championships

where world champions
are crowned

The season’s journey of growth leads here: the largest celebration of
top ninjas from around the world.

Learn how the World Ninja League Championships work year after year –
from qualification, to course formats, to scoring and awards.

How to Qualify
Competition Format
Scoring
Awards
Seasonal Information

why worlds

Each season, ninja athletes pour endless hours into training and competing. By the end of the season, athletes come out stronger than when they started. They see growth not just physically, but mentally also. The World Ninja League Championship is the largest, most anticipated event to recognize and celebrate athletes and provide the stage to showcase the incredible growth.

Biggest Stage in Ninja

Athletes from every region across the globe step onto world-class courses under bright lights, cameras, and packed viewing areas.

Championship-Level Courses

Designed by world class course designers, Worlds courses push precision, power, and consistency  while highly trained referee staff ensure established course rules are consistently upheld.

A Global Ninja Community

The energy at Worlds is unmatched. Athletes cheering for each other, teams uniting, and families sharing moments that last beyond the podium.

Qualification Paths

How to qualify

Tier 1, Tier 2, and Head to Head all have unique paths to qualify for Worlds.

Select any of the tiles below to explore the paths in detail.

Tier 1 Qualification Paths

Multiple paths for top traditional-circuit athletes.

  • Qualify through Regionals, Season Standings, Premier Series Finals, or All Star events.
  • Special Event Qualifiers and Elite World Champions also earn invitations.
  • Spots roll down when top finishers have already qualified.

Click for more details

Tier 2 Qualification Paths

Focused on All Stars, Regionals, and Season Standings.

  • Qualify through your All Star Competition or Regional Championship performance.
  • Earn an invitation by your Season Standings ranking in your home region.
  • Spots roll down when already-qualified athletes finish in qualifying positions.

Click for more details

Head to Head Qualification

Regionals are the only path.

  • Head to Head Worlds spots are earned at Head to Head Regionals only.
  • Each division has 32 total Worlds spots across all regions.
  • Spots are distributed by how many athletes raced in each region.

Click for more details

Tier 1 Qualification Paths

Traditional Circuit

1. Regional Championships
  • Compete in your Tier 1 Regional Championship for your home region.
  • Must complete at least one obstacle.
  • Finish in the top 16 or the top 35% of competitors in your age/gender division (whichever is greater).
  • Each region can qualify up to 40 athletes per age/gender division for Tier 1 Worlds.
  • If a qualifying athlete has already earned a Tier 1 Worlds spot from another path, the invitation can roll down to the next eligible finisher.
2. Season Standings
  • Based on your final Season Points ranking in your home region age/gender division.
  • Your best 12 placements from Standard Qualifiers are used to calculate Season Points.
  • Athletes ending the season, before Regionals, in the top 3 of their age/gender division's Season Standings receive a Tier 1 Worlds invitation.
  • If an athlete has already qualified by another path, their Season Standings spot can roll down to the next athlete in the rankings.
3. Premier Series Finals (Tier 1 Only)
  • Athletes who qualify for and compete at the Premier Series Finals have an additional path to Worlds.
  • Finishing in the top 3 of your Premier Series Finals age/gender division earns a Tier 1 Worlds invitation.
  • If a top finisher has already qualified, that spot can roll down to the next eligible athlete.
4. All Star Competitions
  • Finish in the top 4 of your age/gender division at the All Star competition.
  • Spots roll down when top finishers have already qualified for Tier 1 Worlds.
  • If out-of-region athletes take top positions, additional home-region spots are added so home-region athletes do not lose their opportunities.
5. Special Event Qualifiers (Tier 1 Only)
  • Certain designated Special Event Competitions can award Tier 1 Worlds spots.
  • Details, divisions, and number of spots may vary by event and season.
  • Please refer to the current season's Rulebook and Special Event announcements for the most up-to-date information.
6. Elite Division – Lifetime Qualification
  • Past Elite Male and Elite Female World Champions receive lifetime Tier 1 Worlds qualification.
  • This honor recognizes outstanding achievement at the highest level of competition.
  • Elite World Champions must still register by the posted deadline each season to claim their spot.
  • If they do not register in time, their automatic qualification is forfeited for that season only (it does not remove their lifetime status).

