Protective Gear

1. At a minimum competitors will wear dipped foam pads:

   1. Hand pads - fully cover the fingers

   2. Foot pads – fully cover the toes and the heal

   3. Head pad – covers the side, top, and back of the head.  Face shield not required

   4. Mouth Guard – Dental insert to protect your teeth

   5. ​Groin protection – highly recommended​

Brackets

1. All competitors will spar at least twice.

   1. Tournaments are as much about learning and exposure as they are about competition.  Everybody deserves to get the most out of the experience.

2. Depending on division size the competition will be arranged as either:

   1. Traditional “bracket” style - winners advance towards the final

      1. This will not be double elimination.  Competitors who are defeated in their first match will spar each other for experience, or to determine 3rd place.

   2. Round Robin – each competitor faces every other competitor and the best record wins.

Competition

1. Rounds will be 2 minutes.

   1. Continuous time.  The clock will not stop unless there is an injury, warning, or the head judge determines there has been an unnecessary delay.

2. First person to score 7 points, or person with the most points at the end of the round, wins.

3. All techniques are worth 1 point, except a kick to the head is worth 2 points.

4. You cannot score from outside the ring; you must have at least one foot in the ring to score.

5. Points will be awarded when the majority of judges award the same points to the same competitor.

   1. Judges will call break when they deem a point should be awarded.

   2. Head judge will place competitors back in the center of the ring.

   3. Head judge will command “Judges Call.”

   4. Judges will either point to the competitor to receive a point and hold up 1 or 2 fingers for the score or make no motion at all.

   5. If calling an infraction make a slashing motion down and toward the person who made the infraction and loudly call foul.

      1. The center referee will confer and issue a warning as warranted.​

6. Legal techniques:

   1. Kicks – front, crescent, round, turning, side, hook, jump, spin, ect..

   2. Hands– punch, ridge hand, hammer fist, back fist, palm strike 

7. Illegal techniques:

   1. Blind techniques – you must be looking at your target to strike

   2. Sweeps / take-downs – you may not intentionally take your opponent to the ground

   3. Grabs – you may not grab and hold your opponent in any fashion

   4. Open handed spearing type attack (strike cannot be designed to hit with the finger tips)

8. Legal Targets:

   1. Chest/stomach – legal for all ages and ranks – must be above the waist.

   2. Ribs – legal for all ages and ranks – must be above the waist and in front of the “shoulder seam.”

   3. Head – legal for all ages and ranks – Only padded areas of the head are legal targets to include the side, back, top, and forehead.  The face (includeing jawline and chin) is not a legal target.

9. Illegal Targets:

   1. Legs

   2. Groin

   3. Anything below the waist line

   4. Back and spine

   5. Face (including jawline and chin)

   6. Neck and throat area

   7. A downed opponent

10. Warnings:

    1. Excessive contact – This is a FRIENDLY tournament, and everyone expects to go home safe and healthy.

       1. Light contact point sparring.​

       2. Judges must use best judgement when determining if contact was excessive.

          1. Was contact excessive due to lack of restraint, or becasue opponents charged into each other?​

          2. Did the head snap or deflect sharply at impact?

    2. Repeatedly attacking illegal target areas.

    3. Using illegal techniques.

    4. Avoiding the fight

       1. Turning to present the back to an attack with no intent to counter

       2. Running out of the ring

11. Disqualifications:

    1. Drawing Blood.

    2. 2nd warning.

    3. Purposely using excessive force.

    4. Purposely throwing, tripping, sweeping, or taking down an opponent.