Official
Competition Rulebook

1.1 Authority of the Referee

The referee is the sole authority over the bout. The referee is responsible for issuing points, penalties, cautions, and warnings; arranging positional resets and disqualifications; and ordering breaks or starts in the actions. The referee’s decision of the match is final and incontestable by athletes and coaches, subject only to the narrow exceptions below:

A match result may be overturned only if:

• The score on the board has been misread
• The declared winner used an illegal hold previously unnoticed
• An athlete was erroneously disqualified for a legitimate technique

All challenges following the referee’s decision should be reported to the table with video evidence for consideration. The overturning of a decision is NOT guaranteed.

1.2 Judging Table

Each bout is scored through points and penalties by the referee (Article 8). The Mat Table will record and approve these points throughout and after the bout. Following the end of the bout, the table will record the winner of each match and record team scores, ultimately making the final decision on where in the bracket the team will continue.

1.3 Referee Duties

• Summon athletes and conduct final equipment and hygiene checks
• Position athletes and call the start, interruptions, and end of each match
• Award points, apply penalties, and enforce out-of-bounds rules
• Summon medical staff when necessary
• Announce the result and raise the winner’s arm

1.4 Mat Chairman

Where designated, the mat chairman coordinates the referee and judge and may intervene in serious scoring errors. In any disagreement between the referee and the mat chairman, the mat chairman’s decision is final.

2.5 Overview

Upper Belt Supermatches are exhibition bouts held at CJL events featuring purple, brown, and black belt athletes. Supermatches are standalone individual competitions and carry no bearing on team standings, team scores, or tournament results of any kind. They exist to showcase high-level grappling and to give upper belt athletes a competitive platform within the CJL ecosystem.

2.6 Eligibility

• Eligible ranks: Purple Belt, Brown Belt, Black Belt
• White and blue belt athletes are not eligible for supermatches
• All supermatch athletes are subject to the same conduct, anti-doping, and safety standards as all CJL participants

2.7 No Effect on Team Scores

Supermatch results do not affect the team dual meet scorecard in any way. A supermatch win, loss, or draw has no bearing on either participant’s team standing in the team tournament. Supermatches are purely individual exhibition bouts.

2.8 Open Upper Belt Ruleset

Supermatches are contested under an open ruleset consistent with what is permitted at the black belt level in major international jiu-jitsu competition. The following techniques are permitted in supermatches that are otherwise prohibited in CJL quintet matches:

• Heel hooks — inside and outside
• Knee bars
• Toe holds
• Bicep slicers and calf slicers
• Knee reaping
• Jumping Guard

All other prohibitions from Article 9 remain in effect for supermatches — including all striking, eye gouging, hair pulling, groin attacks, slamming, and spiking an opponent on their head.

2.9 Format & Matchmaking

Supermatches are five (5) minutes long. Teams are encouraged to make their upper belts who are looking to compete known, so CJL officials may schedule these matches. These supermatches will occur between or after the quintet and triplet rounds.

3.1 The Men’s 900-Pound Team Weight Limit

The CJL does not use individual weight classes. Instead, each team’s five competing grapplers must have a combined weight that does not exceed 900 lbs (approximately 408 kg) at the official weigh-in. If the weight limit is exceeded, the offending team will have until the conclusion of weigh-ins to find a substitute for one member of the team, which allows them to meet the limit, or they will be required to compete as a team of four and forfeit one of their matches each bout. Rosters are finalized with the conclusion of weigh-ins. New competitors will not be allowed to join the competition afterwards.

3.2 Weigh-In Procedure

• The official team weigh-in is held on the day of competition, at least 60 minutes before the first scheduled match
• All five rostered grapplers step on the scale individually; weights are recorded and summed for the team total
• Athletes must wear their competition uniform (rash guard and shorts, or gi) at weigh-in — no additional clothing
• Each athlete steps on the official scale once. Once an athlete steps off they are not allowed to be reweighed.
• A team that exceeds 900 lbs is given until the end of the weigh-in period to find a substitute.
• A team that cannot make weight after the grace period forfeits a member of their team and must forfeit one of the 5 matches in each bout.

3.3 Alternates & Substitutions Before Weigh-In

Alternates must be weighed in with the rest of the team, replacing one person on the starting roster for weigh-ins. Substitutions must be made and announced to mat officials before each team-on-team bout.

3.4 Weight Strategy

Teams are encouraged to build rosters around the 900 lb limit. Weight cutting is not banned but strongly discouraged for the safety of athletes. Teams do not have to meet a minimum weight.

