Sparring Rules (also see Team Fighting Rules)
**New for 2010: All adult fighting competitors 30 & older has the option to compete down one age division. Example: A 30 year old competitor can compete in the 18-29 year old divisions, a 40 year old competitor can compete in the 30-39 division etc. A competitor cannot compete up in an age division.LENGTH OF MATCH: Two minute running-time unless a competitor is seven points ahead (Seven Point Spread Rule) before time has expired. If a match is tied at the end of two minutes, sudden victory (first person to score a point) overtime period will determine the match. *New for 2011: at the 1 minute 45 second mark of a sparring match, the time keeper will shout out “FIFTEEN SECONDS”. POINT VALUES AND WINNER DETERMINATION: All legal hand techniques that score will be awarded one (1) point. All legal kicking techniques that score will be awarded two (2) points. All penalty points awarded will be awarded one (1) point. The competitor who is ahead by 7 points (7 Point Spread Rule) before the two minute time period is automatically declared the winner or whoever is ahead at the end of the two minutes is declared the winner. All grand championship matches are also two-minute running time with a 10 Point Spread Rule or who is ahead at the end of two minutes. MARJORITY VOTE: Points are awarded by a 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 (2)-point kick before two points can be awarded. Otherwise only one point is awarded. WHAT IS A POINT: A point is a sport karate technique that is scored by a competitor in-bounds and up-right (not considered down) without time being called that strikes a competitor with the allowable amount of focused touch contact and focused control to a legal target area. Focused Touch Contact: thelegal amount of contact allowed to certain scoring areas. Focused Control: an amount of controlled force that would have incapacitated the opponent, at least momentarily, if the technique had not been controlled. LEGAL TARGET AREAS: Entire head and face, ribs, chest, abdomen, collarbone and kidneys. ILLEGAL TARGET AREAS: Spine, back of neck, throat, sides of the neck, groin, legs, knees and back. NON-TARGET AREAS: Hips, shoulders, buttocks, arms, and feet. LEGAL TECHNIQUES: Legal techniques are all controlled sport karate techniques, except those listed as illegal. ILLEGAL TECNIQUES: Head butts, hair pulls, bites, scratches, elbows, knees, eye attacks of any kind, take downs on a hard surface floor, ground fighting on a hard surface, any stomps or kicks to the head of a downed competitor, slapping, grabbing for more than one second, uncontrolled blind techniques, any uncontrolled throws, takedowns or sweeps and any other uncontrolled dangerous techniques that are deemed unsafe in sport karate. GRABBING: A competitor may grab the uniform top of his/her opponent in an attempt to score with a sport karate technique for only one second (immediately), after which time he/she must release the uniform. Likewise, the uniform pants may be grabbed for one second to an upright opponent in an attempt to score. SWEEPS, TAKEDOWNS, GRABS AND GROUND FIGHTING: Sweeps not to take down an opponent, but only to obstruct the balance so as to follow up with a sport karate technique can only be executed to the back of the front leg at mid-calf or below. A sweep must be deemed a proper sweep and not a kick, to be legal. Controlled Takedowns and sweeps that are meant to take down an opponent are allowed only a declared approved padded surface. A point is awarded only when the legal sweep or takedown is followed up effectively legally and immediately with an appropriate sport karate technique. Only a hand technique or a carefully controlled kick or stomp to the body is allowed on a downed competitor. One Foot must be on the ground throughout the stomp or kick. Never, under any circumstances, may a competitor stomp or kick to the head of a downed competitor. Down fighting must be declared by the proper tournament officials before being allowed, padded surface or not. LIGHT TOUCH CONTACT: Means there is no penetration or visible movement of the competitor because of the contact. Light touch is required to all legal target areas in all black belt sparring divisions. The face shield of a headgear along with the headgear is a legal target area. MODERATE TOUCH CONTACT: Means slight penetration or slight target movement. Moderate touch contact may be made to all legal target areas except the headgear, face shield and face. WARNINGS AND PENALTIES: One and only one warning is allowed for breaking the rules before a penalty point is awarded. After the first warning is given, a penalty point is awarded for each and every rules violation. If a competitor receives four warnings (three penalty points) in any one match, he/she will be disqualified. If the severity of the first rules violation is deemed by the referee to be too severe, a penalty point can be issued immediately and the first warning will be forfeited. Other Penalty Rules: A competitor cannot be penalized and still receive a point on the same call. A competitor can receive a point for a proper technique and another point from a penalty call against his/her competitor. 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.Other Cause for Penalization: Attacking illegal and non-target areas, using illegal techniques, running out of the ring to avoid fighting, falling to the floor to avoid fighting, continuing after being ordered to stop, excessive stalling, blind, negligent or reckless attacks, uncontrolled techniques, showing unsportsmanlike behavior by the competitor, his/her coaches, friends, etc., excessive contact, and delay of time are just some examples of possible penalization. DISQUALIFICATION: Requires a majority vote by all officials, unless it is an automatic disqualification. Non-Competing Penalty: 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. Wrong Division: If any competitor competes in a division he/she does not qualify to compete in due to age, weight, rank, gender, style, etc., he/she will be disqualified. COACHING: The luxury of having a coach is something that most competitors do not have access to. Therefore, it sometimes can become an unfair advantage over a competitor who does not have a coach. The rules are made and enforced so no one competitor has an advantage or disadvantage over another competitor. Therefore, coaching is allowed but only under the following guidelines:1. Never, at any time, can a coach enter the ring without the referee’s permission, 2. No abusive, violent, unsportsmanlike or overzealous coaching; 3. Coaches cannot ask for a time out unless they are protesting a rules violation (only the competitor may ask for a time out), 4. Coaches can never, at any time, interfere with the proper running of the ring or the decisions of the judges. A Coach is defined as anyone who is trying to help one competitor in anyway. A coach could be but is not limited to a friend, parent, teammate, or an official coach. The center referee can issue a warning to a competitor for each time his/her coach is interfering with a match or disrupting fair play between contestants. A referee can ask for a disqualification of a contest, but requires a majority vote of all judges. OUT-OF-BOUNDS: A competitor is out-of-bounds as soon as he/she does not have at least one foot touching inside or on the boundary line. An out of bounds competitor cannot score a point while out of bounds. In bounds competitor can score on an out of bounds competitor if the center referee has not called stop.