Tournament Rules

1. All competitors must wear a clean regulation karate, kung fu, or tae-kwon-do uniform.
2. Spectators are not allowed on the competition floor at any time.
3. Only Black belts will officiate in divisions containing black belt competitors. Brown belts may judge (but not center) in divisions containing other brown belts (but no black belts). Officials between the ages of 13 and 17 may judge divisions containing all youth competitors.
4. An official may not at any time judge or center for his or her child or spouse.
5. If there is a division provided for a competitor, the competitor must compete in that division. A competitor found competing in the wrong division will be disqualified. In order to receive points in any division with only one competitor that competitor must have registered before the deadline, be in uniform at the appropriate ring, and ready to compete when the division is called.
6. In the event a child's age is challenged, the parent(s) or guardian of that child shall produce a Birth Certificate to establish the child's age.
7. Unsportsman like conduct will result in disqualification. A competitor may be disqualified if a parent, instructor, or fellow student exhibits unsportsman like conduct. A disqualified competitor will receive no points and no award. A disqualified competitor will not be allowed to continue into another round of competition.
8. A person who is not enrolled in a karate school may not participate in any phase of PKC competition.
9. National PKC Points are awarded as follows: 1st-15pts, 2nd-10pts, 3rd-5pts, and 4th-3pts.
10. All PKC sanctioned tournaments will use square rings for competition. Rings will be no less that 16' X 16' nor more than 26' X 26'. Recommended ring size is 20' X 20'. Elevated rings shall be no more than three (3) feet above the floor surface and must have no less than four (4) feet between the out of bounds line and the edge of the elevated floor surface. This rule does not apply to regulation size boxing rings. Two parallel lines will be place in the center of the ring two (2) feet in length and six (6) feet apart as starting points.
11. In lodging a protest a player, parent, or instructor must respectfully get the attention of the center referee and state the rule violation being protested. Protests are only allowed when a rule has been violated. A judgment call may not be protested. Center referees will respect all protests and may want to summon an arbitrator.
12. The center referee is responsible for insuring all score sheets are properly completed prior to awards being given out.
13. A competitor may request the removal of one official before the division begins. A decision to remove shall be made by the arbitrator or tournament director.
14. Registration deadline for tournament competition is 1:30 pm.

Kata, Self Defense, Weapons

1. The lowest score in all divisions will be 7.00. Average score will be 8.50. In kata and weapons divisions judges will add to or deduct from the average score based upon the following criteria: power, balance, focus, execution, concentration and control. In self-defense divisions the criteria will be realism, balance, technique, power, and control.
2. To determine a competitor's score, the highest and lowest score will be eliminated and the remaining scores will be added together. A Kyu ranked competitor who forgets their kata may ask to restart one time, but will have a deduction of .100 of their score by the officials.
3. In the event of a tie (two or more competitors score the same) the tied competitors will run again. A competitor may run the kata of his or her choice (with the exception of black belt competitors in a division of all black belts who must run a different kata). Competitors will be judged only on the second performance for an award. If there are only two (2) competitors tied, a show of hands will determine the winner. If more than two (2) competitors, all competitors must be scored again.
4. The rules for weapons kata are the same as empty hand. The center referee is responsible for checking the condition of weapons to insure the safety of everyone involved.
5. If a competitor in an all black belt weapons division and drops his or her weapon they will be disqualified. Kyu ranked competitors may ask to start over but will have a .100 point deduction of their score by the officials.
6. All competitors and attackers in self-defense divisions will wear approved protective headgear. If an attacker uses a weapon in self-defense division the competitor may not turn the weapon on the attacker.
7. Scorekeepers will write the word "closed" at the bottom of the score sheet as soon as the division has begun. Any competitor who arrives once a division has begun will be considered late. Late entries will be added to the bottom of the competitor listing with the word "late" written by their name. Late entries will receive a .300 (3/10) point deduction from their total score from the scorekeeper.
8. Care should be taken to insure there are not a majority of judges from one school or Dojo on any judging board.

