The Factorial Athlete’s Guide to the 2024 CrossFit Open

Welcome to the 2024 CrossFit Open! Congratulations on being a part of the largest participatory fitness competition in the world! We are so excited you have joined us this year and we’ve put together a comprehensive guide with everything you need to know about doing the Open at CrossFit Factorial this year.

Please take the time to read through this guide fully so you don’t miss any important information!

TABLE OF CONTENTS

• Weekly Schedule

• The Workout

  • Choosing your workout

  • Doing the WOD in class

  • Doing the WOD outside of class

  • Get a judge, be a judge

  • Scorecards

  • Enter your score!

• 2024 Scheduling

  • Fridays

    • Class types and times

    • Gym setup & class flow

  • Saturdays & Sundays

• More Fun Stuff

  • Open Celebration March 15th

  • Intramural Championship

1. Tune in for the workout announcement at 2 p.m. CST each Thursday via the LIVE Announcement from CrossFit (see games.crossfit.com).

2. Read up on the workout and movement standards so you’re ready to go - no surprises!

3. Wake up on Friday morning and put on your jersey (your team’s color).

4. Attend any scheduled class on Friday to do the Open workout. Alternatively, this year you may complete the workout on Saturday or Sunday at 10:30am in place of our regularly-scheduled class.
   You have until 7 p.m. on Monday of each week to do the workout and submit your score online – no exceptions, like none, nil, zilch. 

5. Continue on a tear through the remainder of the week accumulating group class attendance points. 

6. Log your week’s Intramural Championship points in the Google form sent out each Monday evening. All point submission forms are due by Tuesday at 11:59 PM.
   (See the Intramural Championship Guide for more details HERE.)

CrossFit Open workouts are very similar to the WODs we see every day in class and when they are released, several variations will be released based on divisions - Rx, Scaled, Foundations. All you have to do is choose the one that you can do; you ARE allowed to bounce around between these versions from week to week.

The full rules and standards will be released alongside the workout announcement and you may use these to determine which version is your best option. (For announcements and workout standards, go to games.crossfit.com.)

You may do the Open workout in a class setting all day on Fridays, and on Saturdays and Sundays at 10:30am. Here’s how that will work.

1. Register for an OPEN Workout class as you normally would in PushPress.

2. Show up for the class time you selected.

3. Sign up for a heat when you arrive.

4. The coach will give you a recommended warmup, take everyone through the workout standards, answer questions, and facilitate assigning judges for each heat.

5. Do the workout with your judge. Be a judge for someone else. (Either order.)

6. Take a photo of your scoresheet and place it in the official scoresheet folder.

7. Submit your score at games.crossfit.com.

You may do the workout in open gym at any time from Thursday through the submission deadline on Monday. If you do, you are responsible for providing your own registered judge. Judges must EITHER be officially signed up for the Open OR have taken and passed the 2024 Judges Course.

When finished, take a photo of your scoresheet and place it in the scoresheet folder. Don’t forget to submit your score online!

This is a competition, which means we’re holding ourselves tightly to the standards. Every Open workout must be done with a judge.

Judges are responsible for confirming the athlete’s performance on the WOD by ensuring A) the workout is done with the correct order, loading, and rep count, B) all reps meet the movement standards required by CrossFit, and C) the times, loads, and reps the athlete does are correctly documented on the scorecard.

Basically, judges hold us accountable to doing the workout to the correct standard. They also count our reps, which is a big help. 😊

Guidelines for working out with a judge:

• Discuss beforehand how you want them to communicate. Do you want every rep counted out loud or just every 5? Do you want them to avoid pushing you in the workout or do you want some cheerleading? (Don’t skip this step! This could avoid you a LOT of frustration during the WOD.)

• Talk through the logistics of the workout. Where they’re going to stand, the rep scheme you plan to use, etc.

• No-reps happen. You should expect them to happen. Do NOT argue with your judge during the workout. Doing another, better rep will take less time than trying to convince them they were wrong. In most circumstances they have a better vantage point than you, anyway, and it’s better to redo a rep than to get to the end and have your whole workout invalidated.

• Be respectful and supportive. Many people are nervous to judge and we’re all out here doing our best. They are trying to make sure you have the best and highest quality workout score. If you have concerns about a judge no-repping you incorrectly please talk to a coach on duty.

Everyone is expected to judge other athletes’ workouts. Because you are afforded a judge per the competition rules, it’s important that you pay that forward for other people.

Guidelines for being a judge:

• The 2024 Judges course is a GREAT way to orient yourself to movement standards and how to count reps and judge a workout. We highly recommend this for everyone, but especially those who are nervous or have not judged a workout before.

