Tournament Rules
COMPETITOR RESPONSIBILITIES
A competitor must wear a clean uniform and proper equipment. If they are not prepared to compete as deemed by the center official, the competitor may be penalized for delay of time or not allowed to compete.
It is the responsibility of the competitor to know the rules and be ready for competition when called to do so. They must be suitably attired and at the appropriate ring when competition begins. Three calls will be made for competition at ringside. If the competitor is not at their ring ready to compete, they will be disqualified.
LEGAL AGE RULE
All competitors have the option of competing in the same division all year long for rating purposes, by establishing a legal competition age for the year. The age a competitor is on June 30th of the current competition year is their legal competition age for that year. They can compete all year at that age so they can earn rating points in one age division all year. A competitor can always compete in their chronological age if they chose.
RANK RULE
Competitors must be matched against others at the highest belt level they have earned. For a competitor to compete at a higher rank requires permission of the competitor, tournament director, instructor and parent (if under 18).
Competitors must compete at the highest rank they have attained in martial arts. If they are a black belt in one style, but only a white belt in another it would not be fair to register as a white belt when they are in fact a black belt. Contact tournament coordinator for clarifications.
If a competitor has just received a new belt within 21 days before the tournament they can choose to compete at their previous rank. If a competitor chooses to participate at their old rank they must wear the correct belt.
Instructors are responsible for letting their students know what belt they can compete at. It is not possible to verify someone's belt level. We must trust that their instructor has signed them up correctly.
BELT RANK SPLITTING
The basic divisions for small tournaments are listed as Beginner, Intermediate and Advanced. Larger tournaments can break these down farther. It is the job of the Tournament Coordinator to generate a chart for each school invited as to where their belt rankings fall in the categories of Beginner, Intermediate and Advanced.
- The Tournament Coordinator should work directly with the invited school well in advance of the tournament on how their belt system falls into the divisions.
Small Tournament Breakdown by Gup ranks to Beginner, Intermediate and Advanced
Beginner: 10th Gup - 9th Gup
Intermediate: 8th Gup - 3rd Gup
Advanced: 2nd Gup - Recommended Black Belt
Black Belt: 1st Dan +
Medium Tournament Breakdown by Gup Ranks
- 10th & 9th Gup
- 8th & 7th Gup
- 6th & 5th Gup
- 4th & 3rd Gup
- 2nd - Recommended Black Belt
Large Tournament Breakdown a division per Gup rank.
DIVISION
Competitors will be broken into different divisions based on rank, age and gender.
When the divisions are being grouped the day of the tournament divisions can be separated or merged with other divisions as needed. The goal is to have divisions with no fewer than 3 competitors but no more than 8. It is up to the head judges and tournament coordinator to adjust on the day of the tournament.
LATE ENTRIES
If a competitor arrives late to the ring after the last call for the division but before the first competitor of that division competes they may be allowed to compete. Once a division has started no competitor can be added to that division.
During a competition three calls will be made for competitors at ringside. If the competitor is not at their ring ready to compete, they will be disqualified.
FAIRNESS RULE
If a question arises that is not completely covered by this rule book the official rules arbitrator/tournament coordinator may overrule, modify, or change a rule if they believe that enforcing such a rule would result in an unfair outcome to a competitor. This should only be applied in extreme cases, and the update should be referred to the directors for consideration in future revisions of the rule book.
UNIFORM
All competitors must wear a complete (top and bottom) uniform in a good state of repair. The appropriate color belt must be worn in competition. Shoes may be worn in patterns competition if they are martial arts training shoes.
REQUIRED AND RECOMMENDED SAFETY EQUIPMENT
It is the responsibility of the competitors to have the proper equipment. KMATA mouthpieces, head gear; hand & foot pads, and cups meeting the following specifications are mandatory for all sparring competitors.
Hand Pads: must cover the back of the hand and fingers with soft padding.
Foot Pads: must cover the instep, sides, toes, and heel with soft padding.
Head Gear: top, sides, and back of the head must be covered with soft padding. Face mask is optional
Mouthpiece: properly fitted mouthpiece is required
Cups: male competitors are required to wear groin protection
Chest guards, face shields, shin pads, forearm pads, and elbow pads are optional for all competitors. It is up to the competitor to decide if they are willing to assume the risk of not wearing these additional pieces of equipment.
If the competitor’s equipment is deemed unsafe or does not fit properly they will be asked to change the equipment before they can compete. Equipment must be in a good state of repair and free of heavy taping, tears, or any other repairs that may cause injury.
Competitors are subject to the Delay of Time Penalty and may be disqualified if they arrive at their division with unacceptable equipment. Not wearing a cup during sparring can cause an instant disqualification.
THE RING
The rings must be a square with sides between 15 and 20 feet. The preferred length of the sides is 16 feet. Starting lines must be marked approximately four feet apart centered in the middle of the ring with marks at least 1 foot wide. Each ring should be marked with a ring number visible to competitors, officials, and medical personnel. There should be at least three feet between rings to allow for judges to move around the ring and a buffer zone if a competitor leaves the ring while competing.