POINT SUBMISSION-SPARRING RULES

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Bison Rules

(SUBMISSION GRAPPLING ONLY)
Long Rules and Referee notes

Purpose: To combine the safety & crowd appeal of Judo & Sombo with the practicality of Brazilian style Jujitsu.
The purpose it to provide a middle ground for grapplers. Judo, Jujitsu, Sombo, Catch and other grappling styles. Grappling has enjoyed an upsurge in popularity in recent years. But there has been no one format that allows these styles to play together on equal footing outside of the NHB formats which lack appeal for novices and masters alike. The lack of control in this format is more likely to lead to injury.
While the Judo, Jujitsu and Sombo community are all growing and each individual sport has merit; combining adds to the strength of all. We add number of players, styles and the players will need to increase their versatility to improve and to win. The idea is that no one gets to remain stagnant.

3 continuous action periods (periods will be 2 minutes.) with a one minute break between periods.
Using a round format allows players more mat time and demands more skill to win. Also it encourages players to be more aggressive and attack orientated. Unlike judo or single round submission matches here the match can not be won with a single technique. Imagine if you will that football games where decided by the first score. Offences would become very conservative. The multi-round format encourages player to take offensive chances.
Also players will generally need more versatility to win two rounds since most high level players will not get stuck with the same technique twice.
The shorter rounds encourage more aggressive offense (no sitting in the guard for five minutes waiting for something to happen). If you only have two minutes you have to make something happen.
The two minute round system also gives players more mat time in most cases then the standard single round five or even ten minute format. Nothing is more disheartening for a player to get to a tournament, pay his money for a five minute match make a single mistake and get beat in 30 seconds and have his day end right there. I hate seeing players leave with unweary legs, non-sweat soaked gis and nothing but a broken heart to show for their efforts. In this format that mistake only costs one round and the player is right back at it. Matches can last up to six minutes. At our grappling buffet table we try to ensure no one leaves hungry.

The match goes to the player who wins the majority of periods. Each period is an independent "mini-match". If there is no submission the period goes to the player with the most points. Points are totaled at the end of each period. In the rare event of a tie the match will go to the player with the most points. Submissions count for 100 points; plus one point for every second remaining in the match (experimental rule).

SCORING

10 Points -for a top/back mount. Held for 15 seconds**
For a back mount it is not necessary to have your hooks in; but you must have your opponent under control. Riding is not a back mount. If the bottom man can buck, thrash and roll and all you are doing is holding on and are not able to establish any offense you do not have a mount. A mount position means that you have established a position that allows you to work on techniques while your opponent is forced onto defense.

6 Points - for a side (cross-body) mount (opponent mostly on back), (e.g. headlock).Held for 15 seconds**
The 15 second count will start very quickly. As soon at the Referee believes that a hold down or mount has been established s/he will begin to count.
Once a hold down or mount is held long enough for a score the scoring player must move to a new technique or a submission. If they can not/ will not move within 20 seconds the referee will break the action and stand the player up. Note the referee will only stand the players up if there is no action. This should be very rare.

Switching from one hold down to the other. Points will be awarded for the type of hold the player has at the end of the 15 second count; but the player has held for a minimum of five seconds. For example player one has player b is a side hold down. He switches to a mount at the count of 8 - then holds the mount to 15 seconds. This would be a 10 point technique. If the reverse was the case (mount to side hold down) the points would be 6.
Now if the side hold down was held to the count of eleven and then switched to a mount the points would be 6; but the holder could then keep the mount for the full 15 for a 10 point mount.

No matter what the case is no hold down is worth points is held less then 15 seconds.

(Optional rule under consideration): If you have a holddown / mount in the final 5 seconds of a round you will be awarded 1 point)

(Optional Rule under consideration): Give 1 point for a hold down or mount held for 5 seconds and the balance of the points after 15 seconds.

(Optional Rule under consideration): Give 1 point for a hold down after 10 seconds and second after 20. @ points for a 10 second mount and 4 for 20 seconds.

10 Points - for throwing mostly on the back with follow-up control & force***

6 points - for throws lacking in one of the above criteria (All throws must be reasonably forceful.)

4 points - for throws lacking in two of the above criteria (e.g. throwing on the back but lacking in follow-up control & force)

4 Points - for throwing on hip/buttock/thigh/both knees with follow-up control & force

2 point - for throwing on the hip/buttock/thigh/both knees but lacking in force or follow-up control

1 point - for wrestling take down or tackle that does not bring the thrower into a full mount.

