Ringen

Tournament Structure:

• Pools: This tournament will take place over the course of 2-3 rounds of pools.
  • Pool size will be based on participant numbers, as well as weight class sizes.
    • Participants will only compete against others in their weight class, but their rankings will be compared to all participants. The top six medalists will be the wrestlers who ranked highest across all weight classes. This is so that we can maximize the number of weight classes within the tournament. All wrestlers will participate in the same number of matches.
  • Points will accrue across all rounds of pools.

• Bouts will be fought in a 20’x20’ ring. Wrestlers must remain on the mats at all times during bouts. Wrestlers will begin each pass at designated spots on opposite ends of the ring.

• Each match will consist of 3 passes. A pass ends when a scoring action has been made.
  • Each pass will have a time limit of one minute (maximum of three minutes total per match).
    • Each wrestler will be given up to 30 seconds of rest time in between passes
    • At the beginning of each match, wrestlers will be directed to shake hands in the center of the ring, and then take their places on opposite ends of the ring.
• Ties will be broken through the following methods:
  • Highest number of matches won
  • Tiebreaker match (same format as all other matches)

• A mandatory breakfall instruction session will take place prior to the event start. All wrestlers must participate in this instruction session- those who do not will not be permitted to participate in the tournament.

• Staff:
  • Director/ Lead Judge
    • Officiates matches
    • Looks for scoring actions and halts passes
    • Determines score and penalties
• Assistant Judge

• Looks for scoring actions and halts passes
• May help determine score and penalties
• Keeps track of time limit

• Table
  • Keeps track of score
  • Announces wrestlers currently wrestling and wrestlers that are on deck
• First Aid
  • Will be on hand to tend to any injuries or illnesses during event
  • If severe injury (such as concussion or fracture) is suspected by first aid or other staff, judges may elect to remove a wrestler from the tournament, regardless of the injured wrestler’s wishes. Injuries will be assessed individually, and first aid will be administered if necessary. Due to the nature of wrestling, an injury sustained during a match will not immediately result in a penalty. See “Penalties” for more info on carding, preventable injury, and expulsion.

Judging Style Guidelines:

• Judging Language:
  • Judges should refer to competitors as “wrestler,” and may differentiate the wrestlers by the color of their side of the ring (Ex. “blue wrestler” and “red wrestler”).
  • If pronouns are necessary, judges should use gender neutral pronouns when referring to wrestlers.
  • Judges will use the phrase “Ready, begin!” to begin a pass.
    • “Ready,” is a command, not a question. It is the responsibility of the wrestlers to alert the judge if they are not ready to begin the pass.
  • Judges will use the word “Hold!” to end a pass.
    • Hold should be called loudly and firmly. The call should last approximately one second. Both the lead and assistant judges may call Hold.
      • A judge should only call Hold once, unless the wrestlers do not respond to the initial call.
      • Hold should be called as soon as a potential scoring action is seen.
      • Wrestlers must immediately cease all action upon hearing Hold Actions taken after Hold is called may be penalized. Wrestlers should continue fencing until they hear Hold, even if they believe they have completed a throw.
    • If Hold is called by mistake or no scoring action can be identified, the judge should say “No exchange.” The pass will then be reset and refought. The time limit is not reset when there is no scoring action made- the reset pass will use the time left remaining on the clock.

• When a judge opts not to award a point for an action, they must provide the reason why that decision was made. (Ex. “No throw was completed,” “The action incurred a penalty,” etc.)
• When a judge gives a penalty, they must provide one of the reasons detailed in the “Penalties” section below.

Scoring:

Points will accrue against wrestlers (more points= bad!). wrestlers will be ranked by fewest number of points. (Ex. A wrestler with 1 point is ranked ABOVE a wrestler with 3 points.)

Each time a wrestler is thrown, they will receive points. Placement is dictated by the least number of points.

• Throws:
  • In the context of this ruleset, a throw is defined as any action that forces an opponent to touch the ground with any body part other than their feet. A Throw will result in one point against the thrown wrestler.

• Doubles:
  • Doubles are defined as any action that ends with both wrestlers touching the ground with any body part other than their feet. Doubles will not be considered scoring actions. Only clean throws will score. If a double occurs, the pass will be reset (time limit will not be reset).
• Time Limit:
  • If the one minute time limit is reached during a pass, both wrestlers will receive one point against themselves.

• Ring Out:
  • A ring out will not be considered a scoring action. If one or both wrestlers step out of the ring, a hold will be called immediately, and the pass will be reset (time limit will not be reset).

