Karate

IMA KARATE TOURNAMENT RULES

A. FORM/WEAPONS: Once a division has been bowed in and the first competitor starts, anyone showing up after this point will be considered late. Late entry will be written on their card, a .20 will be deducted from their score by scorekeeper and he/she will become the next competitor. B. FORM: A competitor must perform a form in order to be eligible to place in Forms Division even if there is only one competitor for said division. C. JUDGES: At no time will there be two or more judges from the same school on a Form and Weapons Board if they have students in that division. One Brown or Red Belt may be used on each board if there are not enough Black Belts. Brown and Red Belts may not be used for Black Belt Divisions. 1. If five judges are used, the high and low scores will be dropped from the total score. If three judges are used, all scores will be added. 2. Judges are not to give comment(s) to other judges about the competitor's performance. 3. Judge by what you see, not what you think it should be; some schools do the same forms but their technique may be different. D. GENERAL PERFORMANCE INFORMATION: 1. Order of Competition: The head referee or coordinator will gather the competitor entry slips, shuffle them and have competitors pull the first three. The referee will give the first three entry slips to the scorekeeper and then the remaining slips. 2. All competitors must wear Martial Arts uniform from recognized styles. ColorĀ·/ does not matter. 3. Competitors will be judged on balance, technique, focus, power, accuracy, concentration and control. Points can be deducted for cleanliness, bowing, behavior, and respect. A competitor needs only to state their form name (without penalty). 4. If an Advanced or Black Belt competitor drops his/her weapon they are disqualified. 5. Advanced and Black Belt Forms and Weapons Divisions: Brown and Black Belts cannot restart their form. 6. Beginner, Novice, and Intermediate may restart their form one time with a .20 deduction from Scorekeeper. E. SCORING RANGE: 1. Advanced and Black Belt Division 9.00-9.99; 9.50 being average. 2. Beginner, Novice, Intermediate Belt Divisions 8.00-8.99; 8.50 being average. In Weapon Divisions, same scoring applies, as do the rules on judging, plus knowledge of the weapon they are using. (Proper handling.) F. TIES: 1. Advanced and Black Belt Forms Divisions: la. When a tie occurs advanced and Black Belt Competitors must run a different form. 1b. For 1st place, if two competitors tie, a show of hands will determine the winner. If more than two competitors tie, re-score. 1c. For 2nd, 3rd, or 4th place, adding in the high and low scores will break the tie. If there is still a tie, another form will be run and re-scored. 2. Advanced and Black Belt Weapons Divisions: 2a. Tiebreakers will be followed the same as above. Consideration should be given if competitor uses a different weapon or uses the same weapon but a different form. 3. Beginner, Novice, and Intermediate Forms Divisions: 3a. When a tie occurs competitor may run the same form, but consideration should be given to those who perform a different form. 3b. For 1st place, if two competitors tie, a show of hands will determine the winner. If more than two competitors tie, re-score. 3c. For 2nd, 3rd, or 4th place, adding in the high and low scores will break the tie. If there is still a tie, another form will be run and re-scored. 4. Novice and Intermediate Weapons Divisions: 4a. For 1st place, if two competitors tie, a show of hands will determine the winner. If more than two competitors tie, they must perform again and are then rescored. 4b. For 2nd, 3rd, or 4th place, adding in the high and low scores will break the tie. If there is still a tie, they must perform again and are then re-scored. Consideration should be given to those who perform a different form. G. SPARRING: A competitor must be able and capable to compete in order to register to compete in said tournament. If a person is injured in a Form and not able to compete in Sparring they will receive no points and no place even if they are the only one in said division. A player must be able and capable to compete in order to receive points in ANY division. A player that is injured during competition of the final four places will receive a place and points. Place will be determined by Referee and Head Arbitrator. 1. SAFETY EQUIPMENT IS MANDATORY IN ALL DIVISIONS: Soft foam head, hand, and footgear, mouthpiece, and groin cup. Recommended equipment is soft shin pads and rib guard. Shin guards must be foam dipped or cloth, NO plastic soccer pads! 2. Jewelry or other objects that might endanger a competitor may not be worn. 3. Two-minute matches. 4. 1 point for kick, 1 point for punch. 5. In ALL Divisions, first person to reach five points wins, or person that is ahead at the end of a two minute round. If tied, first person to score wins. 6. TARGET AREAS: a. HEAD: light contact in all divisions. b. FACE MASK AREA: NO CONTACT below Adult Brown Belt Division. c. LIGHT CONTACT in Adult Brown and Black Belt Divisions, d. CHEST, RIB CAGE, ABDOMINAL AREA, KIDNEY: light to moderate contact must be made to score a point. e. GROIN: controlled contact in all Youth and Adult Intermediate and Advanced Divisions. 