American Grappling Federation General Rules and Competition Guidelines 2015 Last Update: January 2015
Table of Contents Page 3 Divisions - Age Groups - Experience Levels - Gi and No Gi Weight Divisions Page 9 Match Durations - Gi Divisions - No Gi Divisions Page 10 Scoring - No Gi Division Specific Rules - Points Gi and No Gi - Advantages - Submission - Referee Stoppage - Overtime Page 12 Disqualification Page 14 Hygiene and Uniform Guidelines - Hygiene Guidelines - Uniform Guidelines Page 16 Illegal Techniques - Kids No Gi Illegal Techniques - Teens No Gi Illegal Techniques - Juveniles No Gi Illegal Techniques - Adults / Masters / Seniors No Gi Illegal Techniques - Kids / Teens Gi Illegal Techniques - Juvenile / Adults / Masters / Seniors Gi Illegal Techniques 2 P age
Divisions No matter what your weight, age or skill level, the American Grappling Federation has you covered! With well over 1,800 possible weight, age and experience combinations, we are certain we can find a division for you. When creating divisions, it is common to mix the genders for the Kids divisions in order to ensure matches. Genders will not be mixed in the Juvenile, Adult, Masters, or Seniors divisions. Age Groups Our age groups are broken down into Kids, Juveniles, Adults, Masters and Seniors. When selecting your proper age category, you should use the one that properly reflects your age on the date of the tournament. Kids (4-15 years old) - Tiny Kids (4-6 years old) - Kids (7-9 years old) - Pre Teen (10-12 years old) - Teen (12-15 years old) Juvenile (16-17 years old) Adult (18-29 years old) Masters (30-39 years old) Seniors (40 years old and above) 3 P age
Experience Levels Gi - Kids o o o o o White Grey Grey/White stripe Sold Grey Grey/Black stripe Yellow Yellow /White stripe Sold Yellow Yellow /Black stripe Orange Orange /White stripe Sold Orange Orange /Black stripe Green Green /White stripe Sold Green Green /Black stripe - Juvenile, Adults, Masters and Seniors o White o Blue o Purple o Brown o Black In the gi divisions, you must register for the division you hold rank in. Example: If you are a Blue belt in Brazilian Jiu Jitsu, you can only compete in the Blue belt division. You cannot register as a Purple belt. 4 P age
No Gi - Kids o o o o o Novice (< 6 months) Beginner (6 months 1 year) Intermediate (1 2 years) Advanced (2 3 years) Pro (3+ years) - Juvenile, Adults, Masters and Seniors o Beginner (< 1 year) o Intermediate (1 2 years) o Advanced (2 4 years) o Pro (4+ years) Any experience in submission grappling arts such as (but not excluded to) Judo, Sambo, Submission Wrestling, Brazilian Jiu Jitsu, Catch Wrestling, or Japanese Ju Jitsu will count in experience for the No Gi divisions. Wrestlers must not start in Novice in the Kids division. Adult wrestlers must start at Beginner and then ADD submission grappling experience to figure out their division level. Examples: A child that has been training BJJ for 2.5 years and has a rank of Yellow belt in BJJ, but has only trained a handful of times in no gi grappling, must register in the Intermediate division. An adult who trained 4 years of wrestling in High School, but has a rank of White belt in BJJ, must register in the Pro division when competing in our no gi divisions. 5 P age
Gi and No Gi Weight Divisions Kids can easily fluctuate in weight over the course of a few weeks. Because of this, all kid competitors will be permitted a 1 lb allowance when weighing in for their matches. However, it is advised that if your child is close to the maximum weight limit, that you register them at a higher weight class to avoid disqualification. All weigh ins are conducted WITHOUT the gi. Kids weight classes are separated by 10 lbs. Juvenile, Adult, Masters, and Seniors weight classes are separated by 15 lbs. Kids Weight LBS Light Rooster 45 Rooster 55 Light Feather 65 Feather 75 Light 85 Middle 95 Medium Heavy 105 Heavy 115 Super Heavy 125 Ultra Heavy 145 Super Ultra Heavy 146 + 6 P age
Juveniles, Adults, Masters and Seniors (Male) Weight LBS Light Rooster 115 Rooster 130 Light Feather 145 Feather 160 Light 175 Middle 190 Medium Heavy 205 Heavy 220 Super Heavy 235 Ultra Heavy 236 + Open Class Any Weight 7 P age
Juveniles, Adults, Masters and Seniors (Female) Weight LBS Light Rooster 105 Light Feather 120 Feather 135 Light 150 Middle 165 Medium Heavy 180 Heavy 180 + Open Class Any Weight Open Class (Absolute) The Open Class divisions are for competitors who wish to compete in their age and experience division, regardless of weight restrictions. Example: A competitor can be in the adult Purple belt Open Class (Absolute) and compete against other Purple belt ranked adults of any weight. 8 P age
