Description
We aim to host a tournament that is as close to what the Youth will experience when competing at an IMMAF tournament. The tournament will strictly follow the IMMAF weight divisions and rule sets for Youth that will be controlled by Mixed Martial Arts South Africa (MMA SA) officials on the day of the event.
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**IMPORTANT**
All Athletes will need to arrive with all of their documents (available for download here) filled in and ready to submit to help us speed up the weigh-in and registration process!
** Please email Proof of Payment to youthmmachampionships@gmail.com **
ALL ATHLETES MUST ENTER UNDER AN MMA SOUTH AFRICA AFFILIATED ACADEMY
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EFFECTIVE AS OF 2026
Please be advised that from 2026 the International Mixed Martial Arts Federation (IMMAF) will apply a 'Year-of-Birth Age Division System' to all Youth categories!
YOUTH D - 2014-2015
YOUTH C - 2012-2013
YOUTH B - 2010-2011
YOUTH A - 2008*-2009
*Subject to 17 year age cap rule!
!! Youth A remains capped at 17 years old! Athletes must NOT turn 18 before or on the Youth Competition period! Any athlete who is 18 years old must compete in the Junior/Senior divisions!
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ITINERARY:
Weigh-in & Medicals - 07H30 to 08H30
Competition Starts: 09H00
Food, drinks and much more will be on sale!
Spectators: R50 per person entry
Entry Costs:
Early: R250.00
Normal: R300.00
Late: R380.00
Banking Details:
Bank name: Capitec Business (Please make sure you select Capitec Business and NOT just Capitec)
Account type: Current
Account number: 1052236200
Branch code: 450105
PoP: youthmmachampionships@gmail.com
Reference: Athlete's full name
Here are some support links to help you navigate through SmoothComp:
https://support.smoothcomp.com/article/89-how-to-change-weightclass-or-cancel
https://support.smoothcomp.com/article/90-find-out-your-dynamic-starting-time
Please make yourself familiar with the full IMMAF Youth Rule Set available here!
Below are the basic criteria for the upcoming YMMACSA tournament!
There shall be no striking to the head or face for any and all levels of Youth A, B, C and D competition permitted.
STRICTLY: If an athlete does NOT make the weight they have entered under they will NOT be permitted to compete on the day and will forfeit entry fees!
The IMMAF currently recognizes and regulates 3 [three]* of 4 (four) different categories of Youth Mixed Martial Arts competition:
Youth A 16-17s (U18)*
Youth B 14-15s (U16)*
Youth C 12-13s (U14)*
Youth D 10-11s (U12)
JURISDICTION:
The Referee shall remain the sole arbiter of a contest. All contests and exhibitions of mixed martial arts must be conducted under the supervision and authority of the commission/host regulatory body.
ROUNDS:
Each contest under IMMAF Youth regulation shall consist of the following:
IMMAF Youth A 16-17s (U18) 3 x 2 minute rounds duration with a 1 minute rest period.
IMMAF Youth B 14-15s (U16) 1 single round of 4 minutes duration.
IMMAF Youth C 12-13s (U14) 1 single round of 3 minutes duration.
MMA SA Youth D 10-11s (U12) 1 single round of 3 minutes duration.
The premise here is in granting the participants the necessary additional and incremental competition times [increasing with age] during matches, rising from 3 to 4 to 6 minutes respectively.
No contest should be allowed over a two round format as the likelihood for a drawn result significantly increases.
