Scoring Primer: Guard Passing

[This is the second of a planned four-part series covering each of the ways to score in submission grappling.  The first article, covering takedowns, is available here]

Guard passing is one of the most misunderstood scoring methods in competition.  The confusion comes from the common misconception that controlling your opponent from side control is worth points.  Before I continue with this article allow me to clearly state:  There are no points for side control!  Side control is just a position.  It's the action of passing the guard that scores.  Now that I've got that out of the way, we can continue.

As with my previous article in this series, I will be using the commonly adopted IBJJF rule book.  Under IBJJF rules, passing the guard is worth three points, which makes it unique among the ways to score.  I've heard that in the (very) early days of competition a guard pass and a sweep were both scored equally, but guard passes were eventually bumped up to emphasize the advantage of being on top in a real fight.

Guard passes (like sweeps and takedowns) are "Actions", meaning they are made up of an initial position, a transition, and an ending position.  As with other actions, all three requirements must be met in order to score points for the pass. 

Scoring Primer: Takedowns

[This is the first in a multi-part series covering each of the different ways to score points in competitive jiu-jitsu.]

Takedown   

noun    [teyk-doun] 

When an athlete forces his/her opponent to the ground after having been standing at some point during the movement

The first opportunity to score in any grappling match is with a takedown.  Understanding how takedowns are scored is vital for seizing the initiative before your opponent.  In this article, I'm going to take an in-depth look at exactly how a referee determines if a throw, a shot, or a trip qualifies for points.

Unfortunately, since competitive Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu doesn't have a unified rule book, I'm only focusing on competitions that use IBJJF-based scoring.  Under these rules, takedowns are worth two points, which makes it part of a three-way-tie for the "least amount of points that can possibly be awarded" along with sweeps and the knee-on-belly position.

A takedown is considered an "Action" for scoring purposes, so the focus is on how you perform the move.  I've already briefly written about "Action" points and "Position" points in BJJ, but basically a takedown (along with all other "Actions") has three components:

Initial Position  =>  Transition  =>  Final Position

A referee is going to look at these three requirements and make sure each one is fulfilled before awarding points.  I've dedicated a section below to each of these criteria.

8 Things To Do Before You Compete

Preparing for a grappling tournament is stressful.  It's easy to get caught up in training and forget about all the little details that come along with competing.  This is especially true if you're new to the competition scene or competing in a promotion for the first time.

Based on my experience competing and as a referee, I've come up with a list of important things that people often overlook before stepping on the mat.  These tips are probably common sense to seasoned veterans of the grappling circuit, but newer competitors should find some benefits.  Remember that ignorance is not an excuse.

1. Read over the rules

I'm surprised by the number of people I encounter who train every day, cut ten pounds, and drop $100+ on an entry fee for a tournament, yet never bother to look at the rules.  Most tournaments have a rules meeting before the event starts, but that's not a great time to be exposed to the rules for the first time.

To make matters worse, BJJ doesn't have a unified rule set.  Most organizations use rules based on the IBJJF, but usually with some minor differences.  Keeping the differences straight among all the different events is headache.  To keep from getting confused, take the time to briefly read over the rules.

Below are links to the rules for some of the popular grappling organizations:

• IBJJF
• NAGA
• Grappler's Quest
• USGrappling

Scoring Breakdown: Kayron Gracie vs Ian McPherson

Ian McPherson has some of the best hair in BJJ

A fellow referee recently asked for my opinion in scoring a tricky match.  This match turned out to be full of hard-to-call situations.  I'm glad to be watching it on video, because I'm sure I would have messed up some of the calls without the benefit of rewind.

The difficulty in scoring this match comes from the way certain points are earned.  Sport BJJ has two distinct categories of points:

• Positions:  (Knee On Belly, Back Control, and Mount)  These points are given simply for holding a position correctly.  There is no requirement for how you get there, as long as you end up in the right spot.  When the position has been held for three seconds, points are awarded.
• Actions:  (Sweep, Takedown, Guard Pass)  Points are scored based on how a technique was performed.  The criteria include the starting position of each competitor, the final position, and the path between the beginning and the end.  An action only scores points if the entire sequence is correct and the final position is held for three seconds.

Actions are responsible for many more arguments than positions.  Scoring sequences happen fast and can be very subjective.  Additionally, concepts such as "continuous motion", which seem well-defined, leave too much room for interpretation.

Protect Yourself At All Times

Apparently to Rousimar Palhares this hand signal means crank harder.

One of the worst situations in combat sports is being caught by surprise.  The most common way this happens in BJJ is during a match stoppage, especially when the referee is indecisive.  If one competitor thinks the match is stopped and the other is still attacking, the situation goes FUBAR quickly.  These scenarios are exactly what I want to look at in this post.

Scoring Breakdown: Buchecha vs Leo Nogueira At the 2012 Mundials

For this scoring breakdown, I want to look at the finals of the absolute division at this year's Mundials between Marcus "Buchecha" Almeida and Leo Nogueira.

I chose this match not because of any controversy, but because of how well it's scored by Tanquinho, the referee, despite some tricky situations.  I'll make a future post about Tanquinho's penchant for exploiting his rules knowledge as a competitor, but for now I want to focus on learning from him as a referee.

