Judging and Scoring Criteria

The referee is the sole arbiter of the match.  In the event of regulation time expiring with neither competitor securing a submission, it is the referee who evaluate the regulation period based on effective submission attempts, positional control, sweeps & reversals, takedowns & throws, and finally aggression.

Any submission attempt that disrupts a position or strategic approach will be considered an effective submission attempt.  The fighter with more significant attempts will be valued higher.

Positional control will be evaluated based on the ability to strike one’s opponent.  The fighter in position to strike for a longer duration of time will be valued higher.

Effective takedowns & throws can be defined as taking an opponent off their feet in a controlling and offensive manner. The attacker must maintain positional control for 2 full seconds after a takedown has been completed.

Slams are not permitted and are defined as malicious and intentionally driving one's opponent into the competition surface with force.

Allowable Techniques:

• Arm Locks
• Shoulder Locks
• All Chokes / Strangles
• Bicep / Calf Slicer
• Reaping
• Spine Locks / Twister
• Wrist Lock
• Neck Cranks
• Knee Bar / Straight Ankle Lock
• Scissor Takedown 
• Jumping Guard
• Flying Submissions 
• Z Lock / Hip Lock 
• Toe Hold 
• Heel Hook 

Non Allowable Techniques:

• Slams
• Striking
• Gripping Opponent's attire in a Non-Gi Match

Fouls and Penalties

Fouls that can result in penalties or disqualifications. Some common fouls include:

• Eye-gouging or fish-hooking
• Striking
• Greasing
• Small Joint manipulation (must grab 4 or more fingers or toes.)
• Slams
• Hair Pulling
• Grabbing peripheral objects
• Holding the opponent’s shorts or attire (unless in a Gi match)
• Intentional fleeing the competition area

Referees have the authority to penalize fighters for committing fouls and the authority to determine when a foul has occured. A warning may be issued for minor infractions, while more severe or repeated fouls can result in disqualification. The severity of the penalty depends on the referee’s discretion and the impact of the foul on the opponent.  Fighters must follow all instruction given by the referee.