• Cede:
  • At any point directly before or during a pass, a wrestler may opt to cede either the pass or the match. If a wrestler cedes a pass, they will receive two points against them. If a wrestler cedes a match, they will receive two points per pass remaining against them.
    • To cede before the start of a pass, the wrestler should clearly announce to the judge that they wish to cede.
    • To cede during a pass, the wrestler should firmly tap on their opponent’s body, and loudly and clearly announce “Cede!”. If a wrestler does this, the judges should call a Hold, and both wrestlers should immediately back away from one another.

Gear Requirements:

Protective equipment will be inspected at the start of each pool. Staff organizers have the final say on the inclusion of any and all equipment in events.

• Required Gear (Loaner gear will be available on a limited basis):
  • A purpose- made wrestling jacket
    • Ringen-specific jackets and gis are allowed. Fencing jackets/ gambesons are not allowed. Jackets must not have any loose strings, loops, zippers, or other attachments. Jackets must fit the wearer in such a way that another wrestler could reasonably grab onto the fabric of the jacket at the back, collar, and sleeves (Jackets should not be skin-tight).
  • Fabric Wrestling Belt
    • Any fabric belt free from metal fastenings is acceptable. Belts should be sturdy enough to withstand rough pulling.
      • Judo/ BJJ belts are recommended.
  • Mouthguard
  • Athletic lower body clothing
    • Sweatpants, leggings, athletic shorts, fencing trousers, etc. are all acceptable

• Prohibited Gear:
  • Fencing jackets or gambesons
  • Leather belts
  • Belts with metal fastenings
  • Socks
  • Shoes
  • Non athletic lower body clothing
    • Jeans, work pants, cargo pants/shorts, skirts, etc. are prohibited.
  • Non-wrestling specific jackets
    • Hoodies, zip-up jackets, long sleeve shirts without a jacket, etc. are prohibited.
  • Hard groin protection
    • Hard or external groin protection, such as codpieces and hard cups, are prohibited.
• Gear Failure
  • In the event that a wrestler’s gear needs to be repaired or replaced during a match, they will be given a reasonable amount of time (minimum of 2 minutes) to repair or replace their gear. If the wrestler is not able to do so within the time allotted to them by the judge, they will incur all remaining points in the match (maximum 6). The wrestler will then be given until their next match to repair or replace their gear, and if they are unable to do so, they will incur all possible points in the match (6). This process will continue until the wrestler has repaired or replaced their gear, the tournament has ended, or until the wrestler has decided to discontinue their participation in the tournament.

• Hygiene Requirements:
  • All piercings, jewelry, and other accessories must be removed before competing.
  • Glasses are prohibited- wrestlers must wear contacts if vision correction is needed.
  • Long hair must be tied back.
  • Fingernails and toenails must be trimmed to an appropriate length.
    • If fingernails or toenails are found to be jagged or too long, participants will be asked to correct the issue, or they will be disqualified from the tournament
  • Wrestlers must be free of contagious disease, infection, or fungus.
  • Wrestlers’ bodies and clothing should be free from visible filth.
  • Wrestlers must wear deodorant.
  • Wrestlers will be subject to hygiene approval by the tournament organizers. A wrestler may be disqualified for concerns regarding health and hygiene, including excessive body odor or cold/illness.

Penalties:

The goal of this Ruleset is to specifically penalize and correct reckless or unsafe behavior within the ring. As such, cardable actions are those which jeopardize the physical, emotional, or mental safety of participants, staff, and/or spectators. Judges are given complete discretion in deciding if and when to card participants. While situations that will likely warrant a card are outlined below, judges should use common sense and their best judgment when assigning cards. There are no automatically cardable offenses, as judges should consider each situation individually.

Cards do not automatically escalate. While escalation is optional, judges are encouraged and empowered to escalate cards whenever they feel it is appropriate.

• Ex. A judge may assign a Yellow Card for a first offense, or they may immediately escalate to a Red Card
• Ex. A judge may opt to give a second Yellow Card to the same participant, or they may opt to escalate to a Red Card.
  • Judges are encouraged to escalate cards for repeated offenses

• Levels of Penalty:
  • Verbal Warning: no point penalty
  • Yellow Card: 1 point penalty
  • Red Card: 2 point penalty
  • Black Card: ejection from tournament
    • If a Black Card is issued, the receiving participant may also be subject to ejection from other tournaments, as well as prohibition from future IGX events. Such decisions will be made by event organizers on a per-case basis.

A participant may not be awarded a Scoring Action in the same pass that they receive a card. A participant may be awarded a Scoring Action in the same pass that they receive a verbal warning.

