DOTS Calculator

What is a DOTS score?

DOTS is a points formula for powerlifting. It divides your total (best squat + bench press + deadlift) by a curve based on bodyweight, so a lighter and a heavier lifter can be compared fairly. A higher score means a stronger total for your size.

DOTS was developed by Tim Konertz and published in 2019. According to its author, the name stands for “Dynamic Objective Team Scoring”: it was first built for the German team league, to score team competitions fairly — including mixed teams of men and women. The German powerlifting federation (BVDK) replaced Wilks points with DOTS for its team competitions from 2020.

How is DOTS different from Wilks and IPF points?

All three turn a total and a bodyweight into one comparable number, but they use different curves, so the same total gives different scores in each.

• Wilks was created by Robert Wilks in the 1990s and was the main formula in the International Powerlifting Federation (IPF) until the IPF decided in 2018 to replace it. Konertz’s criticism is that Wilks was fitted to the data available at the time, and with today’s results it favours very light and very heavy men and very light women.
• IPF points replaced Wilks in the IPF from 2019. The IPF still uses its own points formula, not DOTS.
• DOTS was fitted to newer raw and equipped results with a smooth curve that keeps rising across the whole bodyweight range, and was designed so men’s and women’s scores can be compared in mixed teams. Its author set the scale so that typical scores are close to Wilks scores.

No formula is “correct”: each is a model fitted to competition data. Use the one your federation or competition uses, and compare scores only within the same formula.

The DOTS formula

DOTS = total × 500 ÷ (a + b·x + c·x² + d·x³ + e·x⁴), where x is bodyweight in kilograms and the total is in kilograms.

The curves are fitted for bodyweights of 40–210 kg for men and 40–150 kg for women. Outside that range the calculator uses the nearest limit and tells you, as the formula’s author specifies, because the curve stops making sense beyond it. Pound inputs are converted to kilograms (1 kg = 2.20462 lb) before scoring.

Example DOTS scores

Using your score

• Use tested lifts. DOTS is meant for real competition-style singles. You can plug in estimated maxes from the 1RM calculator, but the result is then an estimate too.
• Equipment matters. Raw and equipped totals are not comparable, even with the same score formula.
• Federations differ. Some federations rank lifters with other formulas, such as IPF GL points or Wilks. Check which one your meet uses — scores from different formulas are not interchangeable.
• Track yourself. The most useful comparison is your own score over time, especially if your bodyweight changes.