Youth Division (Ages 14–17) · Inter-Gym Technical Competition
All participants must:
Combat Sambo League may deny or withdraw participation at any time if an athlete does not satisfy eligibility, medical, safety, documentation, or conduct requirements.
Combat Sambo League may require additional medical documentation when reasonably necessary for athlete safety, including physician clearance, ophthalmological examination, or other medical testing.
No athlete may participate when a medical professional, referee, or Combat Sambo League official determines that participation presents an unreasonable safety risk.
Combat Sambo involves throwing, grappling, submission techniques, controlled striking, and other physical contact.
Participation involves inherent risks, including but not limited to bruises, strains, sprains, fractures, joint injuries, accidental head impact, concussion, and other bodily injuries.
Participation is voluntary and requires acknowledgment of these risks by the athlete and the athlete’s parent or legal guardian.
Nothing in these rules shall be interpreted as waiving any right or responsibility that cannot legally be waived under applicable law.
Combat Sambo League may require additional protective equipment for particular divisions or events.
Headgear may be required when designated by Combat Sambo League.
The referee or other designated official may reject any unsafe, altered, damaged, improperly fitted, or unauthorized equipment.
No athlete may compete until all required equipment has been approved.
All Youth Division matches shall be conducted as controlled technical competition.
Full-contact striking, uncontrolled striking, and striking intended to stun, injure, incapacitate, or knock out an opponent are prohibited.
The purpose of permitted striking is to demonstrate:
Power shall not be used as a primary scoring criterion.
All intentional strikes to the head, face, neck, and back of the head are prohibited.
No striking to the head, face, or neck is permitted in the ground position.
All submission techniques must be applied progressively and under control. Athletes must immediately release a submission upon:
The referee may stop a submission before a tap if the referee determines that immediate intervention is necessary to protect the athlete.
All striking must be controlled.
Athletes may demonstrate clean and effective striking technique but may not use excessive force.
The following are prohibited:
The referee shall determine whether the level of contact exceeds the permitted technical-contact standard.
The referee may:
Safety shall take priority over scoring.
Following a successful throw or takedown, athletes may continue technical competition on the ground.
Ground engagement is limited to twenty (20) seconds.
The twenty-second period begins when both athletes establish meaningful ground engagement following a throw, takedown, or scramble.
Athletes must demonstrate active technical engagement through:
The referee shall restart the athletes in the standing position when:
A grounded athlete is an athlete with any part of the body other than the soles of the feet touching the competition surface.
The following are prohibited:
Depending upon the seriousness of the violation, the referee may impose:
Repeated violations may result in progressive penalties.
A deliberate dangerous technique or intentional excessive contact may result in immediate disqualification without a prior warning.
A Youth Technical Combat Sambo match may be won by:
Knockout (KO) is not a permitted method of victory.
Athletes may not attempt to knock out, stun, or incapacitate an opponent through striking.
A Technical Submission may be declared when the referee determines that an athlete is caught in a submission and intervention is required immediately to prevent injury.
A match may be immediately ended when an athlete executes a clean, controlled, technically superior throw that:
The referee has final discretion to determine whether a throw satisfies the requirements for Immediate Victory by Total Throw.
Judges shall evaluate:
Judges shall emphasize:
Excessive force shall not result in additional scoring advantage.
A technique performed with prohibited or excessive contact may result in no credit and may also result in a penalty.
The referee has full authority over the match.
The referee may:
The referee may stop a match at any time if the conduct or intensity becomes inconsistent with controlled technical competition.
Athlete safety shall take priority over continuation of the match.
The referee’s determination concerning match conduct shall be final.
A designated medical professional may:
An athlete who experiences suspected concussion, loss of consciousness, significant head impact, serious injury, or other concerning symptoms shall not be permitted to continue unless medically appropriate.
Medical safety determinations made by the designated medical professional shall take priority over competition considerations.
All athletes, coaches, managers, parents, guardians, and corner personnel must conduct themselves professionally and in a sportsmanlike manner.
Violations may result in:
Matches shall take place within a Combat Sambo League-approved competition area.
The competition area must:
The referee may stop or reposition the athletes whenever their position creates a safety concern near a wall, cage, platform edge, boundary, or other hazardous area.
Each minor athlete must have an authorized adult responsible for consent and participation documentation.
The athlete’s coach is responsible for:
The parent or legal guardian is responsible for:
Nothing in this section limits the authority or safety responsibilities of Combat Sambo League officials, referees, or medical personnel.
A coach or authorized adult may submit a formal protest regarding:
The following are not subject to protest except in the case of a clear administrative error:
Combat Sambo League officials shall review properly submitted protests and issue a final administrative determination.
Youth Technical Combat Sambo is a martial arts competition involving:
Participation involves inherent physical risks.
However, the Youth Division is specifically conducted as controlled technical competition.
The following are not permitted:
The objective of competition is to demonstrate technical skill, control, timing, grappling ability, throwing ability, and tactical performance—not to injure or incapacitate an opponent.
Participation requires voluntary acknowledgment of the inherent risks of the permitted activities by the athlete and the athlete’s parent or legal guardian.
No competitor, coach, parent, guardian, or other person has the right to require continuation of a match when a referee, medical professional, or Combat Sambo League official determines that stopping the match is necessary for athlete safety.
Any official may immediately intervene when an athlete appears injured, disoriented, unable to safely defend, emotionally unable to continue, or otherwise at unreasonable risk.
Combat Sambo League reserves the right to interpret and enforce these rules for purposes of:
Combat Sambo League may restrict or prohibit any technique, even if otherwise listed as permitted, when officials determine that its use creates an unreasonable safety risk.
All participants, coaches, parents, guardians, and corners must comply with referee, medical, and event-official instructions.
All rulings made during competition shall be binding for purposes of event administration.