CrossFit Games

The Affiliate Cup Returns, 2021 Rule Book Provides Insights

January 7, 2021 by
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The 2021 CrossFit Games Rulebook brings us many things; one of which is the return of the Affiliate Cup, an announcement that is very largely well received.

Remind me:

  • The Affiliate Cup dates back all the way to the beginning when CrossFit Santa Cruz won the inaugural competition in 2007. 
  • From 2007 until 2017 the Affiliate Cup saw small changes: but at the most basic level, athletes who trained at the same affiliate could represent their community at the highest level of competition together. 
  • The creation of superteams began to take shape as early as 2015 when Rich Froning switched to the team division and high profile athletes began descending on Cookeville, TN. Over the next couple years other “super teams” were created, but all within the confines of the rulebooks for each given season. 
  • Finally, the 2018 rule book introduced two major changes to the team competition. Specifically the reduction of teams from six to four competitors, and the clause allowing team members to train separately anywhere around the world, but compete collectively in any competition.

One big thing: The 2021 Affiliate Cup competition is a combination of the 2017 and 2018 team competitions: teams must all train primarily in one location, but ultimately only four athletes, rather than the traditional six, will compete beginning in the Quarterfinal stage.

Similarly to the individual competition, teams will compete in the Quarterfinals based on the continent they live in. Clause 2.01 states “the top 25% of the total number of teams per continent (with a minimum of at least 50 teams from each continent) will be eligible to participate in the Quarterfinals.”

Why it matters: As the Morning Chalk Up has been reporting, there are quite a few examples of elite individual athletes congregating for the purpose of improving their training environment.

  • Some of the notable training camps currently developing (beyond CrossFit Mayhem) include CompTrain athletes in Boston, Justin Cotler’s Vegas crew and PRVN athletes in Nashville.
  • With the window open to register as an individual, but also as part of a team, and not have to definitively choose one until at least the Quarterfinals the idea of the super team certainly lives on.

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