FOULS:
The following acts constitute a foul in mixed martial arts competition:
1. Butting with the head
2. Eye gouging of any kind
3. Biting or spitting at an opponent
4. Fish Hooking
5. Hair pulling
6. Spiking the opponent to the canvas onto the head or neck (pile-driving)
7. Strikes to the spine or the back of the head. The spine includes the tailbone
8. Throat strikes of any kind and/or grabbing the trachea
9. Fingers outstretched toward an opponent’s face/eyes
10. Downward pointing elbow strike (12 to 6)
11. Groin attacks of any kind
12. Kneeing and/or Kicking the head of a grounded opponent
13. Stomping of a grounded fighter
14. Holding opponent's gloves, shorts, shin-guards or rash guard
15. Holding or grabbing the fence with fingers or toes
16. Small joint manipulation [fingers or toes]
17. Throwing an opponent out of the fighting area
18. Intentionally placing a finger into any orifice, or into any cut or laceration of your opponent
19. Clawing, pinching, twisting the flesh
20. Timidity (avoiding contact, or consistently dropping the mouthpiece, or faking an injury
21. Use of abusive language in the fighting area
22. Flagrant disregard of the referee's instructions
23. Unsportsmanlike conduct that causes an injury to opponent
24. Attacking an opponent after the bell has sounded the end of the period of unarmed combat.
25. Attacking an opponent on or during the break
26. Attacking an opponent who is under the care of the referee
27. Interference from a mixed martial artist’s corner or seconds
28. Applying any foreign substance to the head or body in order to gain an advantage.
FORBIDDEN TECHNIQUES
In addition to the listed fouls above, techniques that shall remain forbidden in Amateur Mixed Martial Arts contests shall be:
1) Elbow and forearm strikes of any kind
2) Heel Hook
3) Twister, neck crank, can opener, sit through crucifix and/or any submission deemed as applying pressure to the neck or spine
4) Knees to the head of an opponent.
In addition to the listed fouls and forbidden techniques for amateur competition the following restrictions shall also apply to the youth age category in which they are listed:
Youth D 10-11 years old & Youth C 12-13 years old
1. No striking with the knees in any fashion
2. No grounded striking of any fashion
3. No bicep or calf crush
4. No wristlocks
5. No leg submissions of any description
6. No omoplata submission
7. No suplex, elevated/shoulder throws or slams
8. No guillotine chokes of any description
9. No linear kicks to the knee
10. No up-kick from a grounded position
11. No foot stomps.
Youth B 14-15 years old
1. No striking with the knees in any fashion
2. No grounded striking of any fashion
3. No bicep or calf crush
4. No wristlocks
5. No knee-bar [legal leg attacks are straight Achilles lock and figure four ankle lock with straight leg only]
6. No omoplata submission
7. No suplex, elevated/shoulder throws or slams
8. No standing guillotine chokes
9. No linear kicks to the knee
10. No up-kick from a grounded position
11. No foot stomps
Figure four ankle locks are to be applied to a straight leg only, no bending of the knee whilst applying the submission allowed.
Guillotine chokes must be of “arm-in” type and finished from a grounded position.
Youth A 16-17 years old
1. No striking with the knees in any fashion
2. No kicking to the body of a downed opponent - Closed fist striking to the body only
3. No bicep or calf crush
4. No wristlocks
5. No suplex, elevated/shoulder throws or slams
6. No standing guillotine chokes
7. No linear kicks to the knee
8. No up-kick from a grounded position
9. No foot stomps
Figure four ankle locks are to be applied to a straight leg only, no bending of the knee whilst applying the submission allowed.
Guillotine chokes must be finished from a grounded position.
WEIGHT DIVISIONS:
Weigh-ins for youth contestants shall be on the day of competition.
All athletes must weigh in on the official competition scale in shorts and t-shirt/rash guard. Youth contestants are not permitted to strip above or below the waist to underwear or bare torso. To facilitate this all contestants at all official weigh ins shall be granted an additional 1lb [454gr] allowance over and above their designated weight category as detailed below.
Youth category D 10 - 11 years old & Youth category C 12 – 13 years old
Male & Female [under]
-31kg/ 68.3 lbs
-34kg/ 75 lbs
-37kg/ 81.6 lbs
-40kg/ 88.2 lbs
-44kg / 97 lbs
-48kg/ 105.8 lbs
-52kg/ 114.6 lbs
-57kg/ 125.7 lbs
+57kg/ 125.7 lbs – TO A MAXIMUM OF 62kg / 136.7 lbs
Youth category B 14 – 15 years old Male & Female [under]
-40 kg/ 88.2 lbs
-44 kg/ 97 lbs
-48 kg/ 105.8 lbs
-52 kg/ 114.6 lbs
-57 kg/ 125.7 lbs
-62 kg/ 136.7 lbs
-67 kg/ 147.7 lbs
-72kg/ 158.7 lbs
+72 kg/ 158.7 lbs – TO A MAXIMUM OF 77.1 kg/ 170 lbs
Both Youth B, C & D categories, for the upper weight limits only, no athlete shall be allowed to compete with a weight difference greater than 5 kg.