Tier 2 Qualification Paths

Traditional Circuit

1. Regional Championships
  • Compete in your Tier 2 Regional Championship for your home region.
  • Must complete at least one obstacle.
  • Finish in the top 16 or the top 35% of competitors in your age/gender division (whichever is greater).
  • Each region can qualify up to 40 athletes per age/gender division for Tier 2 Worlds.
  • If a qualifying athlete has already earned a Tier 2 Worlds spot from another path, the invitation can roll down to the next eligible finisher.
2. Season Standings
  • Tier 2 athletes can also qualify through Season Standings in their home region.
  • Season Standings are based on total Season Points from the highest 12 placements at Standard Qualifiers.
  • Athletes ending the season, before Regionals, in the top 3 of their age/gender division's Season Standings receive a Tier 2 Worlds invitation.
  • Spots can roll down when athletes above have already qualified through Regionals or other paths.
3. All Star Competitions
  • Finish in the top 4 of your age/gender division at the All Star competition.
  • Spots roll down when top finishers have already qualified for Tier 2 Worlds.
  • If out-of-region athletes take top positions, additional home-region spots are added so home-region athletes do not lose their opportunities.
Additional Notes
  • Tier 2 does not use Premier Series Finals or Special Event Qualifiers as Worlds-qualification paths.
  • Tier 2 is designed to offer a Worlds experience with a format and difficulty level tailored to a broader range of athletes.

Head to Head Qualification

Race Circuit

Single Path: Head to Head Regionals
  • Regionals are the only path to qualifying for the Head to Head World Championships.
  • Athletes must compete in a Head to Head Regional Championship in their age/gender division.
  • Athletes may qualify for Regionals in multiple regions.
Division Spots – 32 per Age/Gender
  • Each age/gender division has a total of 32 Head to Head Worlds spots across all regions combined.
  • Those 32 spots are shared between regions based on how many athletes raced in that division during Regionals.
How Spots Are Distributed by Region
  • The number of Worlds spots a region gets for a given age/gender division is based on its share of total competitors in that division:
  • Regional Worlds spots = 32 × ( Athletes from your region in that division ÷ Athletes from all regions in that division )
  • Within each region, Head to Head Regional results determine which athletes earn those spots.
Key Takeaways for Head to Head
  • You must race at a Head to Head Regional to qualify for Head to Head Worlds.
  • Your chances depend on both:
    • How many athletes race in your division across all regions.
    • How you place at your region's Head to Head Regional.

format

what to expect at worlds

Whether competing in Tier 1, Tier 2, Head to Head or Head to Head and Tier 1 or 2, there will be multiple unique and exciting courses waiting for you.

Select any of the tiles below to explore the format in detail.

