When IronMind® introduced what has been called "the credit card rule," it had a very straightforward purpose: In view of the shrinking starting position some guys were using before they closed grippers, IronMind® wanted to establish a definite minimum standard that was acceptable for certifying official closes with the hardest of the Captains of Crush® Grippers.

That minimum acceptable starting position was defined as the width of a credit/ATM card, since that had all the qualities we needed in a useful gauge that would define a legal starting position. As part of the rule, we also wrote that the gripster must show that he has a legal starting position by sliding the card between the ends of the handles before getting the go signal from the referee.

Unfortunately, as clearly as we thought these rules had been stated, some people persisted in thinking that for a legal start, the gripper first had to be crushed down to the width of a credit card, and more than one person has had the judge, rather than the gripster himself, take the measurement with the card.

Neither is what we would prefer, but just as not everyone has followed the exact directions we give for when and how to apply for certification, IronMind® feels it's most important to focus on the purpose of the rules, which in this case involves establishing that the starting position is legal, and that's the principle we follow when making our certification decisions.

Still, it's easy to understand why questions will arise when the exact letter of the procedures is not followed and IronMind® continues to urge people who are involved in certifications to take a few minutes to read the rules, asking us questions if something is unclear, and then follow them exactly as they are written.