Sparring and Continuous

 

 

 

Sparring Matches

Once a sparring division has been called the Master Referee will collect the cards. Matches will then be selected randomly. There will be certain allowances for same school competitors and for the top four seeded fighters. NO seeded fighters in Black Belt divisions (Only at the World Games). Competitors, instructors, coaches, scorekeepers, or judges cannot pick whom they want and don’t want to fight. It must be random. Short and tall divisions will be used at National events and at the World Games at the promoters discretion. A coordinator may choose to divide a division at a regional event if he/she finds it necessary for safety reasons. The Master referee will line up the competitors and divide them by size whenever appropriate. If a division is extremely large, it will be at the promoter’s discretion whether or not to divide the division between short and tall competitors.

Arbitrators

Arbitrators will have final decisions on all disputes.

Number of Officials

Each ring will be assigned three judges, five when possible. All Grand Champion Divisions will have five judges.

Removal of Officials

If a competitor or coach feels an official should be removed from a division with good reason a formal protest must be made prior to the start of the division. The final decision to remove official will be made by the arbitrator.

Protest

All protests must be made in an orderly and proper, and sportsmanlike manner. Protest must be made immediately. Protests are not allowed once competition is resumed. When a competitor or coach wants to make a protest the center judge must stop the ring immediately. A competitor may be penalized or even disqualified if he/she is protesting improperly or without proper cause.

Master Referees

The Master referee is the most experienced person in the ring and is thoroughly versed on the rules and order of competition. He/she promotes the safety of competitors, enforces the rules, and ensures fair play. To this end, he/she starts and stops the match, awards points, makes penalty decisions, administrates the voting of the other judges, communicates clearly with the scorekeeper and timekeeper, and announces the winner of each match. The Master Referee has final decisions on disputes. He has the power to over-rule a majority call only to issue a warning or penalty point. He can automatically disqualify a competitor who receives two penalties. He and only he has the power to issue a time-out and to ask the timekeeper to stop time.

Number of Sparring Divisions

Only one point sparring division and/or one continuous sparring division is allowed per competitor.

Length of Point Sparring Matches

Two minutes running time. Under belts have five-point matches in the two minutes. No three point techniques for Under Belts. Cartwheel kicks and jump spinning kicks are allowed but only count as two points. Black Belt divisions are two minutes running time total points. There will be a ten-point spread. If a match is tied at the end of two minutes, sudden victory (first person to score a point) in overtime period will determine the match.

Grand Championship Matches

All Grand Championship sparring matches must be won by two points.

Majority Vote

Points are awarded by the majority vote of all judges. The majority of judges do not have to agree on the same technique being scored, only that a point was scored. A majority of the judges calling the point must call a two- or three-point technique before points can be awarded otherwise only one point is awarded.

Legal Target Areas

Light touch to the entire head and face, ribs chest, abdomen, kidneys.

Illegal Target Areas

Spine, back, neck, throat, legs, knees, groin area, (nothing below the belt).

Legal Techniques

Legal techniques are all controlled sport karate techniques.

Illegal Techniques

Groin kick, head butts, hair pulls, bites, scratches, elbows, knees, eye attacks of any kind, take downs, stomps or kicks to the head of a down competitor, slapping, grabbing for more than two seconds, uncontrolled blind techniques, sweeps. Any other uncontrolled dangerous techniques that are deemed unsafe in sport martial arts.

Downed Opponent

Black Belt Players have three seconds (3) to score when one player is down. Any kicking motion towards the head and punches making head contact to a downed opponent are illegal.

Grabbing

Competitors may grab a uniform top of his/her opponent in an attempt to score with a sport karate technique for only two seconds immediately after which time he/she must release the uniform. Uniform pants may also be grabbed for two seconds to an upright opponent in an attempt to score.

Sweeps

Sweeps can be used only to obstruct the balance of an opponent, not to take him/her down. (Boot to boot). A point is only given when the legal sweep is effective and followed up with an appropriate sport Martial Arts techniques immediately. The supporting leg cannot be swept.

Light Contact Touch

Light contact can be made to all legal target areas except to the face in all under belt divisions. Light touch must be made to the headgear in any under belt division, (Must make contact to score)

Moderate Touch Contact

Only in black belt divisions. Moderate touch means slight penetration or slight target movement. Moderate contact can be made to all legal target areas. Only in black belt divisions. Moderate touch means slight penetration or slight target movement. Moderate contact can be made to all legal target areas. (Must make contact to score)

Scoring

(1) One point for hand techniques
(1) one point body kicks
(2) two-point head kicks
for Black Belts only there will be (3) three-point jump spinning kicks to the head and cartwheel kicks.
(Under Belts can do jump spinning kicks and cartwheel kicks but only receive
(2) two points for each technique).

Warnings And Penalties

There will be no warnings. Automatic point will be awarded to opponent on all penalties. This includes running out of the ring, intentionally falling to the ground, illegal techniques (refer to illegal techniques), un-sportsman like behavior. A competitor cannot be penalized and still be awarded a point on the same call. A competitor can receive a point for a proper technique and another point from a penalty call from his/her opponent. If in the opinion of the referee and or the medical personnel, a competitor cannot continue because of an injury caused by an illegal penalized attack executed by his/her competitor the offending competitor shall be automatically disqualified. The medic will have final say if a competitor can continue or not.

Disqualification

Requires a majority vote by all officials, unless it is an automatic disqualification. If in the majority opinion of the officials it is considered that the competitors are not making an obvious attempt to fight in the true spirit of competition both competitors will be warned and if it continues will be disqualified.

 

Out-Of-Bounds

A competitor is out-of-bounds when both feet are outside the ring area. One foot in one foot out is not considered out-of-bounds, but that competitor cannot score. (A competitor must have both feet in bounds to score). An in-bounds competitor can score on an out-of-bounds competitor if the center referee has not called stop.

Late Entries

For all divisions, once a division has started there will be no entries. No exceptions. If a competitor comes late, but the first competitor has not started he/she can compete but must compete first and immediately.

Black Belt Seeded Competitors (Fighting Divisions)

There will be NO Black Belt seeded competitors in fighting divisions. At the World Games Only!

Adult Black Belt Team Sparring (if applicable)

Teams must consist of (3) three Black Belt Players, any weight, 18 and older. The order of the players will be determined by coin toss. Winner of the coin toss decides to send out first or to have opposing team send out their first fighter. After a team sends out the first player in the first match, the opposing team must send out their next player first, in the second round etc. Each match will be (2) two minutes total points, with a 12-point mercy rule. (Ex. If a player is up in the match by 12 points, the match will be stopped.) See scoring rules for points.

Rated Black Belt Teams (if applicable)

In order to remain a rated team two out of three players on the team must compete together to receive points at any event. Players may compete on different teams but cannot use the name of a rate team, and cannot receive rated points. There is no charge to become a rated team. A formal registration team form must be sent in with the full names of all team players to MASMAL ratings. This rule will be closely monitored.

Team Fighting

All above rules apply for Junior Black Belts, and under belts with the exception of the rated rules.

 

Continuous Sparring

1 Round, 2 Minute Match, Final Match 2 rounds, 2 Minute Matches, with one minute break. Punch and Kicks with Moderate Contact are permitted. Knockouts ARE NOT permitted. As for hand techniques, only direct punches are permitted, maximum two in a series, Excessive number of direct punches, and all other hand punches (backfist, hook, uppercut, elbow) shall be penalized by Warnings The ridge hand technique are allowed. 3 warnings of any kind may result in Disqualification. Winners are determined by Majority Rule at end of match.