FAQ
Everything you want to know
New here? This covers how the league works, how to get your team set up, and what to expect on match day.
The Basics
What is the Affiliate League?
The Affiliate League is an in-person based team fitness competition. Teams made up of athletes from different local affiliates compete head-to-head over a number of weeks of regular season matches, with the top teams advancing to a city championship. It's competitive, it's community-driven, and it's a ton of fun.
Who runs this?
Captains run everything on the competition side — they schedule matches, set lineups, and enter scores. The league provides the platform, the structure, and the workouts. There's no league staff showing up at your gym.
Do I have to be at a specific affiliate to participate?
Nope. Any athlete from any affiliate (or no affiliate at all) can join a team. That said, matches take place at the home team's affiliate, so you'll be visiting other gyms throughout the season — which is honestly one of the best parts.
Is this affiliated with CrossFit Inc.?
No. The Affiliate League is an independent competition. We're not affiliated with, endorsed by, or sponsored by CrossFit LLC.
Forming a Team
How do I start a team?
Create an account, click "New Team" from your dashboard, and register your team for $65. You'll become the captain automatically. Once your team is created, you get a permanent invite link to share with your athletes — no email addresses to collect, no back-and-forth. Just send the link.
How many athletes do I need?
You need at least 4 athletes who have paid their registration — 2 men and 2 women — to compete in a match. We recommend having more than the minimum (typically around 8-12 total) so you have flexibility if someone can't make it.
How much does it cost?
Team registration is $65, paid once by the captain when the team is created. Each athlete pays $65 individually to join. There are no recurring fees, no dues, and no surprise charges.
Can I have a co-captain?
Yes. Once your team is set up, you can designate a co-captain from your roster. Co-captains have the same scheduling and score-entry permissions as the captain.
Can athletes be on more than one team?
Not within the same season. Each athlete registers once per season with one team.
Joining as an Athlete
How do I join a team?
Your captain will send you a join link. Click it, create an account (or log in if you already have one), and you'll be added to the team automatically. From there you'll pay your $65 registration fee and you're in.
What if I don't have a team yet?
Browse the Teams page to see who's registered. If you see a team you'd like to join, reach out to the captain directly — their name is listed on the team page. You can also create your own team and recruit your own athletes.
Do I need to pay to be on the roster?
Yes. Your $65 athlete registration fee must be paid before you'll appear on the public roster or be eligible to compete. Unpaid athletes are visible only to the team captain until payment is complete.
How Matches Work
What does a match look like?
Each match is between two teams and consists of three workouts. Each team puts forward 2 men and 2 women as competitors. Both teams complete the same three workouts, judge each other's reps, and record times or scores. The team that wins the most workouts (best 2 out of 3) wins the match.
Where do matches take place?
At the home team's affiliate. The home team sets the date, time, and location. The away team travels to them. This rotates throughout the season so every team gets home matches.
Who sets the match schedule?
The home team captain sets the date and time. They can edit it up until 24 hours before the match. Away team captains coordinate directly with the home captain if they need to adjust timing.
What are the workouts?
The three workouts are set at the start of the season and stay the same for every match — regular season and playoffs. Every team, every week, does the same three WODs. That's by design: as the season progresses, your team gets better at them. You learn each other's strengths, figure out your strategy, and chase faster times. Workouts are published before the season opens so you have plenty of time to prepare. A new set of workouts drops each new season.
How does judging work?
Teams judge each other. The competing athletes from one team judge the competing athletes from the other team, and vice versa. There's no third-party judge and no league staff on site. It runs on the honor system — which is how most great competitions work.
How are scores entered?
After the match, either captain can enter the team's score for each workout directly on the match page. Once scores are entered, both captains must approve them to make results official. Approved scores are locked and standings update automatically.
What if we disagree on a score?
Either captain can flag a dispute from the match page. Disputes go to the league admin for review and resolution. We hope you won't need it — but it's there if you do.
Standings & Playoffs
How does the standings work?