1/2 point (extra) for first scoring technique in the round or first clearly established advantageous position. This is to prevent ties & encourage immediate action.
The main reason behind this rule is to remove the referee from the equation and to eliminate ties. Referee decisions are shaky at best. This half point eliminates most ties. Giving the point to the first scoring technique is clear enough. Where is gets a little confusing is the " first clearly established advantageous position." This is left somewhat to the referee's discretion within this guide line. The first player to gain a position that affords himself offensive possibilities while limiting his/her opponent to defense. Clear enough? No, O.k. here are some examples.

A pulls B into a guard (B enters guard passively i.e. not slamming A into the ground). This alone would not be enough to grant " advantageous position." To gain an advantage B must escape the guard. From a half guard A can gain the advantage point is he is able to establish and offensive position. i.e. - Body erect, forcing pressure on B; turking his body, breaking B's posture, etc.. No matter what A does from the guard however he can not gain the advantage from the guard. Even in BJJ style jujitsu where fighting from the guard is the preferred position the guard is recognized as a defensive position. From the guard it is not possible to gain the advantage point until a successful technique is performed (i.e. an armbar, sweep, choke, etc). Defense will not be rewarded.
The man on top is encouraged to work for a technique or be subject to a stalling penalty.

Submission or referee intervention to prevent injury- ends the period & the period is automatically won by the player who initiated the submission technique.
Submissions are called on a better safe then sorry criteria. At times a referee may call a submission early. However it is better then calling one too late. Referees can also reverse a submission called if s/he deems the call was made too early or incorrectly. We understand that a player will be upset by a submission called too early or was called when the player felt s/he could have escaped but an angry player is preferable to an injured player.
Although the referee will call submissions this in no way reduces a players responsibility to tap out. Not tapping out is just plain stupid. This is especially true against an armbar or possibly injurious technique. Also not tapping out can either rob or taint your opponents victory. We play a rough game and the only way you get to play is by having others willing to play with you. Not tapping is stupid and displays bad sportsmanship. Do this and no one will want to play with you. Very simply treat others as you would want to be treated.

** For mounts the holder's legs must be unentangled above midcalf.

*** Any safe entry into matwork is legal but will only score points if it meets the criteria for a throw.

***Wrestling style takedowns are legal as entry into mat work and may qualify as throws even if the thrower's knees touch likewise for a drop shoulder throw.

Competition Area: approximately 24'x24' mat surrounded by a 6' minimum safety mat area.

Uniforms: Wrestling headgear, knee, shin, instep, and mouth guards are allowed. A groin protector is allowed. A Sombo or Judo/Jujitsu top is required. Pants, or shorts may be worn. No jewelry, belts, or anything which might interfere with normal play is allowed. Clean bare feet or soft soled, leather Sombo shoes or wrestling shoes are required. Uniforms & equipment must be clean, fit properly & not be torn, loose, abrasive, etc