Tier 1
Overview
Discipline Circuit + Three Stages
  • Competes in Stage 1 and Discipline Circuit which includes: Speed, Endurance, and Tech courses.
  • Stage 1 and Discipline Circuit run order uses best placement from Season Standings, Regionals/All-Star, and Special Events as the first sort.
  • Run order ties are broken by additional best placements, followed by Power Score.
  • Reigning World Champions run last in their division.
  • Top 60% (OR all full clears) of Stage 1 advance to Stage 2. Top 70% (OR all clears) of Stage 2 advance to Stage 3.
  • Stages 2 and 3 run orders are determined by performance on the previous stage.
Click for more details
Tier 2
Overview
Discipline Circuit + Three Stages
  • Competes in Stage 1 and Discipline Circuit which includes: Speed, Endurance, and Tech courses.
  • Stage 1 run order uses best placement from Season Standings and Regionals/All-Star.
  • Run order ties are sorted by additional best placements.
  • No Power Scores in Tier 2; remaining ties for Stage 1 run order are randomized.
  • Stages 2 and 3 run orders are determined by performance on the previous stage.
  • Same advancement structure as Tier 1: Stage 1 → Stage 2 → Stage 3.
Click for more details
Head to Head
Overview
Double-Elimination Bracket
  • Separate circuit with double-elimination bracket-style matchups.
  • Seeding uses combined Power Score (Tier 1 + Head to Head) until 5 Head to Head events.
  • After 5 Head to Head competitions, seeding uses Head to Head Power Score only.
  • Top seeds may receive byes and practice runs in certain cases.
Click for more details
Tier 1 Worlds Format Details
Traditional Circuit
Stage 1 Run Order
  • Stage 1 run order is based on each athlete’s best overall placement from:
    • Season Regional Standings (top 12 competitions only)
    • Regional Championship or All-Star Event placement (best of the two)
    • Special Event Qualifier placement (if qualified through a special event)
  • Secondary sort for athletes with the same best placement:
    • 1st: Special Event Qualifiers
    • 2nd: Regional Championship / All-Star athletes
    • 3rd: Regular Season Standings athletes
  • Reigning World Champion in that division runs last in the Stage 1 run order.
    • If two reigning World Champions are in the same age group:
      • The World Champion of that division runs last.
      • The World Champion moving up into the division runs second to last.
  • If athletes are still tied after the secondary sort, the athlete with the higher Power Score is placed later in the run order.
  • Athletes who register after run orders are posted are placed at the beginning of their wave.
Stages & Advancement
  • Stage 1: All qualified Tier 1 athletes compete on a Flow Course built specifically for Tier 1 and scaled by division and gender.
  • Stage 2: The top 60% (or all full clears if full clears are greater than 60% of athletes) from Stage 1 advance. Stage 2 is a Flow Course that is longer and more challenging, with a longer time limit.
  • Stage 3: The top 70% (or all full clears) of athletes from Stage 2 advance. Stage 3 is the most difficult stage, heavily testing endurance. It is a Flow Course with no time limit, and time to last obstacle completed is used as a tie-breaker for placement.
  • Run order for Stages 2 and 3 is determined by performance in the previous stage.
Discipline Circuit
  • All Tier 1 athletes compete in three courses:
    • Three Discipline Circuit courses (Speed, Endurance, Tech)
  • Athletes are assigned a wave for the Discipline Circuit using the same run order formula as Stage 1.
  • Each wave is divided into three groups that rotate through the three courses until all athletes in the wave have completed each course.
  • Athletes will maintain the same order in the smaller groups throughout the rotation of the three courses to ensure consistent rest time.
Discipline Circuit Course Types
  • Speed – Flow Course: Complete the course as quickly as possible without failing. Scoring stops when an obstacle is not completed or when the time limit expires.
  • Endurance – Full Course: Designed to test grip strength and endurance with many hanging and grip-intensive obstacles.
  • Tech – Challenge Course: Designed to test technical skills and precision on more intricate obstacles.
Tier 2 Worlds Format Details
Traditional Circuit
Stage 1 Run Order
  • Stage 1 run order is based on each athlete’s best overall placement from:
    • Season Regional Standings (top 12 competitions only)
    • Regional Championship or All-Star Event placement (best of the two)
  • Secondary sort for athletes with the same best placement:
    • 1st: Regional Championship / All-Star placements
    • 2nd: Regular Season Standings placements
  • Tier 2 does not use Power Scores. If athletes are still tied after sorting, their positions are randomized within the run order.
  • Athletes who register after run orders are posted are placed at the beginning of their wave.
Stages & Advancement
  • Stage 1: All qualified Tier 2 athletes compete on a Flow Course built specifically for Tier 2 and scaled by division and gender.
  • Stage 2: The top 60% (or all full clears if full clears are greater than 60% of athletes) of athletes from Stage 1 advance. Stage 2 is a longer, more challenging Flow Course with a longer time limit.
  • Stage 3: The top 70% of athletes from Stage 2 advance (or all full clears if full clears are greater than 60% of athletes). Stage 3 is the most difficult stage and heavily tests endurance. It is a Flow Course with no time limit, and time to last obstacle completed is used as a tie-breaker for placement.
  • Run order for Stages 2 and 3 is determined by performance in the previous stage.
Discipline Circuit
  • All Tier 2 athletes compete in three courses:
    • Three Discipline Circuit courses (Speed, Endurance, Tech)
  • Athletes are assigned a wave for the Discipline Circuit using the same run order formula as Stage 1.
  • Each wave is divided into three groups that rotate through the three courses until all athletes in the wave have completed each course.
  • During the assigned wave time, athletes will complete all three courses.
Discipline Circuit Course Types
  • Speed – Flow Course: Complete the course as quickly as possible without failing. Scoring stops when an obstacle is not successfully completed or when the time limit expires.
  • Endurance – Full Course: Designed to test grip strength and endurance with many hanging obstacles.
  • Tech – Challenge Course: Designed to test technical skills and precision.
Head to Head Worlds Format Details
Worlds Course Format
  • Worlds Head to Head Courses follow the Challenge format.
Seeding & Power Scores
  • All Head to Head brackets (Standard Qualifiers, Regionals, and Championships) use Power Scores for seeding.
  • Before an athlete has competed in 5 Head to Head competitions:
    • Seeding uses the average of the athlete’s Head to Head Power Score and their Tier 1 Power Score.
    • If an athlete has not yet competed in Head to Head, their Head to Head Power Score starts at 1500.
  • After an athlete has competed in 5 or more Head to Head competitions:
    • Seeding is based solely on the athlete’s Head to Head Power Score.
  • Athletes with the highest Power Scores receive the top seeds and race against athletes with lower Power Scores.
  • If two or more athletes have the same combined or Head to Head Power Score, seeding is randomized between them.
Bracket Format & Byes
  • Head to Head uses a double-elimination bracket.
  • If the number of athletes does not perfectly fill the bracket:
    • Highest-seeded athletes may receive a bye in the first round.
Practice Runs
  • If a highest-seeded athlete’s first bracket match is against an athlete who has already run the course, the higher seed may be allowed a practice run.
  • Practice runs:
    • Are run before the bracket starts.
    • Are not recorded in NinjaWorks.
    • Cannot be used as a best course run.
    • If multiple athletes receive practice runs, they are run in pairs when possible.
    • If there is an odd number of athletes needing a practice run, the athlete with the highest Power Score runs alone.

