CrossFit adds in-person Team Qualifiers for 2027, running March 22 to June 13, with no online qualifier

CrossFit said teams will advance from the CrossFit Open to in-person Team Qualifiers before the CrossFit Games, a step it described as new for 2027. CrossFit said there will be no online qualifier this season and that teams must attend an in-person qualifier to advance to the Games. CrossFit said the Team Qualifiers run from March 22 to June 13, 2027.1

CrossFit said the Team Qualifiers are a series of in-person events hosted by select partners to determine which teams will advance to the CrossFit Games. All teams that register for the 2027 CrossFit Open are eligible to compete in the Team Qualifiers, and teams may take part in as many Team Qualifiers as they desire, according to CrossFit. CrossFit said some Team Qualifiers may have an online qualifier before their event.1

CrossFit said teams' scores for each event will be recorded on a global team leaderboard, and that after all Team Qualifiers conclude, the top teams on that leaderboard will advance to the CrossFit Games. Teams may compete in more than one qualifier, but their most recent score will be used as their final score and earlier scores will not be displayed on the global leaderboard, CrossFit said. CrossFit said all workouts will be standardized across events and that events will not be geo-fenced. A single affiliate can field more than one team at the CrossFit Games if the teams rank high enough on the global team leaderboard, according to CrossFit.1

CrossFit said that once teams are established, they may not change rosters after the Open, even if they are within the same affiliate. All team athletes must enter valid scores for all three Open workouts to be eligible, CrossFit said.1

CrossFit said events may now apply to be an official 2027 Team Qualifier, and that hosts must have a minimum competition field size of five teams. Current Semifinals events may also be a Team Qualifier. Teams must register for the event under their CFID name/number, and hosting requires a yearly application.1

CrossFit said sanctioned athletes are not eligible to compete. The Head Judge must hold the Advanced Judges Course and a Level 1 Certificate or higher, according to CrossFit.1

The Barbell Spin reported that next year teams will only qualify via an in-person competition and that there will not be an Online Semifinal. The Barbell Spin reported that, since teams do not have a Quarterfinals stage, they will go straight from the Open to Team Qualifiers.2

The Barbell Spin reported that CrossFit has limited affiliates to sending one team to the CrossFit Games for the last two seasons.2