Why a gi? I have been asked this question a number of times by those who want to fight without a top. The primary reason is safety. This is particularly true for throws were the gi provides more control over the person being thrown. It also affords both players more technique opportunities and makes the contests a little more exciting. Also a gi can be pulled and pushed with a lot of force. That same force would tear a normal shirt or singlet. Of course another option would be to play bare chested. While this is a nice tribute to our Greek forefathers it also opens up some concerns. I for one would shave very closely.
Of course you could make it against the rules to pull body hair or grip the flesh, but then again you could by pass that by wearing a gi. Others have said that wearing a gi is inhibiting and that it is unrealistic. I'll address both of these points separately.
First a gi is only inhibiting if you allow it to be. Remember that your opponent is also wearing a gi. If it is a disadvantage for you it is a like disadvantage for your opponent. I find it a rather weak excuse to blame a gi for lack of performance on the mat.
Secondly a gi is unrealistic. Unrealistic of what? Of a real fight? What kind of fight are you getting into that your first allowed to take your shirt off. If you have the time to get your coat off you have time to leave. As a martial artist leaving a first (outside the structure of a tournament) should always be your first choice. If you can't leave; but are given time to remove your jacket - leave your jacket on and use that time to find a weapon. If I were to get jumped the odds are fairly good I'd get jumped wearing a coat or heavy top (I live in Minnesota). So what is it unrealistic of?
Perhaps a no - Holds Barred Contest. Personally I believe that NHB is a little unrealistic. I feel that the removal of constraints also opens the door to the removal of technique. Besides if it was truly a NHB I would use moves like the "rack a shell in the 12 gauge" or Have my six friends blind side my opponent. What is considered a cheap move if no moves are against the rules?
These rules are for a sport. THIS IS A SPORT. That is how I approach it and that is how the rules are designed. And like most sports there is a uniform and the uniform used in Judo, Jujitsu, Sombo, BJJ, TKD, Karate and a number of other arts is the gi - or gi like top.
This is not to say that I'm against other styles of grappling. In fact I prefer other styles but I don't think the world ends at anyone style. I feel that grapplers should be able to play in all types of tournaments. If your a grappler you should be playing in every Judo, Jujitsu, Sombo and grappling tournament you can find (as long as they are safe). Top or no top. You should give your support to those putting these games together. It is just that these rules, for this sport include a uniform. It is not the strict uniform of Judo. We do not demand it be a specific color, type or have a certain type of pants - Just that you do wear a top.
Also to be frank most grapplers are not the prettiest things to look at - the less seen the better.

PENALTIES

Minor Offenses: The 2nd time a player commits a minor offense he/she will be penalized 2 points.

Examples:

Stalling
Foot props/sweeps above mid-calf.
Attacks directed at the knee are illegal.

Unnecessarily rough actions includes unintentional: hitting, kicking, elbowing, kneeing, head butting, scratching, biting, gouging, or hair pulling.
Note this is unintentional roughness. Fighting out of control out of excitement or nervousness will get this kind of penalty. Intentionally doing any of these things will reap a DQ.

Serious Offenses: 1 warning /category may be given if no injury resulted & the offense wasn't flagrant, 4 points for the next offense in the same category, LOSS OF MATCH for the next

Examples:

To bend out of its normal ranges of motion or otherwise endanger the neck or spine (e.g. standing guillotine choke without head control, unintentional throws onto the head/neck).
To lift one's opponent from the mat and drive back onto the mat (over 12").
Directly falling to the mat with an applied or attempted joint lock that will cause injury, or any reckless/uncontrolled submission.
Actions that may seriously endanger oneself or one's opponent (e.g. facial submission in the eyes or teeth, sitting or diving on the knee-joint, combination joint lock throws, maintaining a hold when one's neck is in a vulnerable position, etc.).
To apply joint locks that t endanger the knee are illegal.)

(Rule consideration: Allowing a heel hooks at expert levels. Both players must agree to the consideration and must be skilled enough that the tournament director feels that allowing the technique is appropriate.)

Serious fouls- Intentionally hitting, kicking, elbowing, kneeing, head butting, scratching, hair pulling, biting, gouging eyes or; unintentional but hard contact: to the head, face, neck, back,, joints, throat, groin or other vulnerable areas; or any strike to the face causing bleeding.

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(Loss of match):

Examples:

Intentionally: striking/gouging the eyes or throat, endangering the neck or spine
Not allowing reaction time to submit.
If an opponent is injured and unable to continue as a result of an offense, the offender loses the match however the injured player cannot compete again in that day's competition.

Catch Wrestling Division

All the rules of Submission Grappling apply with the following exceptions
Gi is optional
1 single 6 minute round. If a tie exists after six minutes combatant will play a three minute sudden win overtime. If a tie still exists both players take a loss
Facial submissions that do not attack the eye and allow time for a submission are legal
Advanced players may choose to allow all leg locks (both players must agree to the rule)
No advantage point is given

The highest evolution of the grappling game. This is a rougher division. In 1999 over 95% of all Catch Wrestling or Endurance matches ended in submission. The referee will only stop the action if players leave the playing area and are considered to be in danger. Or if neither player is perceived to be "working". If play is stopped both players will restart on their feet