Teams are ranked first by match wins. If two teams are tied on wins, the tiebreaker is total workout wins across the season. So if you're both 3-1 but one team has won 9 workouts and the other 7, the team with 9 workout wins ranks higher.
How do playoffs work?
Top teams from the regular season advance to playoffs. The city champion is decided through the playoff bracket. Details on the exact playoff format will be communicated before the season starts.
What makes an athlete playoff-eligible?
An athlete must have competed in at least 2 regular season matches to be eligible for playoffs. Their eligibility status is visible on the team roster page.
Still have questions?
How do I get in touch?
Email us at admin@affiliateleague.net or visit our contact page. We're a small operation and we actually read our messages.
Athlete Profile & Eligibility
Why do I need to provide my date of birth?
Date of birth is used solely to determine eligibility for age-restricted slots in a competition format (such as 40+ or 50+ slots). It's not displayed publicly anywhere on the site. Once submitted, you can't change it yourself — if you ever need a correction, email admin@affiliateleague.net.
What is "Level" on my profile?
Level is your self-rated competition level on a 1–10 scale. Level 1 is brand new to fitness. Level 10 is a CrossFit Games Semifinal-caliber competitor. Most athletes land somewhere between 4 and 7. You set this on your profile and you can update it anytime.
How do I know what Level I am?
Be honest with yourself. Look at your Open finish, your benchmark times, and how you compare to athletes around you. We'll publish a more detailed self-rating questionnaire to help you dial it in. For now: if you've done the Open and finished in the top 10% globally, you're probably Level 8+. If you're still working toward your first muscle-up, you're probably Level 5 or below.
What happens if I don't set my Level?
You can still register, get on a roster, and compete in any season that doesn't use level-based slot restrictions. But if a season's format includes Level-capped slots (e.g. "Level 6 or below"), you can't be added to those slots until you've set a Level on your profile.
Can my Level be changed after I set it?
Yes. You can update your own Level anytime from your profile page. League administration may also adjust your Level based on observed competition results — for example, if you self-rate at Level 4 and immediately win every match by a wide margin against Level 4 competition.
How do age categories work?
A season's format may include age-restricted slots like 30+, 40+, or 50+. To be eligible for an age-restricted slot, you must reach that age by January 1 of the season's start year. So for a 2026 season, you need to turn 40 on or before January 1, 2026 to be eligible for a 40+ slot. This matches the standard CrossFit eligibility cutoff convention.
Why January 1 instead of my actual age on match day?
Using a single fixed cutoff date for the whole season keeps eligibility predictable and consistent across all matches. If we used "age on match day," an athlete could be eligible for one match and not the next, which would be confusing for captains setting lineups and for opponents.
Can I be on a team if I don't qualify for any of the slot constraints?
You can always be on a team's roster. Whether you can be added to a specific match lineup depends on the format. If every slot is gender + age-restricted and you don't meet the age, you wouldn't be eligible for that match. But your captain may still want you on the team for depth, social, or future-season reasons.
For Gyms & Partners
Can my gym earn revenue from the Affiliate League?
Yes. Gyms that join as Affiliate League partner affiliates receive a percentage of registration fees paid by teams and athletes who designate that gym at registration time. Revenue is calculated at the end of each season and transferred directly to your bank account.
How does my gym get the money?
Partner gyms connect a Stripe account during onboarding. At season's end, the league calculates your share and initiates a direct bank transfer via Stripe. No invoicing, no chasing payments — it's automatic.
Do I have to organize the league or host events to be a partner?
No. Being a partner gym has no operational obligations for gym owners. It's up to team captains to coordinate match days and times. If your athletes choose your gym at registration, you earn a share of their fees. That's it.
How do I sign my gym up as a partner?
Email admin@affiliateleague.net with your gym name and contact info. We'll walk you through the onboarding process, which includes connecting your Stripe account so payouts can be sent directly to you.
Ready to compete?
Register your team or join an existing one and get on the schedule.