Rules and Regulations
1. All competitors must pay the registration fee by the selected deadline. No registration, no competition.
2. All male/male identifying competitors must compete shirtless. Women must wear a singlet, or rash guard.
3. Male competitors may choose to compete in the traditional style or wear compression shorts underneath. Women must wear bottoms and tops with their mawashi.
4. No Socks
5. No jewelry to be worn during the duration of the tournament. Rubber and Silicone wedding bands are permissible.
6. Please ensure that nails are an appropriate length. No press-on or acrylic nails are allowed
during the duration of the tournament.
7. All participants must be registered with the United States Sumo Federation and participate in weigh-ins prior to or day of the tournament. Failure to meet both expectations will result in forfeit. No refunds.
8. A loss is classified as a competitor being manipulated out of the dohyo (ring) or a competitor touching the ground with anything other than the soles of their feet. A loss may also be classified as a full unraveling of the Mawashi (belt) that touches the ground, performing forbidden techniques (closed fist strikes, kicks, hair pulling, undoing the mawashi, etc.), or forfeiture due to a failure to appear.
Scoring
The Tournament will be a double elimination style tournament with each round being a qualification bracket or a losers bracket. Once a competitor suffers two losses, they are eliminated from their category. Competitors may compete in multiple weight categories (i.e. a Middleweight may compete in any category above middleweight upon proof of purchase. They may not compete in categories below their weight class).
There are Four Corner Judges (shinpan), One Head judge, and One Referee (Gyoji). The role of the Head Shinpan is to be the final determination for matters too complex for the gyoji or corner shinpan. The Gyoji is responsible for determining who wins and loses a match. If the corner judges are unsure of the judges decision, they may call for a mono-ii, or a discussion to review and determine the gyoji's decision. A mono-ii results in the gyoji's verdict standing, the gyoji's verdict being reversed, or a rematch (torinaoshi) if the victor is too close to call.
