Description
Event Details
Date & Time: Saturday, October 4, 2025. Weigh-ins will be at 9:00 AM Central Time. The tournament will begin at 10 AM.
Location: Grapple Jiu Jitsu, 5709 US-80, Pearl, MS 39208 (Inside Focus Fit Gym)
Contact Email: info@grapplebjj.com
Food & Beverages: Snacks and beverages will be available at the event for purchase.
Spectators
We welcome friends, family, and grappling enthusiasts to come enjoy this historical inaugural event! Tickets are $10 for spectators. Each participating gym is allowed one coach free of charge.
A live stream of the event, with commentary, will also be available on YouTube, free of charge.
Cash Prizes
Each weight division will have a $50 cash prize up for grabs by the winner.
Submission Bounties
Various bounties will be announced the day of the event. Athletes who win by a bountied submission will receive a cash bonus of $50.
Bonus $300
The 2 teams with the highest overall score at the end of the event will face off in a single-elimination trios bracket. Team members will be selected by the coach. Team matches will be quintet-style (if the athlete gets a submission, they stay on the mats and face the next athlete from the opposing team). The team with members left standing will receive $300.
Competition Format
Ruleset: Professional Grappling Federation (PGF) rules
Match Guarantee: Each registered competitor is guaranteed at least two matches, with brackets following a double-elimination format
Scoring System
The PGF scoring system emphasizes individual skill and team strategy, rewarding athletes for submission victories:
Chokes (Kills): 6 points
Joint Locks (Breaks): 3 points
Fast Submission Bonus: 1 additional point for submissions achieved in under a minute
Draws or Referee Decisions: 0 points
Athletes will earn points for their respective academies based on their methods of victory. Additionally, competitors will accumulate PGF Experience Points (XP), with rankings available at PGF Rankings. These rankings will determine seeding for the state tournament at the end of the year.
Disallowed Techniques
All submissions are legal at all levels. However, the following techniques are banned and will result in immediate disqualification:
- Jumping guard
- Any technique where bodyweight moves in the direction of the opponent's knees (ex: kani basami)
- Flying submissions are allowed, but if poorly executed and weight moves in the direction that is below the hips of the opponent, this will result in a disqualification
- Slamming (whether the athlete is in an active submission or not)
- Holding submissions if your opponent lifts you above their hip line (ex: if they can't slam you, you can't game the system and hold a triangle above their hip line — you must let it go)
Anti-Stalling Rules
To promote an active and engaging grappling environment, the PGF enforces strict anti-stalling measures:
20-Second Shot Clock: Athletes must initiate a "deep shot" attempt within 20 seconds, defined as an explosive maneuver (even at the risk of exposing themself) to get out of a pin and pose a real threat to the other player. Shot clock is typically called on the bottom player, even if they are completely pinned.
Excessive Avoidance Penalty: Competitors must actively attempt to escape, advance, or submit. Passive survival tactics are insufficient. If penalized for excessive avoidance, the athlete will be placed on the bottom in the "Tabletop Position," and the match will resume.
Specific Anti-Stalling Criteria:
1. Engagement Avoidance: Deliberately avoiding engagement, such as taking three or more steps backward, is prohibited.
2. Progressive Action: Athletes are required to actively seek positional advancement, submission attempts, or escapes, rather than maintaining a static or purely defensive posture.
3. Continuous Combativity: Competitors must demonstrate ongoing efforts to create and engage in offensive maneuvers. Prolonged inactivity or non-engagement is not permitted.
Penalties for Stalling
- Three Penalties: If an athlete incurs three penalties and the match results in a draw, the opponent without penalties is awarded 2 points. The match will continue, but if it goes to a decision the decision will automatically go to the athlete who did not incur three penalties.
- Five Penalties: Accumulating five penalties results in immediate disqualification, awarding the opponent 2 points.
Divisions
Men's Weight Classes
- Lightweight: Up to 155 lbs
- Middleweight: Up to 175 lbs
- Light Heavyweight: Up to 205 lbs
- Heavyweight: 206 lbs and above
Women's Weight Classes
- Flyweight: Up to 125 lbs
- Featherweight: Up to 145 lbs
- Surfweight: Up to 165 lbs
Experience Levels for Each Weight Class
- Beginner: White to Blue Belt
- Advanced: Purple, Brown, and Black Belt
Eligibility
This event is open to adult competitors only; there are no kids divisions for this tournament.
Don't miss this opportunity to compete, earn points throughout the year, and strive for the title of Mississippi State Champion. We look forward to seeing you on the mats!
