1) DO I NEED A VALID WNBF MEMBERSHIP CARD TO COMPETE?

Yes. To register for IMPERIUM BATTLE, athletes must hold a valid WNBF Membership Card.

2) DO I NEED A MEDICAL CERTIFICATE TO COMPETE?

Yes. To participate in IMPERIUM BATTLE, athletes must upload a valid medical certificate confirming their fitness to participate in competitive sports to their personal profile on the wnbf-italy.it website.

The certificate must be issued by a physician specialising in sports medicine and must refer to one of the following sports:

• Bodybuilding;
• Weightlifting;
• Physical Culture;
• Olympic Weightlifting.

Medical certificates for non-competitive sporting activity and general health certificates issued by a family doctor will not be accepted.

The deadline for uploading the medical certificate is 9 October 2026. Athletes who fail to submit the certificate by the deadline, or submit it after the deadline, will not be permitted to compete.

To request the official form required to undergo the competitive sports medical examination, please email membership@wnbf-italy.it.

Foreign athletes must provide an equivalent medical certificate that includes a urine analysis, spirometry and an exercise electrocardiogram, in accordance with Article 4 of the Italian Ministerial Decree of 18 February 1982, “Regulations for the Medical Protection of Competitive Sporting Activity”, and the applicable provisions of the Balduzzi Decree.

For further information, foreign athletes may email international@wnbf-italy.it.

3) MAY I COMPETE IN MULTIPLE CATEGORIES OR IN DIFFERENT CLASSES WITHIN THE SAME CATEGORY?

Yes. Athletes may compete in multiple categories or in different classes within the same category, up to a maximum of three classes/categories in total.

To compete in more than one class or category, athletes must have obtained the required qualification in each individual class or category at a qualifying competition, or have placed in the top five of the relevant class at IMPERIUM BATTLE 2025.

4) MAY I USE DREAM TAN?

The use of Dream Tan or any other oil- or petrolatum-based cream tanning product that remains wet on the body is strictly prohibited.

Athletes who fail to comply with this rule may be disqualified from the competition without prior warning.

Water-based tanning products, such as Pro Tan or Jan Tana, are permitted, provided that they are completely dry once applied to the body.

No tanning products of any kind may be applied inside the venue, except within the specifically designated areas.

A spray-tanning service provided by PRO TAN EUROPE will be available inside the venue and may be booked by CLICKING HERE.

5) WHEN WILL THE CATEGORIES AND CLASSES BE DETERMINED?

All categories and classes will be determined on the evening before the competition, following the completion of athlete registration and THE FINALS. The final class line-ups will then be communicated through the WhatsApp group reserved for registered athletes.

Bodybuilding weight classes will be determined at the PalaRiviera on the day of the competition, approximately two to three hours before the athletes are scheduled to step on stage.

6) WHAT ARE THE WNBF JUDGING CRITERIA? ARE THERE SPECIFIC STANDARDS FOR POSING, COMPETITION ATTIRE, FOOTWEAR AND ACCESSORIES?

All athletes are strongly encouraged to review the sections of the WNBF rulebook concerning the judging criteria to ensure that they comply with the applicable standards for posing, competition attire, footwear and accessories.

Each athlete is responsible for ensuring that their posing and stage presentation, as well as their competition attire, footwear and accessories, comply with the standards established for their category.

The competition criteria are available by CLICKING HERE.

7) DO I NEED TO SUBMIT A MUSIC TRACK FOR MY INDIVIDUAL ROUTINE?

Only athletes competing in Men’s Bodybuilding, Women’s Bodybuilding and Classic Physique are required to perform an individual free-posing routine to a music track of their choice.

The routine must not exceed 60 seconds.

Music tracks must be submitted exclusively in MP3 or M4A format and uploaded to the dedicated section of the athlete’s personal profile no later than 9 October 2026. The music track may also be submitted by CLICKING HERE.

Men’s Physique athletes and athletes competing in all other women’s categories do not need to submit a music track. Their individual presentations will be performed to music selected by the organisation.

8) HOW DOES ATHLETE REGISTRATION WORK?

Unlike qualifying competitions, athlete registration for IMPERIUM BATTLE requires more time because, in addition to the standard registration procedures, athletes must complete all the preliminary steps required for the polygraph examination.

The registration procedures include:

• submitting the competition documents relating to the athlete and their accompanying person;
• collecting the competitor number;
• collecting the gifts and products provided by the sponsors and the organisation;
• having the athlete’s height measured, where applicable;
• completing all the preliminary procedures required for the polygraph examination.

The preliminary polygraph procedures include:

• reviewing the list of prohibited substances;
• completing the pre-polygraph questionnaire;
• reading and receiving a preliminary explanation of the questions that will be asked during the examination.

For this reason, athletes must book a specific appointment for their registration and polygraph examination through the dedicated booking platform. The booking instructions will be provided after registration for the competition has been completed.

