Legal
Rulebook 2025
Rulebook Triplets 2025 and Season 9
Last update: 03-04-2025.
Updated segments: 3.9, 4.3, 5.4, 6.2, 6.3, 7.1, 8.12, 11.1, 11.2, 11.7, 11.8
1. Naming conventions in this document
THE NATIONALS: an online and offline fitness competition
EVENTS: monthly workouts on the online Leaderboard
THE FINALS: the live event that takes place at the end of the online season for the top athletes in each division
THE TRIPLETS: the competition where athletes join in teams of 3
ATHLETE: participant in the competition of The Nationals
2. General rules, Terms and Conditions
2.1 Everything stated in this rulebook and terms and conditions apply to any agreement between THE NATIONALS and the ATHLETE. These regulations can be changed at any time by the organization and the most current version can always be found on jointhenationals.com
2.2 If one or more provisions in these regulations are invalid or should be annulled, the other provisions of these general terms and conditions will remain fully applicable.
2.3 ATHLETES submit to and declare to comply with the supervision designated by THE NATIONALS, given instructions and regulations. If ATHLETES violate the instructions and / or regulations, this will be a reason for THE NATIONALS to deny the ATHLETE in question from further participation. In such a case, the ATHLETE is not entitled to a refund of the amounts paid.
2.4 By participating in any EVENT of THE NATIONALS, the ATHLETE agrees to an and all Rules and policies, including, the Rulebook, privacy policy and user agreement.
2.5 In all cases not covered by the regulations, THE NATIONALS decides.
2.6 THE NATIONALS reserves the right to cancel the event in case of insufficient participation without THE NATIONALS being obliged to pay any compensation. ATHLETE will be notified of this as soon as possible. The full amount, excluding administration costs, will be refunded in this case.
3. Participation and registration
3.1 Participation in THE NATIONALS is for ATHLETES who train anywhere.
3.2 You can register boxes/affiliates by emailing info@thenationals.nl
3.3 Participation in THE NATIONALS is entirely at your own risk. The organization is in no way liable for injury or damage resulting from participation in The Nationals.
3.4 Unsportsmanlike conduct, cheating and / or circumvention of the rules may lead to disqualification.
3.5 The minimum age for participation is 12 years. ATHLETES under the age of 18 must be able to provide explicit permission from a parent / guardian for THE FINALS/TRIPLETS.
3.6 Registration for THE NATIONALS is done via jointhenationals.com
3.7 A separate ticket must be purchased for participation in the FINALS
3.8 Refund of the amount of tickets purchased is not possible.
3.9 If the ATHLETE cannot participate in the online season due to for example pregnancy or an injury, he/she can ask to take the season ticket of the current season to the next season, or give the season ticket to someone else. If the ATHLETE wants this, he/she has to request this by e-mail to info@thenationals.nl before the deadline of the placement event.
3.9 Ticket sales for Season 9 take place in three stages:
– EARLY BIRD April 4-7 2025 € 59, –
– REGULAR until placement release € 65, –
– LATE during the placement € 69, –
– TEEN € 40, –
4. Teens/Youngsters Divisions
4.1 There are 2 separate divisions for Teens 12-17 years. Reference date is the deadline of the Placement. Teenager must be 12, 13, 14, 15, 16 or 17 years old.
4.2 When registering, one parent / guardian must give permission through a waiver in the registration form. Parents of athletes aged 16 or 17, who are capable of joining the adult division, can ask for permission to join the adult division. The organization will determine if the athlete can be placed in the adult division.
4.3 Since Season 9, Teens can no longer choose their division. They will be placed into the Teens or Youngster division based on their Placement scores.
4.4 Teens will do a version of the Placement Event, but all end up in the Teens / Youngsters Division.
4.5 Teens will do a modified version of each event.
4.6 Teens pay € 40 for a full season.
4.7 The top boys and top girls will be invited to the FINALS. The Teens at the FINALS will do at least 2 workouts. The number of advancing athletes will be based on the number of registrations.
4.8 All rules described in Articles 6 to 10 also apply to the Teens Division.
5. Placement Event
5.1 To participate in THE NATIONALS, the ATHLETE must do a placement event.
5.2 By the scores of this placement event, the results from the athlete in past events and the preference of the ATHLETE, the ATHLETE is assigned into a division, namely Diamond, Platinum, Gold, Silver, Bronze or Iron.
