random other pullers is what wins medals. 

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As you can see there are a few grey areas & we're trying to apply things fairly & sensibly. There are also discrepancies. Independent promoters might allow a newly qualified or an injured pro to do pull their Novice comp which gets noticed by their immediate rivals more than anyone else. Some people need some time to progress carefully, others get stuck into the big league straight away & gain results quickly. A lot relies on honesty from the pullers themselves & whether or not they realise or keep track of their own qualifications. It was suggested by Dean Bolt that a certificate should be issued on qualification to the Pro class for those who do so outside of winning the then Novice Nationals. The certificates have been made & list the criteria that was met. These will be given out at future weigh ins. If you have a query about your status or want an update of your record contact me (Dan Earthquake via the get in touch button above right) & I will help as best as I can. 

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"Why aren't supermatch wins considered for pro status?"​

-They might be if recommended by one of the vice presidents/ambassador. 

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"I can beat all your champions, line them up I've never been beat..."

- Find your local club & test yourself out with them to make sure you know how to pull safely. Then find a competition on the events calendar & join in. 

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"I live abroad & want to bring a team/visit an event, will you send a letter of invitation?" 

-No.  

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"Can we buy an armwrestling table off the PAA?"​

- No, we don't sell them but if you click the button below & buy one off them we get 10% commission