Sport Submission Wrestling / Submission LeagueTM Rules
Contests take place on a 20ft by 20ft mat ring. Matches start from standing. Competitors who move onto or outside the ring border when standing can (at the discretion of the referee) be restarted standing in the center of the mat. If competitors move outside the ring while engaged on the ground the action may be frozen and moved back to the center of the mat, in position. Deliberately or repeatedly moving outside the area will be considered as stalling and penalized accordingly.
Ways to win:
Submission (physical and verbal), Referees Stoppage (medical or rule infringement), Corner stops fight.
Time limit:
1 x 4min round per bout
Legal Techniques
Beginner, Intermediate Male, Female, and Youth Divisions
- Any kind of choke (except for using the hand to close the wind pipe)*
- Any armbar, shoulder lock, or wrist lock.
- The following leg locks: knee bar and Achilles lock*
* For youth divisions, chokes and leg locks depend on age and ability
Legal Techniques
Advanced Adults
- Any kind of choke (except for using the hand to close the wind pipe).
- Any armbar, shoulder lock, or wrist lock.
- Any leg lock or ankle lock (heel hooks and toe locks are legal)
Illegal Techniques
(unless explicitly stated for that division)
- No twisting leg locks (heel hooks or toe locks)
- No neck cranks
- No "Full Nelson" and "Crucifix"
- No striking of any kind
- No deliberate slamming of an opponent
- No spiking an opponent onto their head
- No eye gouging or fish hooking
- No grabbing the ears
- No hair pulling
- No finger or toe holds
- No thumbing
- No scratching and pinching
- No kicking
- No biting
- No touching the groin area
- No knees or elbows on face
- No slippery substances allowed on body or clothing
- No use of T-Shirt in the applying of a submission.
- No passivity or fleeing the mat: deliberately or repeatedly moving outside the designated mat area, stalling or refusing to engage with an opponent. Committing 3 fouls in a match results in an automatic disqualification
Good sportsmanship
is expected at all times: no spitting, swearing, or disobeying of a referee's
verbal command.
The referee has FULL discretion to disqualify a competitor immediately after
a serious, dangerous or deliberate foul.
Blood stoppage:
Two minutes will be allowed for a cut to stop bleeding. Medical staff can stop a
fight immediately if the injury is determined to be too serious.
Referees:
The referee can stop or restart a match at any time if he considers it necessary for safety reasons. The referee’s decision is final and non-negotiable.
Scoring system:
The league runs using a pool format - competitors will face every competitor in his/her pool. There are no points awarded within a match ... points are only awarded based on the outcome of a match: 3 points for a win (submission), 1 point for a draw (1 point goes to each competitor), and 0 for a loss. At the end of the competition the "per match average points" are tallied for each competitor and entered into the season table. The top 3 best events will be calculated for each competitor at the end of the season, thereby determining the season championship pools. The 6-12 competitor* with the highest scores will meet in the Championship in June.
* If a division has less than 6 athletes, a smaller Championship pool will be created.
Registration - Athletes
All competitors are STRONGLY encouraged to pre- register for their intended weight category. At weigh-ins competitors will be given 2 chances to make the weight, if they fail on the second chance they will be placed in the heavier division and begin a new per match average tally. It is the competitor responsibility to show up within their declared weight class.
All pools / brackets will be posted (with a rough schedule) in the main training facility.