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WORLD GRAPPLING CHAMPIONSHIPS

Official Rules & Competition Format

The World Grappling Championships (WGC) is committed to providing a fair, safe, and professional competition environment for athletes of every age and experience level. All competitors are expected to understand the rules prior to stepping onto the competition mat.

MATCH LENGTHS

Gi Divisions
  • Pre-K (4-5): 2 Minutes | All Belts
  • Kinder (6-7): 3 Minutes | All Belts
  • Youth 1 (8-9): 3 Minutes | All Belts
  • Youth 2 (10-11): 3 Minutes | All Belts
  • Juvenile (12–17): 4 Minutes | All Belts
  • Adult (18+): White: 5m | Blue: 6m | Purple: 7m | Brown: 8m | Black: 10m
  • Masters 1 (30+) & Masters 2 (40+): 5 Minutes | All Belts
No-Gi Match Lengths
  • Youth Divisions (Pre-K to Juvenile): Same as Gi match lengths (2–4 Minutes)
  • Adult Divisions: Beginner (White): 4m | Intermediate (Blue/Purple): 5m | Advanced (Brown/Black): 6m
  • Masters (30+/40+): 4 Minutes (All Experience Levels)

Scoring System

Scoring Requirements

  • Takedown / Throw: 2 Points
  • Sweep: 2 Points
  • Knee on Belly: 2 Points
  • Turtle Control: 2 Points
  • Side Control / North-South: 3 Points
  • Mount: 4 Points
  • Back Control: 4 Points

Points are awarded after establishing and maintaining control for three (3) seconds. If a takedown lands directly into a higher position, positional points are added to the 2 takedown points after the 3-second count. Reverse positions from guard results in Sweep points. Turtle position control is awarded if control is from behind the hips.

Overtime
Legal Submissions

Matches ending in a tie go to a 3-minute overtime. Win by submission, first to score 2+ points, or Referee Decision. Pulling guard results in 1 point for the opponent; a second guard pull ends the match.

Arm Bars, Triangle Chokes, Gi Chokes, Americana, Kimura, Omoplata. Advanced divisions include: Wrist Locks, Knee Bars, Toe Holds, Slicers. Restrictive age rules apply.

Stalling
Athlete Safety

Zero tolerance for stalling. First offense: Warning. Second offense: 2 points for opponent. If those determine the match, it ends immediately.

Safety is the highest priority. Referees may stop matches at any time. For youth: submissions may be stopped before full extension if injury is imminent. All referee decisions are final.

Tournament Divisions

Find the perfect bracket for your athlete. We organize all matches by age and weight for a safe, fun experience.

Early Years

Pre-K 3–4: -30 lbs, -35 lbs, -40 lbs, -45 lbs, +45 lbs. Kinder 5–6: -40 lbs, -45 lbs, -50 lbs, +55 lbs.

Youth 1 & 2

Youth 1 (7–8): -50 lbs, -60 lbs, -70 lbs, +80 lbs. Youth 2 (9–10): -60 lbs, -70 lbs, -85 lbs, -95 lbs, +95 lbs.

Pre-Teen & Teen

Pre-Teen 11–12: -80, -90, -100, -115, +115 lbs. Teen 13–14: -100, -115, -125, -140, -155, +155 lbs.

Juvenile 15–17

Standardized brackets: -115 lbs, -135 lbs, -150 lbs, -165 lbs, -180 lbs, -195 lbs, -215 lbs, +215 lbs.

Men & Masters

Ages 18+: -135 lbs, -150 lbs, -165 lbs, -180 lbs, -195 lbs, -215 lbs, -235 lbs, -250 lbs, +250 lbs.

Women's Classes

Adult & Master: -115 lbs, -125 lbs, -135 lbs, -145 lbs, -155 lbs, -170 lbs, -185 lbs, +185 lbs.

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