Scoring

How championships are scored

Worlds uses standardized scoring formats. Courses are scored independently, and overall results are calculated by combining placements across key events.

Course Scoring

How each course works
Each course (Stage 1, Stage 2, Stage 3, and Discipline Circuit: Speed, Endurance, Technical) is scored independently.
    Scoring formats:
  • Stage 1, Stage 2, Stage 3, and Discipline Circuit Speed follow Flow Course scoring.
  • Endurance Discipline follows Full Course scoring.
  • Technical Discipline follows Challenge Course scoring.
  • Scores and placements do not transfer between courses.
  • Head to Head is scored independently using Head to Head Challenge Course scoring rules.

Stages & Discipline Circuit Overall

Placement totals
Rankings are based on total placements achieved across multiple courses.
    Stages Overall:
  • Adds placements from Stage 1, Stage 2, and Stage 3.
    • Discipline Circuit Overall:
  • Adds placements from Speed, Endurance, and Technical.

Tie breakers for both:
  • Compare each athlete’s best single-course placement.
  • The athlete with the best individual placement will win the tie.
  • If athletes are tied for both sum of placements and best individual placement:
    • Each athlete’s next best placement will be compared and the athlete with the better placement will win the tie.
    • Continue to compare placements until the tie is broken.
  • If athletes are tied for all placements the result will end in a true tie.

Example:
Athlete A: Stage 1 = 3rd, Stage 2 = 5th, Stage 3 = 4th
Athlete B: Stage 1 = 2nd, Stage 2 = 3rd, Stage 3 = 7th
Athlete A and B both equal 12 for total placements.
Athlete B receives the better overall placement because the best placement was 2nd and Athlete A’s best placement was 3rd.

Head to Head

Final Bracket Placement
Match Results
  • The winner stays in the main bracket.
  • The other athlete moves into the comeback bracket.
  • If an athlete is unable to win in the comeback bracket, they are eliminated.
Overall Winner
  • The Head to Head champion is the last athlete remaining in the bracket after losing two matches or fewer.

Ranking All Other Athletes:
    1. Furthest round reached:
  • Athletes who make it to later rounds are ranked higher than athletes who exit earlier.
    2. Tiebreaker for athletes exiting in the same round:
  • Use each athlete’s best single-course performance from the entire Head to Head competition. Athletes are compared by:
    • Most obstacles completed.
    • If still tied, fastest time.