Shoot Fighting Division

Use the same rules as Grappling with the following additions.
Uniforms optional
Safety Equipment: Shin, instep, groin and mouth guards are mandatory.
SCORING: All other grappling scores plus:
1 Point / open hand strike: targets- front & sides of head. Light contact (i.e. no target penetration). 1 Point / flex- fist strike: targets- front: below collar bones to waist; sides: below armpits to waist. Medium contact (i.e. slight target penetration/ movement).
1 Point / kick: Legal targets- front: midthigh well away from groin or knee joint: sides & back: below waist to midthigh well away from knee joint. below collarbones to waist; sides: below armpits to waist. Medium contact
Medium contact means hard enough to count, to knock an opponent back - but not knock an opponent out. Strikes must be controlled. For the same reason we play on a padded surface and demand control in throws. Safety in the number one consideration in our tournaments. Knock out blows can have very long term and devastating effects on individuals. There is no need for them in our sport. If you have not yet reached the level of being a good fighter the last thing you need on your path of learning is a concussion. If you are a "good" Fighter then you should be good enough to be able to control a fight without causing injury.
1 Points / kick: targets- front & sides of head. Light contact
Technical Fall : a 24 point lead or 5 unanswered scoring strikes to the same target.
Submission or referee intervention: Techniques must be controlled & allow for reaction time to submit
*Most cranks, squeeze, chokes, arm & leglocks are legal.
**Facial submissions that do not greatly endanger the eyes, nose or teeth are allowed.
***Light open hand strikes to legal head targets are allowed in matwork & will be scored based on position & potential damage.

No kicking is allowed whenever one or both players are "down" (i.e. any part of their body, except their feet, is on the mat). However if one player is down & leaves him/herself in a vulnerable position the ref will award 2 points to the standing player.

Minor Offenses: 2 points. uncontrolled/hard strikes to legal body targets, light strikes to the face, throat, neck, back, groin, & joints)
Serious Offenses: 4 points. uncontrolled/hard strikes to legal body targets; light strikes to the face (eyes, nose, mouth), throat, neck, back, groin, & joints; intentional &/or hard strikes: to the head, face, neck, back, joints, throat, groin, or any face strike causing bleeding.
Loss of match: E.g.: Intentionally: striking/gouging the eyes or throat, endangering the neck/spine; Not allowing time to submit. Attempting to knock an opponent out.

RATIONALE FOR SHOOT FIGHTING RULES:

Legal targets: We anticipate that some players choosing to participate in this sport may have varied experience with controlled, light striking. Therefore we have limited legal target areas on the head to the front and sides of the head only. Of course, in a self-defense situation the forehead is not a good place to strike someone with a bare fist. However for our purposes it is a relatively safe target close enough to the eyes and face to require roughly equivalent offensive/defensive technique and skill. Likewise with the legal target areas to the body, we chose relatively safe areas so that if a strike is too hard or if a player inadvertently moves into a strike only mild injuries should result.
One added note about hard strikes. The UFC and the other NHB events that allow hard striking have discovered that a good percentage of hard strikers who are able to win a match are unable to fight another match that night because of the damage they do to their own hands. Broken hands and wrists are among the most common injuries sustained by those looking for the big knockout punch. Next on that list are shoulder and elbow injuries caused by the continuos shock of impact. Now add concussions to that list and you should be able to see why we want to avoid hard striking - unless of course you've already taken a few to many to the head - in which case your not going to get it.

Striking on the mat: Hand strikes are allowed on the mat. For this reason the need for control in you power is even more important. Strike on the ground are far more devastating then those on the feet and have great potential for injury. Referees will be very quick to stop when a player is in trouble or penalize a player who is striking too hard on the ground. Again use the golden rule when hitting on the ground and don't do anything you would not want done to yourself. No kicking on the ground or when one player is down.

Protective equipment: Someone reading the rules may be surprised to see we do not require head or hand gear in our Shoot Fighting rules. The reasons are these. This is still a grapplers game and hand gear no matter how it is designed can inhibit a grapplers ability to grapple. Secondly. head and hand gear give players a false sense of security. They feel they can wade into blows or throw harder punches thinking that both them selves and their opponent are protected. This is bs. All the gear protects from is cuts and some moderate protection of the hand. Since we use open hands to the head we are taking more certain steps to protect the hands then the gloves would provide Head gear does not stop concussions or impact damage. The one concern is a finger to the eye - but neither hand nor head gear will prevent that unless players wear face cages; but those also have hazards. The other problem with head gear is that is can cause a real danger to players when the are being thrown since if it gets caught on the mat the player can get severely injured. The key rule of this game is control; as long as that rule is enforces the game is safe.