5.1 Lineup Submission

Team lineups are made at the discretion of team captains. Captains of opposing teams must hold a meeting before the dual to discuss and agree upon matchups between the two teams. Each team will submit its full five-athlete lineup — the order in which each grappler will compete (Match 1 through 5) — to the mat-side table before each team dual. Once submitted, lineups are solidified and may not be changed.

• Lineups are discussed by both team captains before the match.
• Lineups are submitted to the table during the break between duals.
• Coaches will not take part in the captain’s lineup meetings and may not alter lineups after submission.

5.2 Lineup Reveal

Lineups will be revealed prior to each dual. The two teams will line up on opposite sides of the mat and will be called out by name to walk to the middle of the mat and shake their opponent’s hand in reverse order. The last names called will be the first match’s competitors, who will stay in the center upon shaking hands and begin their match.

5.3 Match Sequencing

Matches are run in order from Match 1 through Match 5. A 45-second break occurs between each individual match. The countdown begins the moment a bout concludes.

• Match duration: 5 minutes per individual bout
• Break between bouts: 45 seconds
• Athletes should be ready at mat-side before their scheduled slot

5.4 Tiebreaker Match

If the team dual is tied after five matches and all tiebreaker criteria in Article 2.3 are inconclusive, a sudden-death individual overtime match is contested. Both teams designate one athlete for the overtime match. Teams will have 45 seconds to decide their representative. The overtime match will be 5 minutes long. The first person to score 10 points or a submission automatically wins the match. If neither condition is met, the competitor with more points is announced the winner. If the match is tied, the winner is at the discretion of the referee.

7.1 Call to the Mat

Athletes must be present at the mat-side before their match. If an athlete does not respond when called, they will be given a 2-minute allowance to come to the mat. Failure to appear after the allowance period results in a match forfeit.

7.2 Match Start

• Athletes present themselves at their assigned corner
• The referee calls both athletes to the center of the mat
• Athletes put on their assigned ankle bands
• Athletes bow or shake hands
• The match begins on the referee’s whistle

7.3 Out-of-Bounds

Standing

When a standing athlete steps into the protection area with one full foot, the referee awards 1 point to the opponent and restarts from a neutral standing position.

An athlete who deliberately flees the mat receives an immediate stalling strike.

Ground

Out of bounds occurs when no body part of either athlete contacts the combat area, or when any body part exits the protection area. The referee restarts from the last secured position.

If athletes go out of bounds during a scoring action, the referee waits for the 3-second count. If control is confirmed, points are awarded, and the match restarts at the center.

Submission Attempts at the Boundary

An athlete who uses exiting the mat as a substitute for a proper technical submission defense is given a stalling strike, and the attacker is given 1 point. If proper defense creates out-of-bounds movement, the referee stops action, awards 1 point to the attacker, and restarts neutrally on the feet at the center.

Example: If a rear naked choke is evaded by running out of bounds, a point is issued to the attacker of the choke and a stalling strike is given to the evader. If proper defense causes rolling which goes out of bounds, a point is given to the attacker without stalling strike.

7.4 Restart Positions

When action is stopped, the match restarts from the last position secured for at least 3 seconds. Standard restart positions:

• Neutral Standing — both athletes at center, one foot on the inner circle
• Closed Guard — bottom athlete on back, feet crossed around opponent; top on knees
• Half Guard — bottom athlete on side with one of the opponent’s legs trapped
• Open Guard — bottom athlete on back, feet flat on mat; top kneeling in front
• Side Control — top athlete chest-down on opponent’s belly, outside the guard
• Full Mount — top athlete mounted on torso, knees flanking the body, facing the head
• Back Control — attacker behind opponent with heels between thighs, seatbelt control

All penalties will result in a Neutral Standing restart position at the center of the mat.

7.5 Match Interruptions

The referee may stop the match for:

• Injury or medical emergency
• Bleeding — maximum 5 minutes of cumulative treatment time per athlete per match
• Out-of-bounds situations
• Uniform adjustment — maximum 2 minutes
• Penalty reset (see Article 10)

7.6 End of Match

An individual match ends when:

• A submission is achieved or conceded (highest priority — immediate match win)
• An athlete is disqualified (4th stalling strike, severe foul, or 4th accumulated penalty)
• An athlete is unable to continue due to an injury caused by a legal hold
• Regulation time (5 minutes) expires — match goes to points or referee decision

9.1 Legal Techniques

The following techniques are legal in all CJL matches:

• All chokes — except using the hand to cover the mouth or squeeze the windpipe/trachea
• All arm bars, shoulder locks, and wrist locks
• Straight Ankle locks

