Craig Jones Invitational Rules

Time Limits

The regular time limit rules apply for all matches except for the finals. Separate rules apply for the finals in each bracket.

1. Regular time limits

  • rounds of 5 minutes

  • 1 minute rest in-between rounds

2. Time limits for finals

  • 5 rounds of 5 minutes + 5 minutes of overtime if points are drawn after round 5 (multiple rounds until one athlete is up on points)

  • 1 minute rest in-between rounds

Legal Techniques

  • All chokes except using the hand to close the windpipe.

  • Any arm bar, shoulder lock, or wrist lock

  • Any Leg Lock or Ankle Lock

  • Can Opener is allowed.

  • Twister is allowed.

    Full Nelson is allowed.

Illegal Techniques

  • Slamming is allowed only if you are locked in a submission. If your opponent lets

  • go of the submission before you begin the slam, you must let go and abort the slam.

  • No spiking your opponent on their head.

  • No striking of any kind

  • No eye gouging or fish hooking

  • No grabbing the ears

  • No hair pulling.

  • No holding of less than four fingers or toes.

  • No thumbing.

  • No scratching, pinching, or biting.

  • No squeezing or putting pressure on the groin area.

  • No knees or elbows to the face.

  • No slippery substances allowed on body or clothing.

  • No holding of rashguards or shorts.

Referee and Judges

  • Judges will have indicators to signal the referee when they feel:

    • Warning should be given

    • Stalling should be enforced

    • Referee will take judge’s notce into consideration but will retain sole discretion on call and enforcement of Warnings and Stalling penalty.

  • Referee, following a warning notification, can enforce a stalling penalty. In their sole discretion, referee may:

    • Apply a negative point

    • Apply a negative point and reset the position

Scoring

General Scoring Criteria

Rounds will be judged individually on a 10-Point Must System. Under the 10-Point Must Scoring System, 10 points must be awarded to the winner of the round and 9 points or less must be awarded to the loser. A submission always leads to an immediate win of the entire match.

In all matches except for the final round of each division: If both athletes end up with the same score (e.g. 28-28), the athlete who won the third round will be determined the winner. In case of a draw in the final rounds, the match will continue in overtime (see

  1. The following criteria shall be utilized by the judges when scoring a round:

    1. A round is to be scored as a 10-9 round when an athlete wins by a close margin.

    2. A round is to be scored as a 10-8 round when an athlete is overwhelmingly dominant throughout the round.

    3. A round is to be scored a 10-7 round when an athlete totally dominate throughout the round and almost finishes the opponent.

JUDGING CRITERIA RANKED

  1. INITIATING ACTION – the highest reward is for initiating action. Attempting takedowns, guard pass, sweeps, submissions, etc. Judges will give the highest reward to the competitor who is aggressive, the one starting the action and attacking that leads to scrambles. II.

  2. CLOSE SUBMISSIONS & DYNAMIC ACTION – Dynamic Action is takedowns, sweeps, passes, etc. After initiating action, progressing through control and position to sub attempts weighs heavy on judges. III.

  3. POSITIONAL CONTROL/DOMINANT CONTROL – This is the last factor. If all else is equal, the competitor who controlled the match positionally or dictated the pace of the match will be rewarded.

Penalties

Stalling and Passivity

  • Stalling and passivity will be determined by the referee when one athlete is purposely slowing the pace, aggression, or flow of the match with no apparent strategy to progress, move to a more dominant position or set up a submission.

    • Stalling can be called from ANY position (including front or backmounted positions, as well as all defensive positions) if the referee determines there is no attempt to progress to submission, escape a pinned position or stay active.

    • Passivity can be defined as an athlete who avoids contact or engagement with their opponent.

  • When referee determines an athlete is stalling:

    • Referee will announce “Stalling Warning” to the athlete.

    • If the athlete does not make an attempt to initiate action shortly after receiving the warning, a point will be deducted. `

  • Stalling will be enforced if any part of an athlete’s back is touching the ground for more than 3 seconds without any connection to the opponent.

    • A fighter cannot flee or run from a guard pull, they must defend, break or engage the position. Fleeing or running from engagement or an attack counts as stalling.

    • If an athlete’s hands or feet touch the top of the pit, the athlete will be penalized by a warning, and, if ohense is repeated, by a point deduction.

Point Deduction

  • If a point is being deducted for stalling:

    • The referee shall call timeout.

    • The referee shall order the ohending athlete to a neutral location.

    • The referee shall then inform the corners and the judges of the point being deduced.

    • The referee shall reset the athletes in a neutral position (standing without connection).

  • If an athlete uses an illegal technique and renders the opponent injured or otherwise unable to continue fighting immediately:

    • The referee shall call timeout.

    • The referee shall order the ohending athlete to a neutral location.

    • The referee shall allow the injured athlete up to 5 minutes to recover from the foul.

    • The referee shall then determine whether the foul was intentional. If he deems the foul to be intentional, the referee shall deduce a point and inform the corners and the judges of the point deduction.

    • If the injured athlete is able to continue within or after 5 minutes, the referee shall reset the athletes in the same position they were in before the foul occurred.

    • If the injured athlete is unable to continue within or after 5 minutes, the referee may decide, based on the severity of the foul,

      • To disqualify the ohending athlete

      • To discontinue the match and decide a winner based on the current scorecards. Incomplete rounds should be scored utilizing the same criteria as the scoring of other rounds up to the point said incomplete round is stopped.

  • If an athlete intentionally uses an illegal technique and the opponent is not injured or otherwise unable to continue fighting immediately:

    • The referee shall notify the ohending athlete of the foul.

    • The referee shall then determine whether the foul was intentional. If he deems foul to be intentional, the referee shall let the match continue an inform the corners and judges of the point deduction after the round.