• Cardable Actions:
  • Manipulating an opponent’s joints in unsafe ways- attempting to perform a submission or joint manipulation is prohibited
  • Repeatedly falling in an unsafe manner, or neglecting to protect oneself when falling
  • Restraining an opponent while falling or forcing an opponent to fall unsafely; performing an action that disallows an opponent from performing a breakfall
  • Attempting to drag an opponent to the ground during a throw in order to force a double
  • Failing to cease all action when a Hold is called
    • Performing a revenge strike or throw (immediately subject to Black Card)
  • Performing any action that a judges deems to be reckless, dangerous, or excessive, including, but not limited to:
    • Performing a throw that slams the opponent onto the ground
    • Performing a throw meant to land an opponent on their head
    • Punching, slapping, kicking, headbutting, or otherwise striking an opponent
    • Biting, scratching, choking, hair-pulling, eye-gouging, or penetrating orifices
    • Pushing/ shoving an opponent out of the ring
    • Removing protective gear during a pass
    • Performing any other illegal action, as defined within this Ruleset
  • Arguing with or disobeying a judge
    • Influencing judges (as defined below) may be considered disobeying judges if done repeatedly
  • Exhibiting any other conduct within the ring which creates a hostile or unsafe environment for spectators, staff, or other wrestlers
    • Throwing gear
    • Insulting or yelling at other persons
    • Responding with excessive anger to ranking or judge decisions
    • Violating the IGX Code of Conduct

• Judges may also assign a card for any action they deem unsafe which does not explicitly meet criteria given here but otherwise poses a safety risk.

• Other Prohibited Actions

• Violating the IGX Code of Conduct, in or out of the ring
  • While actions taken outside of the ring are not cardable, they will be taken just as seriously as actions taken within the ring. Harassment or other violations of the IGX Code of Conduct will be immediately addressed by event staff, and may result in expulsion, suspension, or other punitive action.
• Improper interaction with judges (defined below)
  • Repeated prohibited interaction with judges may become a cardable action

• Wrestler’s Rights and Interaction with Judges:
  • Wrestlers may have up to 1 coach accompanying them at the ring.
  • Wrestlers and their coaches may ask questions, request clarification on a scoring/ penalty decision, or raise safety concerns with the judges. Wrestlers may not argue with the judges, nor may they make friendly/casual conversation with judges during a match.
    • Wrestlers and their coaches are empowered to approach judges or other staff (not during an ongoing match), if they feel there has been an oversight related to safety or penalty. If a wrestler is injured, suspects injury, or has been caused pain by an opponent, they should immediately approach event staff.
  • Coaches may not speak with wrestlers or judges during an ongoing pass, except in the case of a safety concern.
    • Coaches may not yell out advice, encouragement, etc. to wrestlers during passes
  • Wrestlers have the right to deny a point to their opponent. Points assessed against yourself cannot be denied. Wrestlers must wait until the judge has announced the score for the match before denying a point.
    • To deny a point, the wrestler should clearly state to the judge “I’d like to deny the point.” A wrestler may only deny a point that was awarded in their favor (i.e. against their opponent).
  • Wrestlers should remain calm and collected following each pass. Excessive celebration or anger may be considered to be influencing the judges, and therefore subject to penalty.
    • Wrestlers may not self call in any way- including, but not limited to:
      • Tapping their body where they believe they touched the ground.
      • Correcting a judge.
      • Early point denial
      • Arguing with a judge.
      • Announcing a throw made by themself or their opponent.
      • Attempting to end an exchange before a hold is called by a judge, except for safety reasons

Weight Classes:

Weight classes will be determined based on participant numbers before the event.

• Weight classes will be self-declared; wrestlers will not be required to weigh themselves at the event or tell event-organizers their exact weight.

igXhibition Points

Wrestlers who show particularly skillful or artful wrestling may be awarded an igXhibition Point (XP). These points will be counted for each event, and a prize will be awarded for the highest number of XP per event.

Judges are encouraged to be reserved in handing out XP, and only award them for particularly exceptional actions. It is entirely up to judges’ discretion when a wrestler receives XP. A wrestler may earn up to 1 XP per pass (even if the exchange was non-scoring), but judges are not obligated to award XP. There is no limit to the number of XP a wrestler may earn per match or per event.

XP will accrue only in pool matches. XP will not be given in finals matches. This is to ensure all participants have the same opportunities to receive XP.

A wrestler may not earn XP in the same pass that they were assigned a card.

Examples of actions that may be awarded XP (this list is not exhaustive, and XP may not always be awarded for the actions listed herein):

• Performing an exceptionally clean and controlled throw
• Skillful defense against an opponent’s throw attempt
• Wrestling with style – actions which would very clearly make it into an IGX highlights real