Circle of Iron BJJ

General Rules

1 Authority during matches.

1.1 The referee has complete authority during live matches.

1.2 Only the referee may start or stop a match.

1.3 The final ruling in matches is determined solely by the referee.

2 Hygiene.

2.1 All competitors must maintain proper hygiene.

2.2 Proper hygiene includes trimmed fingernails and toenails, and long hair must be tied up.

2.3 No athlete may compete with any infectious skin diseases or open wounds.

2.4 No oils or lubricants may be used by competitors.

2.5 No jewelry or piercings may be worn by competitors during matches.

2.6 No bodily fluids may exit a competitor during a match.

2.7 The medical staff may disqualify a competitor due to improper hygiene.

3 Requirements for competition.

3.1 All competitors must register for events in advance.

3.2 Professional MMA competitors, Olympic or collegiate wrestlers, and black belts in grappling arts such as Judo or Sambo, cannot register in white belt divisions.

3.3 All competitors must be within their weight requirements at the time their divisions begin.

3.4 All competitors must have a properly fitting gi at the time their divisions begin.

3.5 The referee may disqualify a competitor if they do not meet the requirements of their division.

4 Match decisions.

4.1 No matches shall end in a draw.

4.2 Matches can be won by:

Submission

Points

Referee decision

Forfeiture

Disqualification

Athlete injury

4.3 Win by submission.

4.3.1 A submission is defined as when a competitor visibly taps with a hand or foot repeatedly, verbally requests the match to stop, or cries out in pain during a match.

4.3.2 In Youth Divisions the referee may stop a match prior to submission if they feel the risk of injury is too high.

4.3.3 If a competitor submits due to an illegal technique, the competitor that applied the illegal technique shall be disqualified.

4.4 Win by points.

4.4.1 If the match time ends with no submission then the competitor with the most points shall be declared the victor.

4.4.2 The point system is as follows:

2 points – Takedown, sweep from guard, or knee on belly.

3 points – Guard pass.

4 points – Mount, back mount, or back control with leg hooks.

4.4.3 The competitor must establish position changes for a minimum of three seconds to earn points.

4.4.4 These position changes can be stacked for cumulative points but the final position must be held for the required time.

4.4.5 If a match runs out of time and points are tied, the referee will direct a one minute sudden death round. If points are tied after the sudden death round, then the victor shall be decided by referee decision.

4.5 Win by referee decision.

4.5.1 If points are tied after the sudden death round, the referee will decide the victor.

4.5.2 The referee decision shall be based on penalties, dominant positioning, and submission attempts.

4.6 Win by forfeiture.

4.6.1 Any competitor may forfeit any match at any time. If this is the case then their opponent shall be declared the victor.

4.7 Win by disqualification.

4.7.1 A competitor may be disqualified for not meeting division guidelines, hygienic guidelines, or due to penalties or fouls.

4.7.2 If a competitor is disqualified for any reason then their opponent shall be declared the victor.

4.8 Win by athlete injury.

4.8.1 If a competitor cannot compete or continue to compete in a match due to an injury not involving any illegal techniques, then their opponent shall be declared the victor.

4.8.2 If a competitor cannot finish a match due to injury resulting from an illegal technique, then the injured competitor shall be declared the victor.

5 Legal and illegal techniques.

6 Penalties.

6.1 During a match the referee may declare a penalty at any time.

6.2 The first penalty shall result in a verbal warning. The second penalty shall result in two points being awarded to the offender’s opponent. The third penalty shall result in the disqualification of the offender.

6.3 In Youth Divisions a competitor shall not be disqualified until they have accumulated five penalties.

6.4 Penalties shall be declared if any competitor conducts any of the following activities:

Fleeing from the match for any reason

Lack of combativeness or attempts at forward progress

Gripping with the fingers inside the opponent’s sleeve or pant leg

Placing a hand or foot directly on the opponent’s face

Striking with any part of the body

Malicious slamming of an opponent to the ground

Small joint manipulation (Competitors must grab three or more fingers or toes at a time)

Biting, hair pulling, or fishhooking

Invading any orifice of an opponent

7 Fouls.

7.1 A foul can be declared at any time by any referee.

7.2 The declaring referee may disqualify any competitor for any foul.

7.3 Fouls shall be declared if any competitor conducts any of the following activities:

Use of foul or otherwise insulting language towards anyone

Refusing to comply with a referee’s instructions

Interference of a match by a coach or teammate

Attacking anyone outside of a regulated match

Any type of unsportsmanlike conduct

8 Injury.

8.1 In case of any injury, the injured person is to find the nearest staff member and ask for medical assistance.

8.2 In case of an injury during a match, the injured person is to hold still and wait for referee instructions. The referee will summon the medical staff onto the mats for diagnosis.