OFFICIAL SGF RULES & SAFETY
GRAPPLING • CJJ • PANKRATION
Sport Grappling Federation (SGF) is a grappling competition and athlete-development program of Born To Win Athlete Development Pathway, Inc., a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization.
Competition Formats
SGF-sanctioned competitions may utilize the following formats:
All competitors within a bracket compete against one another, with placement determined by cumulative wins, submissions, and points differential. This format is primarily used for smaller weight-class brackets.ROUND ROBIN
Standard tournament bracket competition. Double-elimination brackets provide a second-chance path through the consolation bracket and are preferred for larger divisions.SINGLE OR DOUBLE ELIMINATION
SUPER FIGHT / EXHIBITION
A prearranged individual match between designated competitors, typically athletes of high competitive standing.Each SGF event will identify its applicable competition format in the official event announcement.
Age Divisions
Male and female weight divisions apply.
Adult Open divisions are available for Intermediate and Advanced competitors as provided by the Official SGF Policy Manual.
Skill Divisions
BEGINNER
0–18 months of grappling experience.
Competitors with college wrestling experience are not eligible for the Beginner division.
Jiu-Jitsu blue belts and higher may not compete in the Beginner division.
INTERMEDIATE
18 months–4 years of grappling experience.
ADVANCED
More than 4 years of grappling experience.
How SGF Matches Are Won
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Officials consider:
Takedowns and sustained top control
Guard passing and positional advancement
Dominant positions, including mount, back control, and side control
High-quality submission attempts, with deeper attempts prioritized
Effective striking when applicable to CJJ and Pankration
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Officials consider:
Initiating grappling exchanges
Initiating striking when applicable
Pushing the pace
Attempting to finish
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Officials consider:
Escaping dominant positions
Defending submissions
Sweeps and reversals
Guard recovery
Scoring Criteria
There are no tied rounds. Each round must have a winner.
Athletes must wear a form-fitting rash guard or compression shirt with no loose fabric.
Permitted bottoms include board shorts, compression shorts, or spats with no pockets, exposed zippers, buttons, or loose drawstrings.
Bare-torso competition is prohibited.
Colors are at the athlete’s discretion unless event rules establish specific team colors or uniform requirements.
Competition Uniform
Long hair must be securely tied down to prevent it from being grabbed, trapped, or causing accidental injury.
Hard clips and metal pins are prohibited.
Hair Control
DISCIPLINE-SPECIFIC RULES
GRAPPLING
Submission grappling competition built around technical control, positional advancement, submission offense and defense, and athlete safety.
COMBAT JIU-JITSU — CJJ
A discipline-specific SGF competition format incorporating grappling and permitted striking under established technical and safety standards.
PANKRATION
A discipline-specific SGF competition format conducted under established SGF technical, striking, grappling, scoring, and safety standards.