Getting started · Create a competition
Create a competition and set up its shape
A GripRank competition is created per discipline (boulder, speed, or lead) and belongs to the organisation you pick. This page walks through creating the event, naming categories, sizing routes and rounds, and setting the judge passcode — everything you need before you import athletes.
Pick a discipline and a starting point
There are two ways to start: the discipline-specific setup pages (the reliable path today) and the Setup Wizard (currently a work in progress).
- 1Confirm which org you are working in. If you manage more than one, switch to the correct one before you create anything — competitions are owned by the active org.
- 2Decide which discipline you are running first: boulder, speed, or lead. Each discipline is a separate competition with its own setup page.
- 3Open the discipline's setup page — that's where the competition is created as you configure it. This is the reliable path today.
- 4Optionally try the Setup Wizard. It is currently partial (only the Core Details step is implemented), so plan to finish your setup on the discipline page even after you start in the wizard.
Note
The wizard is helpful for capturing the core details up front (name, event date, timezone, venue, organisation), but you should expect to finish the rest of the setup on the discipline page. Treat the wizard as a starting form, not the whole flow.
Core details you'll capture up front
Most competitions need the same handful of fields filled in before anything else makes sense.
- Competition name — what athletes and spectators see. Use the same name you use on posters and entry forms so people can recognise it instantly.
- Event date and timezone — pick the timezone of the venue, not the timezone of the person typing. Schedule and start times use this to display correctly to athletes.
- Venue — venue name and address, used on the public hub.
- Organisation — the org that owns the competition. This decides who can edit and who shows up in member rosters.
Categories
A category is a division athletes compete within — for example Youth D Boys, Open Women, Masters 40+. Get categories right before you import athletes, because every athlete is assigned to one.
- 1Open the discipline setup page and find the categories section.
- 2Create one category per division you are running. Each category is a separate scoring pool — athletes in different categories do not compete against each other.
- 3Name categories the way you will brief them. Judges and athletes see these names on every screen, so "Open Women" is clearer than "OW".
- 4Order categories the way you want them to appear on the leaderboard and startlist — the first category in the list is usually shown first.
Naming conventions that save headaches
- Use the same category names across all imports, startlists, and briefings.
- Include the year or age band for youth categories (e.g. ‘U14 Boys’) so it's obvious which athletes belong where.
- Avoid special characters or emoji — they can confuse exports and emails.
- If in doubt, copy the names from a previous event you ran on GripRank.
Routes, lanes, and rounds
Each discipline structures ‘what athletes attempt’ differently. Set the shape of the event here, and GripRank creates the slots — judges will fill them in later.
Boulder
Routes per round. You set the number of qualifier routes, and (if you run them) semifinal and final route counts. GripRank creates the route slots from those counts. Within a category you can label routes (Boulder 1, Boulder 2…) and split athletes into groups/heats (called details in the app) so two judges can run the same boulder for different waves without clashing.
Speed
Lanes A and B for each run. Speed has a qualifier phase and a finals bracket. Lane assignments come from the startlist, and you set the timing options (false start rule and precision) at setup time.
Lead
Routes per round. Each round has its own route, judged by the highest hold reached. Lead setup creates the route and lets you order athletes into a climbing order.
- 1Set the number of routes for each round you are running. If you do not have semifinals or finals, set those counts to zero.
- 2For boulder qualifiers, decide whether you need groups (details). Two groups means two judges can score the same route simultaneously for different waves.
- 3For speed, set the false start rule (IFSC or Tolerant) and the timing precision (0.01s or 0.001s). Both are explained on the Speed page.
- 4Confirm the shape looks right before you import athletes — changing route counts later is awkward once athletes are assigned.
Set the judge passcode
The passcode is what lets judge devices into the scoring pages for this competition. Treat it like a door key.
- 1In the discipline setup page, find the judge passcode field and set a code. It is shared by every judge device for this competition.
- 2Share it privately with your judges (in person, by message, or via your briefing document) — not on the public hub or social media.
- 3If you suspect the passcode has leaked, reset it from the same setup page. Judges will need to enter the new one the next time they open their scoring page.
Important
The passcode opens the judge pages for your entire competition. Anyone with the code can submit attempts. If something looks off mid-event — wrong scores, a judge who shouldn't be on a station — change the passcode and brief your judges on the new one. Full passcode and device guidance is in Judges & devices.
Before you move on
A short verification before you go to import athletes. Each of these is cheap to check now and expensive to fix mid-event.
- 1You are working in the right organisation — the org name at the top matches the event you are running.
- 2The competition is named, dated, and in the venue timezone.
- 3Every category you need exists, is named the way you will brief it, and is ordered the way you want it shown.
- 4Route/round counts are set for the discipline (and the boulder details, if you are using them).
- 5A judge passcode is set, and you have a private channel ready to share it with your judges.
Next: get athletes in
You're ready for Athletes & registration, which covers importing a list, taking online registrations, and running check-in on the day.