Rounds for Hounds

Submission-Only Grappling for a Great Cause

Join us for Rounds for Hounds — a high-energy grappling competition where every match helps feed and care for animals in need. This submission-only event brings together grapplers of all experience levels for a day of skill, sportsmanship, and support for local animal shelters.

Whether you’re stepping on the mat or cheering from the sidelines, you’ll be helping provide dog food, medical care, and other essentials for shelter animals in our community.

Event Highlights:
• 7-minute submission-only matches
• Beginner & Advanced divisions
• Sudden death overtime: first takedown with control wins
• All proceeds go directly to local shelters and rescue organizations

Support the cause. Show your heart. Test your skill.

Grapple for good — because every round feeds a hound!

Fee: $50

Weigh-ins start at 9am.

Official Grappling Ruleset

Submission-Only Tournament – Unified Rules for All Divisions

1. Match Format
• Regulation Time: 7 minutes, submission-only.
• Overtime: If no submission occurs, the match proceeds to Sudden Death – first grappler to score a valid takedown with dominant control wins (see Section 6).

2. Divisions

Beginner Division

Intended for:
• Competitors with less than 2 years of consistent grappling experience
• Recreational or entry-level grapplers with limited or no competition background

Restrictions:
• Heel hooks prohibited
• Standing submissions prohibited (e.g., standing guillotine, standing kimura)
• All general safety rules apply (see Section 4)

Advanced Division

Intended for:
• Competitors with 2 or more years of consistent grappling experience
• Those with formal training or previous competition experience

Additional Techniques Allowed:
• Heel hooks permitted
• Standing submissions permitted, but must be applied with control
• Reaping is allowed and recognized as a valid control position
• Muffling permitted – covering the opponent’s mouth and/or nose to disrupt breathing is allowed when applied safely and with control

3. Legal Techniques (All Divisions Unless Noted)
• Joint locks on arms, shoulders, legs, and feet (e.g., armbars, Americana, knee bar, toe hold, straight ankle lock)
• Chokes and strangles (air or blood-based)
• Positional control from mount, back control, side control, turtle, and knee-on-belly
• Controlled takedowns that meet safety and positional criteria
• Reaping the knee (Advanced only)
• Standing submissions (Advanced only)
• Muffling (Advanced only)

4. Illegal Techniques (Prohibited in All Divisions)
• Spinal attacks including:
• Can openers
• Cervical cranks
• Heel hooks (Beginner division only)
• Standing submissions (Beginner division only)
• Muffling (Beginner division only)
• Flying scissor takedowns (kani basami and similar jumping leg entanglement entries)
• Jumping guard pulls
• Slams used to escape submissions or cause injury
• Small joint manipulation (fingers and toes)
• Striking of any kind
• Grabbing clothing in no-gi divisions
• Invasive or unsportsmanlike actions, including:
• Oil checks
• Fingers to the throat
• Fish-hooking
• Any insertion or contact with body orifices
• Use of cage or walls (if present) to gain unfair advantage
• Intentional stalling or disengagement

5. Division Consolidation Policy

If participant numbers are low in one or both divisions, organizers reserve the right to combine divisions. In such cases, the match will be governed by the Beginner division rule set to prioritize safety and fairness for all competitors.

6. Sudden Death Overtime – Takedown Criteria

If no submission occurs during the 7-minute match, the first grappler to score a valid takedown with dominant control wins.

Generic Definition of a Takedown

A takedown is a maneuver in which one athlete causes the opponent to lose balance and transition from a standing position to the ground, while the initiating athlete maintains or achieves a position of advantage or control.

Key Components That Make It a Takedown:
1. Initiated from standing – Both athletes must be standing at the start.
2. Force or technique applied by attacker – The opponent doesn’t fall on their own.
3. Clear cause-effect – It must be evident that the attacking athlete’s action caused the fall.
4. Control or dominant position – The attacker must:
• Land in a top position
Including but not limited to:
- side control,
- mount,
- back control,
- seatbelt,
- top quarter,
- knee on belly,
- north/south

, or
• Maintain connection/control that limits the opponent’s movement immediately upon landing.

What Is Not a Takedown:
• Guard Pulls – Even if the top athlete ends in a passing position.
• Opponent slips or trips on their own – Without meaningful engagement.
• No control or advantage gained – For example, throwing the opponent but falling underneath into bottom position, or results in stalled or neutral position.
• Both fall without clear initiator – A scramble or mutual off-balance with no clear aggressor.

“A successful takedown must bring the opponent from standing to the ground through offensive action, and result in control in a dominant grappling position such as side control, mount, or back control. Falls that end in guard or neutral positions do not constitute takedowns.”

This keeps it clean, avoids ambiguity, and ensures the sudden death round reflects decisive grappling control.

Rounds For Hounds

Grapple for food - every round feeds a hound!