Draft — carried over from the 2025 packet, pending confirmation for 2026
Every rule and division below is last year's. All divisions are subject to change.
Rules by age group
The current modified USAT & WT competition rules govern this championship. Which
variant applies depends on the competitor's age and rank.
11 & under
USAT / WT modified rules
No head contact for all belts, except black belts ages 8–11
Junior safety rules for black belts ages 8–11
12 – 14
USAT / WT modified rules
Junior safety rules for all belts
15 – 17
USAT / WT modified rules
Junior safety rules for color belts
Senior rules for black belts
17 & up
USAT / WT modified rules
Senior rules for all belts
Two categories of black belt sparring
Ages 12–14, 15–17 and 17–32 black belt divisions run in two flavours.
Everyone else spars Open Trigger.
Category
Who
Scoring
World Class
Black belts, ages 12–14, 15–17, 17–32
Daedo PSS electronic scoring. Gen2 Daedo socks required — bring your own; available for purchase on site.
Open Sparring
All other ages and ranks, 4–5 through 33 & up
Daedo trigger scoring.
Weigh-in
Only one group weighs in. Everyone else is seeded from the weight entered at registration.
Mandatory — World Class black belts, ages 12–32
Weigh-in is on event morning, 8:00–8:30 AM at the venue. You get two
attempts on the scale. Miss weight on the second attempt and you are moved up or down to the next
weight division.
No weigh-in — color belts, black belts 11 & under, black belts 33 & up
You are seeded from the weight you entered when registering, so enter it honestly. A competitor who
cannot make the division they registered for will be disqualified, not moved, and
deliberately falsifying weight also risks disqualification.
Moving between divisions
Ages 15–17 (sparring only) may compete in their own division or in an older age
division at their respective weight.
Ages 33 & up (sparring only) may compete in their own division or in the 17–32
division at their respective weight.
Thin divisions may be merged. If fewer than four athletes enter a weight division, the
organizing committee may combine weight divisions.
Mandatory gear
Every sparring competitor provides their own equipment. Some is sold at the tournament,
but do not count on it — arrive with your own.
Helmet — white, red or blue. Color must match your chest protector.
Chest protector — red-and-blue reversible.
Forearm guards
Shin & instep guards
Groin cup — worn inside for males, optional for females.
Mouth guard
World Class black belts (12–14, 15–17, 17–32) must also provide Gen2 Daedo socks.
These are specific to the PSS scoring system and are not interchangeable with ordinary foot guards.
Open Sparring divisions
Regular trigger scoring. Open to every age and rank.
White / Yellow / Orange · Green · Blue / Purple · Brown / Red · Black
Male · Female
The 2025 packet lists no weight divisions for Open Sparring
It gives age, rank and gender only — unusual for a sparring event, and competitors will ask.
The weight tables below apply to World Class divisions. This needs the organizer to confirm how Open
Sparring brackets are seeded by weight.
Weight divisions
World Class black belt divisions are seeded by weight. Enter yours and the tool names
your class — or tells you if the 2025 table has no division for it.
Find your weight division
World Class black belt divisions only — ages 12–32.
Show all weight division tables
Gap in the 2025 women's 15–17 table
Middle ends at 138.9 lbs and Light Heavy begins at 140.0 lbs, so a competitor weighing
139.0–139.9 lbs has no division to enter. Every other class in every other table is
contiguous, so this looks like a typo — Light Heavy most likely should start at 139.0.
The finder above reports the hole rather than guessing. Needs the organizer to confirm.