7. NO CONTACT MEANS, NO CONTACT! The first time contact is made to the face, it will result in a point for your opponent~ the second time will result in disqualification. 8. LIGHT CONTACT means no penetration or visible movement of the opponent as a result of the technique. 9 . MODERATE CONTACT means slight penetration or slight movement of the opponent as a result of the technique. a. Moderate contact to the face in Under Brown Belt Adult Divisions will result in disqualification. b. Moderate contact to the face in Brown Belt Adult and Above Divisions will result in a point to your opponent. 10. EXCESSIVE CONTACT: Non-controlled technique and/or snapping back of a competitor's head will result in disqualification. 11. SWELLING, REDNESS, OR BLEEDING: If this is caused by a punch or kick or aggressive act by your opponent, opponent will be disqualified. Act must be seen by majority of judges or center judge. 12. UNSPORTSMAN-LIKE CONDUCT: If you are disqualified due to any form of un sportsman-like conduct you will not receive any points or awards. 13. GRABS: Grabbing the uniform top or pants and grabbing or trapping a kick is allowed for one second to facilitate scoring on the opponent. 14. GROUND FIGHTING: A competitor may drop to the ground to execute a technique. A competitor on the ground may score or be scored upon. (p~ Competitors will be given three seconds. Stomps to the body are allowed as long as one foot is on the ground. Stomps to the head are a foul. 15. SWEEPS: Sweeps are allowed only to the back of the front leg to break an opponent's balance. NO TAKE DOWNS OR REAR LEG SWEEPS. NO LEG CHECKING.MUST BE BOOT TO BOOT 16. BYE: First Round Bye System will be used. All players will be eligible for a bye. Example: Three players report for said division~ two players are from the same school; one from another school. All three will be eligible for the bye. After the bye is drawn, every effort will be made to keep competitors from the same school from fighting each other. 17. YOUTH DIVISIONS: Oversized Youth that are extremely big for their age may be moved into the next age bracket. This must be done with the consent of the student's Instructor and majority of promoters. (A portion of competition fee will be refunded if Instructor refuses the move.) 18. PROTESTS: Protests of improper match-ups must be made before the first round begins. A competitor, parent or Instructor may NOT protest a judgment call. You may protest a rule violation, if done in a respectful manner. Protests must be made during or after a match before the next bout has begun. The Tournament Arbitrator or Director has the final say. To protest, you must contact the Scorekeeper. Scorekeeper will raise a Yellow Flag and contact the Referee. 19. LATE ENTRY: Once a division has started, there will be no late entry. 20. A competitor may request the removal of one official before the division has begun. The removal rests upon the decision of the Arbitrator or Tournament Director. 21. THE CENTER REFEREE: May issue a penalty point for contact without a majority vote of judges. He may also issue a disqualification for excessive contact or un sportsman-like conduct. A referee may issue a penalty point if a player is fouled. A referee may not referee his or her student. He/she may be a comer judge. 22. FOULS: Dropping to the ground to avoid fighting head butts, hair pulling, biting, scratching, throws, base leg sweeps, stomps to the head, jumping on a downed opponent, kicks to the legs, blind techniques, open hand techniques to the face, slapping, punching or kicking the spine, striking the back of the neck or throat. using elbows or knees, running out of the ring, stepping out of bounds, pushing opponent out of bounds (if a player has been kicked out or punched out of bounds there is no foul), faking an injury, leg checking, ringside coaching. If a Referee decides that an intended foul was committed to hut or maim the opponent, he/she will disqualify the person who commits the foul due to un sportsman-like conduct. 23. A PLAYER IS OUT OF BOUNDS when any part of his/her body touches the out-of-bounds line. A player may not be scored on while out of bounds. 24. BLACK BELT MENS SPARRING COMPETITORS MUST WEIGH IN: a. Light weight: up to 149.9 b. Middle weight: 150-174.9 c. Heavy weight: 175 and above 25. COACHING IS NOT ALLOWED DURING THE MATCH: The penalty for coaching is one point to the opponent. A player may be disqualified if coaching continues. The Referee has the final say. 26. To score a point, techniques must display focus, snap, control and proper balance. a. Open hand back fist will not score a point. b. Slapping techniques to the head or body will not score. c. Unbalanced techniques will not score a point. 27. Competitor must compete in his/her age and rank division. If he/she is competing in the wrong division he/she will be disqualified.