5.3 Athletes placed in the top 100 of their country in the CrossFit Open and athletes that have been placed in the Diamond Division in a previous season can choose to skip the Placement Event and assign into the Diamond Division. If an athlete wants to do so, he/she has to request this by email to info@thenationals.nl before the deadline of the placement.
5.4 In Season 8, two extra divisions have been added: Masters 35+ and Masters 45+ years old. ATHLETES can join these divisions by buying a Masters Ticket. Reference date is the deadline of the Placement. Masters do not have to perform the Placement Events.
5.5 Changing division after the assignment is under no circumstances possible.
5.6 After being assigned to a division, the athlete will remain in the same division for the entire season.
5.7 If THE NATIONALS suspects that an ATHLETE has entered an incorrect score to move into a lower division, the organization may exclude the ATHLETE from participating. There is no right to a refund.
5.8 If THE NATIONALS suspects during the season that an ATHLETE has entered an incorrect division on purpose, THE NATIONALS may exclude the ATHLETE from participating.
5.9 Since Season 7, the placement will no longer be scored on the leaderboard.
6. Events
6.1 The new event starts every first Thursday of the month. The event and standards will be announced via The Nationals App and Instagram.
6.2 The ATHLETE has 11 days (from Thursday till Sunday 8PM) to complete and submit both workouts. After the deadline, no scores will be added to the leaderboard. If there are problems with logging scores, it is the responsibility of the ATHLETE to report this before the deadline via info@thenationals.nl
6.3 Calendar THE NATIONALS 2025/2026
Placement Event – Sept 10 – Oct 19 2025
Event 1 – Nov 5 – 19
Event 2 – Dec 3 – 16
Event 3 – Jan 7 – 18 2026
Event 4 – Feb 4 – 15
Finals – March 28-29 2026 @ Sportcentrum Valkenhuizen, Arnhem
6.4 When participating in a NATIONALS event, the athlete must be judged by a judge who is familiar with the movement standards (found in The Nationals App).
6.5 The judge is responsible for correctly assessing the athlete’s performance of the movements. Any repetition that does not meet the movement standards will result in a No Rep and will not count.
6.6 The ATHLETE is responsible for the correct execution of the movements according to the movement standards.
6.7 Physical restrictions that impede the movement standards must be notified before the deadline of the Placement to THE NATIONALS. THE NATIONALS then determines whether the restriction is permissible or not.
6.8 Movement support devices that are not allowed: straps, gloves with rubber / silicone, weight support devices.
6.9 Permitted movement aids: sleeves, wrist wraps, sport tape, magnesium, leather gloves, belts. When in doubt, the box owner has the last word.
6.10 Any movement deemed uncommon or out of the ordinary, or used to amend, shorten or change the accepted movement standard or range of motion, including line of action, of any event movement can and will be disallowed. It is the responsibility of the athlete to notify the judge or The Nationals of any questionable movement before the workout.
7. Scoring and leaderboard
7.1 The ATHLETE is responsible for submitting the scores of the workouts within the set term. (8 PM Sunday, 11 days after workout announcement).
7.2 Logging of the workouts is done via The Nationals App.
7.3 Each division has its own leaderboard.
7.4 The athlete with the best score gets 1 point, the athlete with the second best score 2 points, etc.
7.5 When scaling a workout, only the Rx reps count as a score.
7.6 Participants who do not submit a score will receive the points number of the total number of participants in the entire division and are therefore among all participants who have entered a score.
7.7 From season 3 box owners no longer need to validate.
7.8 Starting season 7, workouts can count for either 50%, 100% or 200%. Winning a workout will result in 0,5, 1 or 2 points.
8. Prizes and Filming
8.1 The ATHLETE is required to film all of his / her events in order to be eligible for both the winner shirt and to be invited to the FINALS. This also applies to the Placement Event.
8.2 When submitting each score, the ATHLETE must immediately add a working link to the score. The deadline for the footage is the same as the deadline for logging the score.
8.3 Footage submitted in any way after the deadline will no longer be accepted.
8.4 If the ATHLETE has not submitted valid video with his / her score, the ATHLETE will be excluded from participation in the FINALS and the ATHLETE will no longer be entitled to prizes.