Athletes who, for any reason, fail to attend registration at their scheduled time, or arrive so late that they cause significant disruption to the organisation of the event, will not be admitted to the competition and will not receive a refund.

9) DO I NEED TO PASS A POLYGRAPH EXAMINATION TO COMPETE? WHEN CAN I BOOK IT, AND WHERE WILL IT TAKE PLACE?

Yes. Participation in IMPERIUM BATTLE 2026 is conditional upon passing a polygraph examination, also known as a lie-detector test.

The examination will be administered by technical personnel certified by the American Polygraph Association (APA) and authorised by the WNBF.

After completing their competition registration, all athletes will receive an email containing the instructions for booking their polygraph examination.

In 2026, the polygraph examinations will be available at three locations:

• on 10 and 11 October in FORLÌ, with one polygraph examiner;
• on 10 and 11 October in CIMITILE, near Naples, with one polygraph examiner;
• from 14 to 16 October in SAN BENEDETTO DEL TRONTO, with two polygraph examiners.

The number of available appointments is limited, as each polygraph examiner can administer a maximum of 20 examinations per day.

Qualified athletes are therefore encouraged to register for IMPERIUM BATTLE as soon as possible so that they have access to a wider choice of available dates and appointment times.

The cost of the polygraph examination ranges from USD 99 to USD 139, depending on the selected date. Friday appointments are more expensive, while appointments held during the previous weekend and on Wednesday are less expensive.

10) DO I NEED TO ATTEND THE ATHLETES’ MEETING?

Attendance is not mandatory, but it is strongly recommended.

The athletes’ meeting will take place on Friday, 16 October 2026, at 7:00 p.m. at the PalaRiviera in San Benedetto del Tronto. It will also be livestreamed.

During the meeting, athletes will receive all the final instructions and useful information required for the proper conduct of the competition.

The livestream link will be shared a few hours before the meeting through a broadcast message in the WhatsApp group reserved for registered athletes.

11) HOW WILL THE COMPETITION BE CONDUCTED? WILL THERE BE SEPARATE PREJUDGING AND FINALS, OR WILL IT FOLLOW A ONE-SHOT FORMAT?

IMPERIUM BATTLE will follow a “one-shot” format.

This means that prejudging and finals will take place consecutively during the same stage session, and the awards ceremony will be held immediately after the judging of each class has been completed.

For categories divided into multiple classes, the overall comparison to determine the Overall Champion will take place after all the classes within that category have been completed.

12) WHEN WILL I RECEIVE ALL THE COMPETITION INFORMATION AND THE RUNNING ORDER?

A few days before the competition, once registration has closed, all athletes will be added to a dedicated WhatsApp group.

All relevant competition information will be published in the group, including the category running order, the estimated stage times, the organisational instructions and any last-minute updates.

The running order may be subject to changes on the day before the competition, depending on the final number of qualified Italian athletes who register for the event.

The definitive running order and the estimated stage time for each category and class will be communicated on the evening of 17 October. Copies of the schedule will also be displayed in several locations throughout the competition venue.

13) HOW MANY WNBF PRO CARDS WILL BE AWARDED?

A WNBF Pro Card will be awarded to the winner of each Open class with at least eight competitors.

A minimum of five competitors is required for Master classes, Fit Body classes and Women’s Bodybuilding classes.

The winners of the Open classes will compete in their respective category overall finals, which will determine the 2026 Overall Champions.

The winner of an overall final who did not earn a Pro Card in their class because the minimum number of competitors was not reached will be awarded a WNBF Pro Card and will qualify directly for the 2026 WNBF Pro World Championships in Calgary, Canada.

14) WHO WILL QUALIFY FOR THE WNBF WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS IN CALGARY?

All athletes who participate in IMPERIUM BATTLE will qualify to compete at the 2026 WNBF Amateur World Championships in Calgary, Canada.

Athletes who earn a WNBF Pro Card must compete in one of the professional competitions available within the WNBF circuit by 8 November 2026 in order to qualify for the WNBF Pro World Championships in Calgary.

Overall Champions will qualify directly for the WNBF Pro World Championships.

Overall Champions in the Bikini, Men’s Physique and Classic Physique categories will also have the opportunity to compete in the LIFEPRO CUP free of charge.

Athletes who earn a Pro Card by winning their class but do not win the category overall must compete in the LIFEPRO CUP, where applicable, or in another WNBF professional competition by 8 November 2026 in order to qualify for the WNBF Pro World Championships.

15) WHO WILL BE REQUIRED TO UNDERGO URINE TESTING?

The first- and second-place athletes in each class will be required to provide a urine sample for testing in accordance with WNBF anti-doping procedures and standards.

At their sole discretion, the Head Judge may also require any other athlete to undergo urine testing, including athletes who did not place in the top two of their class.

Athletes selected for urine testing who leave the PalaRiviera without providing the required urine sample will be disqualified.

For further information about WNBF anti-doping policies and procedures, CLICK HERE.