• Communicate with your athlete before the workout regarding how you will count their reps, where you will stand, and how they want you to cheer them (or not) during the workout.

• Speak Yell louder than you think you need to during the workout so your athlete can hear you!

• Track reps and times on the scoresheet for the workout in whatever way works best for you.

• This is important - If you are uncertain that a rep meets the standards outlined by CrossFit, give your athlete a no-rep and have them redo that repetition. They will not die. It is the athlete’s responsibility to make sure that their movements clearly meet the standards and it is your responsibility to hold them to that. This is not personal. The standard is the standard. Hold the line!

• Before giving the athlete their scorecard, make sure that their name, YOUR name, their score, and the workout type are indicated on the form!

Every workout should have its own scorecard. The judge is responsible for filling this out during the workout and making sure the score written is correct. They will hand it off to the athlete afterward.

When you finish your workout, take a photo of your scorecard and then place it in the scorecard folder at the front of the gym. If you redo the workout, use a new scorecard and add it to the folder.

We are required to verify all scores with CrossFit HQ, and if your scorecard is missing we will be unable to do that! It is your responsibility to ensure your scorecard is in the folder with all information (times, reps, tie-breakers, etc.)

Don’t forget about this! Take a photo of your scorecard so you remember your score. Some workouts will have tie-breakers and you will need those too.

Don’t wait until the last minute on Monday to submit your score. A whole bunch of things can and have happened - internet outages, website issues, your phone dying. CrossFit does not accept late scores, no exceptions.

At Factorial, we program the Open workout every Friday in classes. All you need to do is sign up for class as usual, show up, and we’ll take you through the rest!

We have modified the Friday schedule this year to accommodate participants and non-participants of the Open and provide the best experience possible for both, so please take note of the following.

On Fridays, there will be two (2) different class types offered in addition to open gym, and they will be offered at three (3) primary times - 5:30am, 8:30am, and 5:00pm.

• If you are NOT signed up for the Open, you will register for the regular, 1-hour CrossFit class.

• If you ARE signed up for the Open, you will register for the OPEN Workout class (2-hour slot).

• If you are doing open gym, you will register for one of two daily time slots.

Please note: the gym will be CLOSED on Fridays between 10:30am and 5:00pm during the Open. (Mar 1-Mar 15)

The gym will be set up into three main areas: the CrossFit class area, the OPEN Workout class area, and the open gym area. These will change week to week depending on the space and equipment needed for the workout. 

The CrossFit Class Area

• A regular CrossFit class will be held in one area of the gym as determined by the Open needs that week. Like a standard daily class, the coach will lead the group through a warmup, skill work, workout, and cooldown over the course of 1 hour. 

• The workout WILL be the same as the Open workout, but may be modified to give preference to Open athletes.
  (Ex: handstand pushups may become pike pushups if all wall space is taken.) 

The Open Workout Class Area 

• A coach will do a briefing of the workout and movement standards, provide a recommended warmup, run heats, and ensure you have a judge for your workout.

• We recommend that you arrive as close to the start of your workout time frame as possible, but unlike a regular class, if you need to arrive late due to you personal schedule, this class is more flexible to accommodate that. 

• Please make sure you update your reservation in PushPress if you are suddenly unable to make it to your chosen workout time!

The Open Gym Area

• Open gym will be available while the gym is open on Fridays from 5:30 AM to 10:30 AM and again from 5:00 PM to 8:00 PM. The gym will be closed between 10:30 AM and 5:00 PM.

• Please note: equipment and space priority will be given to Open participants, so not all exercises may be possible depending on the workout each week. (Ex: rope climbs, wall space, certain dumbbell weights, etc.)
  Thank you in advance for your understanding and flexibility. 

We will keep our regular CrossFit class schedule for 8:00 AM and 9:15 AM on Saturdays and Sundays during the Open. Our 10:30 AM class on each of these days will become an Open workout class, and the coach will host the Open workout for any athletes who wish to do or redo the workout on those days.

Join us after the final workout of the Open on Friday, March 15th following the evening Open workout session. Bring snacks and drinks to share, potluck-style, and join us as we hang our and celebrate all your achievements from this year’s Open.

As we go through the Open season, we’re hosting our second annual Factorial Open Championship! Three teams will battle it out to gain points and eternal glory. We’ve got new challenges, new ways to earn points, and lots of fun this year. If you’re signed up for the Open, you will automatically be assigned to a team. Don’t miss out - sign up for the Open today at open.crossfit.com. 

Check out the Intramural Open Championship Guide for the details about our in-house competition. 

QUESTIONS?

Email Coach Amanda with any questions you have at amanda@crossfitfactorial.com.