8.5 Score for which no video have been added will still be valid on the leaderboard. The ATHLETE in question has no chance of winning or participating in the FINALS.
8.6 It is not possible to have a video removed afterwards due to a penalty.
8.7 If the video does not meet the standards, the following sanctions apply:
– Less then 25% no reps throughout the video – For time: 3-5 seconds penalty per no rep rep – For reps: the reps will be deducted from the score.
– More then 25% no reps throughout the video – the athlete’s score is reset to 0
– The video does not meet video standards – the athlete’s score will be rejected and reset to 0
– Athlete does not show the weight/height/distance etc – 30 second penalty or 5%
– Deviation from the rules and / or movement standards can lead to a penalty
– For incomplete videos, only the reps that have been shown are assigned
8.8 If 3 incorrect videos are submitted from an ATHLETE in one season, the organization can exclude the ATHLETE from participation.
8.9 In a tie, the main score gives the decisive role. This is announced in advance in the workout flow.
8.10 In the event of a tie in the Overall Leaderboard, the mutual result of both ATHLETES is considered.
8.11 The leaderboard can be found in The Nationals App.
8.12 Since Season 7, the online season will no longer be rewarded on its own in terms of prizes.
9. Box competition
9.1 At each Event, points can be earned for each participating box.
9.2 Each ATHLETE who finishes in the top 39 of their division on the Leaderboard earns a number of points. The higher the placement, the more points. The higher the division, the more points.
9.3 The 3 boxes with the highest number of points at the end of the season win the Box Competition and associated prizes.
9.4 The numbers # 1 in each division are awarded 50 points (teens/youngsters), 100 points (iron), 150 (bronze), 200 (silver/masters 45+), 250 (gold, masters 35+), 300 (platinum) and 350 (diamond).
9.5 The prizes of the Box Competition are awarded during the FINALS.
10. FINALS
10.1 Participation in the FINALS is based on the Online Events. The top men and women from each division in the ranking qualify for the FINALS . A participant who has attended all Events will receive priority over an invitation over someone who has skipped an Event.
10.2 The FINALS are separate from the online leaderboard and will have their own leaderboard.
10.3 If an ATHLETE does not accept the invitation to the FINALS , the next person in the ranking will be invited to participate.
10.4 To be eligible to participate in the FINALS , the ATHLETE must have filmed all Events.
10.5 To participate in the FINALS , an additional ticket must be purchased. Costs for this will be communicated in time.
10.6 The FINALS take place at a location determined by the NATIONALS.
10.7 During the FINALS , all ATHLETES will do at least 3 Events at the level of the division in which they participate. These will be announced on match day in a briefing by THE NATIONALS. This is the only time when this is done.
10.8 Being late to the athlete registration, or not showing up on time to start the heat will result in a DNS (Did Not Show) and may lead to disqualification.
10.9 To be eligible for invitation, ATHLETES must have submitted at least 6 out of 8 scores of the online events.
10.10 The winners of the Diamond Division will receive Prize Money for being in the top 3 by the end of the FINALS.
11. The Nationals Triplets
Articles 2, 3.1-3.8, 6.4-6.10, 7, 8.1-8.11, 12, 13, 14, 15 and 16 also apply to The Nationals Triplets.
11.1 Calendar THE NATIONALS TRIPLETS 2025
Online Qualifier Events: May 28 20:00 – June 22 20:00
Finals: October 4 & 5 @ Sportcentrum Valkenhuizen, Arnhem
11.2 Registration for THE TRIPLETS is done via jointhenationals.com where the team captain must buy 1 team ticket.Ticket sales take place in three stages:
– EARLY BIRD – March 1 until April 7th – € 49,-
– REGULAR April 8 until May 27 – € 54,-
– LAST CALL May 27 until June 22 – € 64,-
11.3 After buying a ticket, the team captain must make a team in the Nationals App and will invite the other 2 team members to join the team.
11.4 A team must consist of 3 team members: 2 males + 1 female OR 1 male + 2 females.
11.5 After the 3 online events and before the finals, maximum 1 team member may be substituted. This needs to be requested by email to info@thenationals by the team captain.
11.6 All tickets are personal and non-transferable.
11.7 Starting in 2025, the team can choose their division: Red, Blue or Black.
11.8 If a team preforms the qualifier events in a category that is below their level, THE ORGANIZATION can disqualify the team.