Youth category A 16-17 years old [as per current unified IMMAF rules]
Male [under]
Strawweight: -52.2 kg /115 lbs
Flyweight: -56.7 kg /125 lbs
Bantamweight: -61.2 kg /135 lbs
Featherweight: -65.8 kg /145 lbs
Lightweight: -70.3 kg /155 lbs
Welterweight: -77.1 kg /170 lbs
Middleweight: -83.9 kg /185 lbs
Light Heavyweight: -93.0 kg /205 lbs
Heavyweight: -120.2 kg /265 lbs
Female [under]
Atomweight: - 47.7kg /105 lbs
Strawweight: -52.2 kg /115 lbs
Flyweight: -56.7 kg /125 lbs
Bantamweight: -61.2 kg /135 lbs
Featherweight: -65.8 kg /145 lbs
Lightweight: -70.3 kg /155 lbs
Welterweight: 77.1 kg /170 lbs
In female category A, for the upper weight limit only, no athlete shall be allowed to compete with a weight difference greater than 5 kg.
MEDICAL REQUIREMENTS FOR CONTESTANTS:
All athletes are required to complete all pre competition medical examinations and tests as set out by the commission/host regulatory authority. This can be found in the competition license and registration handbook or the statutes as defined by the IMMAF.
The medical requirements set out pre competition shall be mandatory.
The commission/host regulatory authority licensing the contest shall conduct or supervise all pre-contest weigh-ins and supervise a rules meeting for all contestants and their cornermen.
Post-Contest medical examination:
1) Immediately following a contest, each contestant shall be given a medical examination by a physician approved by the commission/host regulatory authority. The medical examination may include any examinations or tests the commission deems necessary to determine the post-contest physical fitness of a contestant.
2) Any contestant who refuses to undergo a post-contest medical examination shall be immediately suspended for an indefinite period for an investigation to take place.
Groin Protectors
All male athletes must provide and wear a groin protector. Females may choose to wear a groin protector should they so wish.
Mouth pieces
All athletes are required to wear a well-fitting mouthpiece, which shall be subject to examination and approval. A round will not begin until both athletes have their respective mouthpieces in place.
If a mouthpiece is involuntarily dislodged during competition, the referee will call time and replace the mouthpiece at the first opportune moment, which does not interfere with the immediate action. Athletes are responsible for sourcing their own mouth guards.
Athlete’s Apparel
Shorts
Each athlete must wear mixed martial arts shorts/compression shorts. No pockets, zips, fasteners or any foreign substance other than that of the material that the shorts are made of shall be permitted to present on the shorts. No external lace up waistband on the outside of the shorts are permitted, it must be inside the waist band of the shorts.
Rash guards
The type of rash guard to be used shall be of tight fighting stretch material.
All rash guards are to be of short sleeve type. No long sleeve rash guards are permitted.
Special Considerations
YMMACSA understands and gives special dispensation to all cultural and religious belief and practice. Any female athlete wishing to wear either/or long sleeve rash guards and tights to cover the skin can do so with prior written notification to the commission/host regulatory authority.
Shoes
Athletes may not wear shoes of any kind during competition.
Equipment Control procedure
Athletes’ equipment/kit must be exempt from stains and must not show any signs of being worn out. If the condition of the equipment is assessed as unsatisfactory, the athlete must obtain replacement equipment they have brought with.
Replacements must be made in the following cases:
• Torn Equipment
• Bloodstains or any other apparent stains
• Worn out