Match Durations Gi Divisions - Tiny Kids 2 minutes - Kids 3 minutes - Pre Teen 3 minutes - Teen 4 minutes - Juvenile 5 minutes - Adult o White 5 minutes o Blue 6 minutes o Purple 6 minutes o Brown 6 minutes o Black 6 minutes - Master o White 5 minutes o Blue 5 minutes o Purple 6 minutes o Brown 6 minutes o Black 6 minutes - Senior o White 5 minutes o Blue 5 minutes o Purple 5 minutes o Brown 5 minutes o Black 5 minutes No Gi Divisions - Tiny Kids 2 minutes - Kids 3 minutes - Pre Teen 3 minutes - Teen 4 minutes - Juvenile 5 minutes - Adult o Beginner - 5 minutes o Intermediate 5 minutes o Advanced 6 minutes o Pro 6 minutes - Master - 5 minutes - Senior 5 minutes The No Gi divisions have time specific scoring rules. Please refer to the Scoring section for more information. 9 P age
Scoring No Gi Division Specific Rules Points are not scored for the first half of all of our No Gi matches. This is designed to encourage submission attempts and not penalize competitors willing to be more aggressive. If a person is in a position that would be awarded points, such as back, mount or knee on belly, the position must be held for 3 seconds after the Point Half has started. Action points such as passing the guard, takedown and sweeps will not be awarded when points begin. The full action must take place after points begin. Points Gi and No Gi Action Points Takedown 2 Sweep 2 Knee on Belly 2 Guard Pass 3 Back (Body Triangle or Hooks) 4 Mount 4 All takedowns, guard passes, sweeps to side control/north-south control, knee on belly, mounts and back control must be held for 3 seconds in order for points to be awarded. Points will not be awarded for competitors who voluntarily abandon a position and then regain that same position. 10 P age
Advantages Advantages are only awarded for strong submission attempts. The submission must be defended in order for the advantage to be given. If the submission was not defended, it would cause a tap. Submission A competitor wins via submission by forcing an opponent to: - Physically tap o Tap with hand on an opponent or on the mat o Tap with foot on the mat - Verbally tap o Request the referee to stop the match o Yell in pain while a match is in progress Referee Stoppage The referee has the ability to stop a match when a competitor is caught in a submission that could cause a serious injury. Overtime There is no referee decision. Overtime is applied when the score is tied (points and advantages are equal). Overtime will begin immediately after the regulation time period ends. The winner is determined by first to points or advantage. In a submission only division, the winner is determined by first to advantage or submission. 11 P age
Disqualification There are numerous ways an opponent can be disqualified. The disqualification can be specific to a match or the tournament in general. Verbal request If a referee or ring coordinator receives a verbal request from the competitor or the competitor s coach. Failure to report when bracket is called If the competitor does not show up when the competitor s name is called. Uniform requirements not properly met Please see the uniform guidelines (page 14). Equipment malfunction Please see the uniform guidelines (page 14). Unsportsmanlike conduct These infractions may result in the competitor being disqualified or a warning/penalty being assessed. The fouls are not limited to, but include: - Striking of any type - Biting - Spitting - Eye gouging - Groin attacks - Hair pulling - Fish hooking - Small joint manipulation - Putting fingers in any orifice - Excessive talking during the match 12 P age
Rule infractions These infractions will result in the competitor being disqualified. The fouls are not limited to, but include: - Slamming - Scissor take downs - Clawing, pinching or twisting of skin - Use of foul language - Immoral acts directed towards any member of the staff, crowd or competitor - Malicious conduct - Any contact with the referee - Interference by a coach - Attacking an opponent after a match has been stopped - Performing any illegal submission attempt for that particular division Medical issues Not limited to, but including: cramping, vomiting, loss of bowels, loss of consciousness, or bleeding that cannot be stopped a second time. Example: If a competitor bleeds from the nose and stops the bleeding, he can continue. If his lip starts bleeding, he is allowed to stop that bleeding and continue. However, the same spot cannot bleed more than once. Excessive penalties/warnings After sufficient warnings have been made, it is the referee s discretion to disqualify an opponent if the action continues. 13 P age