11.9 The best teams in each division will be invited to the live finals. The exact number per division will be based on the number of teams in each division and will be announced after the deadline of the placement.
11.10 The Triplets Finals are separate from the online leaderboard and will have their own leaderboard.
11.11 If a team does not accept the invitation to the Triplets Finals, the next team in the ranking will be invited to participate.
11.12 To be eligible to participate in the Triplets Finals, the team must have filmed all Events and performed all Events.
11.13 To be eligible for invitation, teams must have submitted at least 3 out of 3 scores of the online events.
11.14 To participate in the Triplets Finals, an additional ticket must be purchased. Costs for this will be communicated in time.
11.15 On the Triplets Finals, all teams will do at least 3 Events at the level of the division in which they participate. These will be announced on match day in a briefing by THE NATIONALS. This is the only time when this is done.
11.16 Being late to the athlete registration, or not showing up on time to start the heat will result in a DNS (Did Not Show) and may lead to disqualification.
12. Protests
12.1 You can file a formal protest with regard to the events or penalties up to 24 hours after the penalty of the relevant workout via info@thenationals.nl. Once the leaderboard is final, no more scores will be changed.
12.2 Making a formal protest with regard to an event or judging during the FINALS is only possible through the headjudge. This must be done immediately after the end of the relevant event and before the next event in the same division has started. Formal protest can only be done by an ATHLETE.
12.3 Where the regulations do not provide, THE NATIONALS and / or the headjudge determines.
13. Liability
13.1 THE NATIONALS is not liable for loss and / or damage to goods of ATHLETES, nor for personal or physical injury and resulting damage. The ATHLETE is aware that participation in THE NATIONALS entails risks and that any damage resulting from participation is at its own expense and risk.
13.2 The ATHLETE shall ensure that he / she is adequately insured against the risk of damage that he / she or a relative may suffer as a result of injury, illness or death caused by his / her participation in THE NATIONALS.
13.3 THE NATIONALS is not responsible for maintenance, repair or theft of the Athlete’s own equipment.
13.4 THE NATIONALS provides its activities with solid and properly functioning materials. Costs as a result of damage or destruction due to careless handling of material can be recovered from the relevant ATHLETE.
13.5 Liability is limited to the cover provided by the insurance.
14. Privacy
14.1 By participating in THE NATIONALS, the ATHLETE grants THE NATIONALS permission to use the athlete’s personal data for the transmission of information to the ATHLETE, for internal anonymous data analysis and for the publication of its name and competition results.
14.2 Any photos, films, or other materials or files made within the framework of THE NATIONALS or the agreement or on behalf of THE NATIONALS, are the property of THE NATIONALS, regardless of whether they have been made available to the ATHLETE or to third parties, unless otherwise agreed
14.3 The ATHLETE grants prior permission to THE NATIONALS for the publication of photos, videos or other visual material on which the ATHLETE is visible for communication purposes of THE NATIONALS (including commercial expressions).
15. Dispute
15.1 If the event does not go according to the expectations of the ATHLETE, the ATHLETE is obliged to notify THE NATIONALS of this immediately on the spot. If the complaint is not satisfactorily resolved on site, the athlete can make this known in writing to THE NATIONALS within 14 days after the end of the event.
15.2 In the event of disputes arising from the agreement or from legal relationships arising from it, the parties will first enter into consultation in order to resolve this dispute amicably. If the parties fail to do so, a dispute as referred to above will be exclusively settled by the competent court of Groningen.
16. Force Majeur
16.1 Force majeure exists if the execution of the agreement is prevented in whole or in part, whether or not temporarily, by circumstances beyond the control of the parties and / or by circumstances on the part of THE NATIONALS, such as personnel problems, transport problems, weather, location conditions (including supplier default), an epidemic and regulations imposed by government agencies.
16.2 In case of force majeure, the obligations of the parties will be suspended.
16.3 Should the FINALS not take place in case of force majeure, THE NATIONALS will attempt to schedule a new date for the FINALS to take place. Should this fail, (part of) the registration fee for the FINALS will be refunded if this is financially possible for THE ORGANIZATION. The exact refund fee will be determined after all costs made are paid. Administration fees and payment processing fees will never be refunded.