4 teams. Submission-only. $400 total prizes. Join us for the inaugural Grapple Nights tournament series on Friday, August 22, 2025 at Grapple Jiu Jitsu, located at 5709 US-80, Pearl, MS 39208 (inside Focus Fit Gym). This exciting monthly series is designed to create a fun and friendly atmosphere to showcase the best grapplers in Mississippi under varying formats.
Note: There are only 4 team slots available for this tournament, and then registration will be closed. If registration is already full and you are interested in competing, please email us (email below) to be considered for the next event.
Event Details
Date & Time: Friday, August 22, 2025. Doors will open at 6:00 PM. Rules meeting at 6:15 PM. The tournament will begin at 6:30 PM.
Location: Grapple Jiu Jitsu, 5709 US-80, Pearl, MS 39208 (Inside Focus Fit Gym)
Contact Email:
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Food & Beverages: A food truck will be available the event.
Door Prizes: Spectators will have a chance to receive door prizes!
Spectators
We welcome friends, family, and grappling enthusiasts to come enjoy this historical inaugural event! Tickets are $10 for spectators. Each participating gym is allowed one coach free of charge.
A live stream of the event will also be available on YouTube, free of charge.
Cash Prizes
The winning team will receive a $300 cash prize.
The top 4 scorers of the night (regardless of what teams they are on) will have the opportunity to face off after the team bracket in a single-elimination bracket for an extra $100. The rules will be the same as below, except a draw will result in 3 rounds of EBI-style overtime starting in the back position.
Eligibility and Team Requirements
This event is open to adult competitors only; there are no kids divisions for this tournament.
Each team shall be comprised of:
1 Captain (any weight, any experience level)
2 Additional members (any weight, less than 2 years of grappling experience)
Total combined team weight cannot exceed 600lbs.
Competition Format
Ruleset: Professional Grappling Federation (PGF) rules
Team Ruleset: Quintet-style (athletes who win by submission will stay on the mats and face the next athlete from the opposing team)
Team Bracket Flow: Team Captains will determine their roster order before their leg of the bracket starts. The roster order will NOT be shared with anyone. Once a team bout starts, the roster order cannot be changed.
Match Time Limit: 6 minutes
Win Condition: The bout between two teams is over when a team is out of athletes to send out.
Scoring System
The PGF scoring system emphasizes individual skill and team strategy, rewarding athletes for submission victories:
Chokes (Kills): 6 points
Joint Locks (Breaks): 3 points
Fast Submission Bonus: 1 additional point for submissions achieved in under a minute
Draws or Referee Decisions: 0 points
Disallowed Techniques
All submissions are legal at all levels. However, the following techniques are banned and will result in immediate disqualification:
Jumping guard
Any technique where bodyweight moves in the direction of the opponent's knees (ex: kani basami)
Flying submissions are allowed, but if poorly executed and weight moves in the direction that is below the hips of the opponent, this will result in a disqualification
Slamming (whether the athlete is in an active submission or not)
Holding submissions if your opponent lifts you above their hip line (ex: if they can't slam you, you can't game the system and hold a triangle above their hip line — you must let it go)
Anti-Stalling Rules
To promote an active and engaging grappling environment, the PGF enforces strict anti-stalling measures:
20-Second Shot Clock: Athletes must initiate a "deep shot" attempt within 20 seconds, defined as an explosive maneuver (even at the risk of exposing themself) to get out of a pin and pose a real threat to the other player. Shot clock is typically called on the bottom player, even if they are completely pinned.
Excessive Avoidance Penalty: Competitors must actively attempt to escape, advance, or submit. Passive survival tactics are insufficient. If penalized for excessive avoidance, the athlete will be placed on the bottom in the "Tabletop Position," and the match will resume.
Specific Anti-Stalling Criteria:
1. Engagement Avoidance: Deliberately avoiding engagement, such as taking three or more steps backward, is prohibited.
2. Progressive Action: Athletes are required to actively seek positional advancement, submission attempts, or escapes, rather than maintaining a static or purely defensive posture.
3. Continuous Combativity: Competitors must demonstrate ongoing efforts to create and engage in offensive maneuvers. Prolonged inactivity or non-engagement is not permitted.
Penalties for Stalling
- Three Penalties: If an athlete incurs three penalties and the match results in a draw, the opponent without penalties is awarded 2 points. The match will continue, but if it goes to a decision the decision will automatically go to the athlete who did not incur three penalties.
- Five Penalties: Accumulating five penalties results in immediate disqualification, awarding the opponent 2 points.
- If their opponent incurs at least 3 penalties during a match, the athlete will stay on the mats and face the next athlete from the opposing team.
We look forward to seeing you on the mats!
Also check out other Sports events in Pearl, Contests in Pearl.