Sparring Rules

1. Safety equipment is required in all divisions. Approved soft foam head, foot, and hand gear, mouthpiece and groin cup (males only) are required. Recommended equipment -soft shin pads and rib guards. Hand pads must cover the wrists and fingers in one single piece. Knuckle punch equipment, any equipment with excessive tape, or that the center referee deems unsafe shall not be used.
2. An official may at no time center for his/her own student.
3. Jewelry or other objects that may endanger a competitor may not be worn. Medical ID tags may be worn.
4. No kumite match will begin without the presence of trained and certified medical personnel. Only certified medical personnel may administer first aid to an injured competitor.
5. All matches will be two minutes running time. Time will only be stopped by the center referee when necessary.
6. All scoring techniques will receive one (1) point.
7. Tournament matches in all divisions will be five points. The winner will declared when a competitor reaches five points or time is called. A winner will be declared when there is a three (3) point differential; for example, if the score is 3 to 0, 4 to 1. The three point differential rule shall not apply to black belt matches.
8. If there is a tie when time is called a 'sudden victory' overtime will determine the winner. The first competitor to score a point wins.
9. To score a point techniques must be focused, snapped, controlled and with proper balance. Open hand back fists will not score. Slapping techniques to the head or body will not score.
10. JUDGE/REFEREE CALLS:
    NO SEE - Hand in front of eyes
    NO POINT - Cross arms
    CLASH - Put both fists together
    POINT - Point to the person getting point (or raise flag)
    PENALTY POINT - Point to the person getting the point
    CONTACT POINT - Fist in hand pointing towards person who was hit (or raising flag of person who was hit with fist in hand)
    EXCESSIVE CONTACT - Fist in hand pointing towards person who was hit while circling (or raising flag of person who was hit with first in hand while circling)
11. TARGET AREAS:
    Head - light contact in all divisions
    Face Mask Area - No contact below brown belt adult divisions. Techniques that are executed to the face but do not touch yet could make contact if fully extended will be awarded a point.
    Chest, rib cage, abdominal area, kidney - Light to moderate contact must be made to score.
    Groin - Light to moderate contact in all divisions, youth and adult.
12. No contact means no contact. Face contact will result in a penalty point for the opponent. In a no face contact division, any part of a competitor that touches another competitor in the facemask area results in a penalty point. It does not have to be a scoring technique. Intent does not play a part. The foul is committed if anything touches the facemask area. The center referee can call a penalty point for contact without verification from the corner judges.
13. Light contact means no penetration or visible movement of the part of the opponent struck by the competitor.
14. Moderate contact means slight penetration or slight movement of the target. Moderate contact to the face in all divisions will result in disqualification. Moderate contact to the body is allowed in all divisions.
15. Excessive contact means an uncontrolled technique. Any technique to the head causing the head to snap in any direction or that drives the opponent away by the impact of the technique is excessive. The penalty for excessive contact is disqualification. An excessive contact foul overrides all other calls, regardless of the sequence of the infractions.
16. Swelling, redness, or bleeding caused by a punch, kick, or any aggressive act by a competitor will result in disqualification of the competitor responsible for the contact. If a competitor is knocked unconscious by a technique the medical technician must examine him or her immediately. A competitor who is knocked unconscious cannot continue to fight. The competitor who executed the technique will be disqualified for excessive contact from that match but may go on to fight in any subsequent matches. The medical technician will make the final decision on a competitor's ability to continue a match.
17. Grabbing the uniform or trapping a kick is allowed to facilitate scoring. Scoring must occur within 3 seconds.
18. Ground fighting. Either competitor may score within 3 seconds. Stomps to the body are allowed as long as one foot remains solidly on the ground.
19. Out of bounds - Any time a competitor touches the out of bounds line and or steps out of bounds a point will be awarded to the opponent, provided he is not pushed, shoved, or propelled out of the ring.
20. Sweeps are allowed to the back of the front leg (boot to boot contact). No takedowns, rear leg sweeps or leg checking is allowed.
21. Every verified rules infraction will result in a point awarded to the opponent. This excludes those rules infractions that are considered flagrant and result in disqualification, such as excessive contact.
22. The following are illegal techniques: head butts, swinging techniques, hair pulling, biting, scratching, knees, elbows, throws, rear leg sweeps, stomps to the head, jumping on a downed opponent, kicks to the legs, blind techniques, open hand techniques to the eyes, striking to the spine, back of neck or throat, falling to the floor to avoid contact, pushing, running out of bounds, ringside coaching, faking an injury.
23. Second punching - Executing a technique after the center referee has said stop will result in a point given to the opponent whether the infraction takes place in or out of bounds.
24. Coaching during a match is a rules infraction and may result in a point being given to the offending competitor's opponent. Coaching is defined as verbal or nonverbal instructions to a competitor during a match.
25. Pairings and byes will be made randomly before the first round of competition. The center referee, coordinator, or scorekeeper will pair competitor cards randomly. In the event members of the same school are paired cards will be switched with the last match of that round.
26. Late entry - Once a sparring division has started there will be no late entries.
27. The center referee may issue a point for any rules infraction or disqualification or a point for excessive contact or unsportsman like conduct without verification from the corner judges. The center referee's call for a rules infraction overrides calls made by a corner judge. The center referee is will be positioned so the timekeeper and scorekeeper are highly visible to him or her. The center referee is responsible for knowing the location of the medical technicians.
28. All competitors will be required to weigh in if requested and disqualified if found competing in the wrong division.