Hygiene and Uniform Guidelines Competitors must follow the uniform and hygiene requirements in order to be permitted to compete. Failure to comply will result in disqualification. Hygiene Guidelines - Finger and toenails must be trimmed with no sharp edges - Finger and toenails must be clean with no dirt underneath them - Competitors with long hair must have it controlled so that it does not interfere with either the competitor or their opponent - Competitor must not have any open cuts or lacerations - Competitor cannot compete if they have any active skin infections: ringworm, staph, herpes, chicken pox, etc - Skin must be dry and not be slippery (no lotions, oils or grease that can cause excess slippage) Uniform Guidelines General allowances - Cups are permitted - Headgear of any type is not permitted - Mouthpieces are recommended but not required - Wrestling shoes are not permitted - Knee braces are permitted only if specific permission has been given by the tournament director Gi - Competitor must wear a valid BJJ kimono - The kimono must not have any tears or loose thread - The kimono must be clean and be free of any excessive stains and odors - Any color kimono is permitted, however the top and bottoms must match - Belt must be intact and in good shape - Pants cannot be shorter than 4 inches above the ankle bone - Jacket sleeves cannot be shorter than 3 inches from the wrist - Patches cannot be used in a manner that prevents grips or to cover tears - Competitors are not allowed to wear rash guards under their gi unless specific permission is granted by the tournament director. Female competitors are excluded from this rule. - Competitors are not allowed to wear t-shirts under their gi 14 P age
No Gi - Competitor must wear a rash guard (t-shirts are not permitted) - Short and long sleeve rash guards are permitted - Competitor may wear fight shorts, board shorts, spats or Lycra shorts. - Kimono pants are not permitted - Shorts with metal grommets are not permitted - Shorts with pockets are not permitted - Shorts with strings are permitted, however the strings must be tucked in and the pants tied tight so that the pants do not fall off during a match If a uniform is damaged during a match, the referee will allow a competitor 5 minutes to change the uniform and return to the match. If the period of time exceeds 5 minutes, then the referee will disqualify the competitor. 15 P age
Illegal Techniques Kids No Gi Illegal Techniques Novice, Beginner, Intermediate, Advanced and Pro - NO Banana splits - NO Bicep slicers - NO Body lock inside the closed guard - NO Calf slicer - NO Ezekial chokes - NO Kneebar - NO Straight foot lock - NO Toe hold - NO Wrist lock 16 P age
Teens No Gi Illegal Techniques Novice, Beginner, Intermediate and Advanced - NO Banana splits - NO Bicep slicers - NO Body lock inside the closed guard - NO Calf slicer - NO Ezekial chokes - NO Kneebar - NO Straight foot lock - NO Toe hold - NO Wrist lock Pro - NO Bicep slicers - NO Body lock inside the closed guard - NO Calf slicer - NO Ezekial chokes - NO Kneebar - NO Straight foot lock - NO Toe hold - NO Wrist lock 17 P age
Juveniles No Gi Illegal Techniques Novice, Beginner, Intermediate and Advanced - NO Banana splits - NO Bicep slicers - NO Body lock inside the closed guard - NO Calf slicer - NO Kneebar - NO Straight foot lock - NO Toe hold - NO Wrist lock Pro - NO Bicep slicers - NO Body lock inside the closed guard - NO Calf slicer - NO Kneebar - NO Straight foot lock - NO Toe hold - NO Wrist lock 18 P age
Adults / Masters / Seniors No Gi Illegal Techniques Beginner - NO Bicep slicers - NO Calf slicer Intermediate Advanced and Pro 19 P age
Kids / Teens Gi Illegal Techniques Kids - NO Banana splits - NO Bicep slicers - NO Body lock inside the closed guard - NO Calf slicer - NO Kneebar - NO Straight foot lock - NO Toe hold - NO Wrist lock Teen - NO Bicep slicers - NO Body lock inside the closed guard - NO Calf slicer - NO Kneebar - NO Straight foot lock - NO Toe hold - NO Wrist lock 20 P age
Juvenile / Adults / Masters / Seniors Gi Illegal Techniques White - NO Bicep slicers - NO Body lock inside the closed guard - NO Calf slicer - NO Kneebar - NO Toe hold - NO Wrist lock Blue - NO Bicep slicers - NO Calf slicer - NO Kneebar - NO Toe hold Purple, Brown and Black 21 P age