Example:
Two athletes exit in Round 3.
Athlete A: best run = 3 obstacles in 30 seconds (Round 2)
Athlete B: best run = 4 obstacles in 40 seconds (Round 1)
Athlete B receives the better placement for completing more obstacles.
World Championship

Awards

Top athletes earn podium placements and special titles in a championship celebration that recognizes performances across every division.

Swipe or scroll to explore awards →

Awards Overview

Worlds award ceremonies recognize World Champions, Strongest Ninjas, top Head to Head finishers, top individual Stage and Discipline Circuit course finishers, overall Stage and Discipline Circuit, and season-long All-League Team.

World Champion

Stages-based championship title for the athlete who advances the furthest through all stages.

View full criteria
  • Determined by furthest progress across all championship stages.
  • If tied, fastest time to furthest obstacle on the latest Stage 3 will receive the better placement.
  • Elite division awards prize payouts to 1st, 2nd, and 3rd.

Strongest Ninja

Overall title for athletes with the strongest combined placements across all events.

View full criteria
  • Ranked by lowest sum of placements across all scored events.
  • Includes stages and all discipline circuit courses.
  • If tied:
    1. Compare best single event placement.
    2. If still tied, compare next best event.
    3. Continue until the tie is resolved.

Stages & Discipline Overall

Awards to recognize top overall performances across Stages and overall performace across the Discipline Circuit.

View full criteria

Stages Overall

  • Lowest combined placements across Stages 1, 2, and 3.

Discipline Circuit Overall

  • Lowest total placements across Speed, Endurance, and Technical courses.

Individual event awards

Course-specific awards for top finishes on stages and Discipline Circuit courses.

View full criteria

Individual Stage Awards

  • Final placements within each of Stage 1, Stage 2, and Stage 3 determine the individual course awards.
  • Traditional 1st, 2nd, 3rd podium spots are recognized with awards.

Discipline Circuit Awards

  • Final placements within each of 3 Discipline Circuit courses determine individual course awards.
  • Traditional 1st, 2nd, 3rd podium spots are recognized with awards.

Head to Head

Final bracket determines Head to Head placements. Traditional 1st, 2nd, and 3rd podium spots are recognized with awards.

View full criteria

Head to Head

  • Final bracket positions determine Head to Head awards.

Season & All-League

Season-long recognition highlighting consistency and skills across the year.

View full criteria
  • Season awards presented during Worlds ceremonies.
  • All Ninja Team (Tier 1): top 3 male & female per division by Power Rankings.
  • All Grip Team: highest clear rate on campusing obstacles.
  • All Balance Team: highest success on foot-dexterity obstacles.
  • Highest Season Points: top overall male & female in each division.
  • All-League awards require at least 5 competitions.

Looking for information about this season’s Worlds?

Current Season Worlds Information

Interest Form

Our Ninja Championship wouldn’t be possible without the support of amazing community members like you! We appreciate your interested in getting involved.

Please complete the interest form below and our team will be in touch with more information. 

World Ninja League

Welcome to the Premier Obstacle League. Our team is dedicated to growing the sport of ninja. We are proud to work together with our community to develop this exciting new sport. Subscribe to our email list to stay up to date on as our sport continues to grow!

Address

Level Up is opening its doors for a special qualifier!

The On-Site Qualifier is a global qualifying opportunity intended to provide equitable access to the World Championships for athletes and staff who may not otherwise have a practical pathway to qualification.

Register Here

Who: Eligibility is limited to the following individuals who have not yet qualified for the current season’s Tier 1 or Tier 2 World Championship:

  1. Non-US-based athletes, regardless of country of residence

  2. Staff members of facilities that hosted a Regional Championship or All-Star Competition during the current season.

What: A single course that will follow the Challenge Course format scoring and rules, as well as applicable standards for Tier 1 and Tier 2.

Why: Successful full completion of the designated course will earn the athlete qualification to the current season’s corresponding Tier 1 or Tier 2 World Championship.

Where: Level Up
117-F, Liberty Dr, Thomasville, NC 27360

When: Wednesday June 17, 2026

8:30 AM: Young Adult, Adult, Elite, Masters

10:30 AM: Preteen and Teen

12:30 PM: Kids and Mature Kids

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