9.2 Illegal Techniques — 5-on-5, 3-on-3 (White Through Purple Belt)

The following are prohibited for all CJL athletes regardless of belt rank:

• Twisting leg locks, including Heel hooks — inside and outside
• Knee reaping
• Forcing the knee reaping
• Neck cranks and spinal locks (such as twisters) without a simultaneous choke
• Bicep and Calf Slicers
• Slamming
• Jumping Guard
• Spiking an opponent on their head
• Striking of any kind — punches, elbows, knees to the face, kicks, head butts
• Eye gouging or fish hooking
• Grabbing the ears
• Hair pulling
• Gripping fewer than 4 fingers or toes (small joint manipulation)
• Thumbing
• Scratching, pinching, or biting
• Squeezing or applying pressure to the groin
• Grabbing rash guards or shorts (No-Gi)
• Applying slippery substances to the body or clothing
• Scissor takedown
• Suplex landing the opponent on their head or neck
• Forcing the opponent headfirst into the mat

9.3 Disciplinary Fouls — Immediate Disqualification from Match and Event

• Profane language or obscene gestures directed at any person at the event
• Hostile or threatening behavior toward athletes, officials, or spectators
• Intentional illegal striking — punches, elbows, knees to the face, kicks
• Biting, gouging, hair-pulling, or groin attacks
• Any conduct deemed grossly incompatible with the competition environment

9.4 Definitions of Ambiguous Illegal Techniques

• Knee Reaping: Knee reaping occurs during leg entanglements, when an athlete’s outside foot crosses the middle/belly button of their opponent's body towards the inside, compromising the integrity of the knee. When knee reaping occurs without an illegal hold/submission, the referee will immediately stop the match, award a point to the affected athlete, and resume the match in a neutral, standing position. Thus, the athlete who reaped loses a point and their advantageous position. If the athlete who is reaping the knee does so with an illegal hold/submission, the match is immediately concluded, and the referee disqualifies that athlete.
• Forcing the Knee Reaping: Forcing the reap occurs when an athlete grabs their opponent’s leg and forces it across the midline/belly button of their own body, into a reaping position. Forcing the knee reap results in a pause in the action by the referee, a point for the affected athlete, and then the action is resumed in a neutral, standing position.
• Slamming: When a competitor picks their opponent up off the ground and forcefully returns them, it is considered a slam. During takedowns, a slam occurs when the flow of a takedown is disrupted, and then a forceful return occurs. One clean swoop is not considered a slam. Suplexes and German Suplexes are considered slams. Slams result in immediate disqualification.
• All other Illegal Techniques: All other specified illegal techniques listed in Article 9.2 result in disqualification.

11.1 Medical Staff

The event organizer must provide qualified medical personnel on-site throughout all CJL competitions. Medical staff MUST be on site during the entire duration of event and must be prepared to give treatment in the case of trauma.

11.2 Bleeding

Bleeding stops the match. A maximum of 5 cumulative minutes of medical stoppage is permitted per athlete per match. Exceeding this limit ends the match — the bleeding athlete loses by injury.

11.3 Injury During a Match

If an athlete is unable to continue due to injury from a legal hold, the opponent wins by submission/injury stoppage. If caused by an illegal action, the referee determines whether to disqualify the offending athlete or discontinue the match and score by current cards (see Article 10.3).

11.4 Loss of Consciousness

Loss of consciousness from a legal hold results in a submission win for the opponent. Athletes who lose consciousness due to head trauma must not compete again in the same event and must receive medical clearance before their next competition.

11.5 Referee Safety Stoppage

Every match is subject to stoppage by the referee if the referee deems the athlete to be in a dangerous position. A referee’s main responsibility is athlete safety, so a referee’s stoppage based on safety is not subject to challenge.

13.1 Video Review

Video review is available if a decision affects the outcome of a match. The challenge must be issued at the completion of the match, prior to the beginning of the next match.

If video review is available:

• Each team is entitled to one (1) challenge per dual
• The challenge must be initiated by the head coach immediately after the match
• If upheld (decision reversed), the team retains its challenge
• If denied (decision confirmed), the team loses the challenge, and the opponent receives 1 point

13.2 Formal Protests

No protest against a referee’s decision may be submitted after a dual has ended. Match results will not be overturned after the beginning of the following match. If a coach has a protest, they must make it known to the match officials before the start of the following match in order to start the review process, which extends time between matches.

This table references Individual match points.

The following techniques are illegal in all CJL divisions. All rules apply uniformly to white, blue, and purple belts.