The match starts off kind of slow, but it has an exciting ending.  Here it is, the finals of the Mundials absolute division:

0:28 - Buchecha attempts a suma gaeshi while Nogueira is working a single leg.  A failed sacrifice throw is treated just like pulling guard in that your opponent won't score unless he is controlling a leg or initiating a takedown in some way.  In this case, Nogueira is holding the leg, so Buchecha is taking a gamble.  The risk doesn't pay off and Buchecha ends up down an advantage.

A Legal Takedown vs an Illegal Slam

slam
verb /slam/
1. Crash into; collide heavily with
2. Put (something) into action suddenly or forcefully

Sherdog's f12 forum recently had a thread with a few excellent examples of both slams and legal takedowns.  Rather than arguing over the legitimacy of jumping guard or the superiority of Judo to BJJ, I'd rather focus on looking at the takedowns from a competition perspective.

In sport BJJ most of the standard judo and wrestling throws are legal despite how closely they might resemble a slam.  While most organization don't explicitly define a slam versus a takedown, US Grappling has a rule stating, "Takedowns are NOT considered slams, but you must deliver your opponent safely to the mat".

Scoring Breakdown: Caio Terra vs Bruno Malfacine At the 2012 Mundials

It's time for another scoring breakdown.  This time I want to look at the rooster weight finals from the 2012 Mundials featuring Caio Terra and Bruno Malfacine.  I picked this match because it makes a great case study for learning how advantages are scored, especially for sweeps.

I've linked to the specific times I want to discuss in my breakdown below, but the entire match is available here:

0:27 - The match starts with a double guard pull, but Bruno quickly stands and works a guard pass.  The pass attempt forces Caio to turtle, exposing his back.  Bruno scores two advantages.  The first is for getting to the top from the double guard pull.  The second is for forcing Caio to go to his knees with the guard pass.

Risky Business II: The Can Opener

While writing my last post on risky moves, I was reminded of the daddy of all borderline legal moves, The Can Opener, and I thought it warranted its own post.  When I first started competing in grappling tournaments the rules for the Can Opener were very different than they are today.

The old rules for the Can Opener allowed it to be used as guard break, but not as a submission.  You could only apply the spine lock to your opponent while his guard was closed.  However, once the feet opened, you had to release the hold or else you would be disqualified.

Even though these rules have since been replaced in most grappling organizations, they still live on as a grappling urban legend.  At almost every tournament that I work, someone asks me about the Can Opener.  The myth of its legality stays alive to this day through hearsay and the occasional local tournament that has no regard for its customer's necks.

Risky Business

I was recently asked to look at a situation that took place at a US Grappling event involving a kneebar sweep.  The tricky thing is that under the rules for purple belts, kneebars are clearly banned.

But what about a kneebar sweep?

I can't find anyone who knows how to handle this situation under IBJJF rules and I had to ask the head referee for US Grappling how this scenario should be handled because it is such a rare occurrence.

Basically, US Grappling's rules for kneebar sweeps are:

• Using a kneebar pressure to cause your opponent to sit to the mat for a sweep is allowed.
• Once he or she is on the mat, you must let go of the pressure.
• If at any point during this sequence, your opponent taps, you will be disqualified regardless of whether he or she is sitting or standing. 

This makes the kneebar sweep an extremely risky technique to attempt as a purple belt (and below) because sometimes you'll get the 2 points but other times you'll get hit with the DQ.

"Bad Ref"

I came across this match with a search for "BJJ Bad Ref" on Google and I think it contains a good teaching moment towards the end.  

Here's the match, but you probably don't want to watch the whole thing.  I've linked to the parts I want to talk about below.

The referee stops a leg reap around 2:25 after the competitor complains about it.  To be fair, he is on the wrong side to notice it, but ideally the referee would be pacing as opposed to standing still.  Pacing around a match helps you miss fewer calls because you're out of position or have the wrong angle.

A Personal Example of a Slam

Searching for "BJJ Slams" on Google pops up with a match I was responsible for reffing two years ago.  It looks like I get to critique myself.

First, the relevant rules on slams.  According to US Grappling's rules:

No slamming allowed. Illegal slamming will be defined as slamming your opponent to escape submissions and/or to pass the guard; or standing from the guard and/or jumping from a standing position to slam your opponent. Slamming will result in an automatic DQ. There are no exceptions to this rule. Takedowns are NOT considered slams, but you must deliver your opponent safely to the mat.

 The IBJJF uses the following pictures to define a slam rather than text:

I would have preferred some text, but I guess those pictures should be the equivalent of 2000 words.  I personally look for the competitor to apply force before I'll call a slam.  If the competitor just drops his opponent, perhaps from a standing guard break, I'm much less inclined to call a slam.

Let's start with the "Greatest BJJ Match Ever!"

I want to start with this match for three reasons:

1.  It's one of the most visible BJJ matches in recent memory (Thanks Budovideos for putting it on Youtube for free!)

2.  There are some debatable calls by the referee, especially one I asked about on Sherdog.

3.  During the last referee certification seminar I attended, hosted by Andrew Smith at Revolution BJJ in Richmond VA, this match was used as a case study, so it's fresh in my mind.

Without further ado, here's the match:

And here are my comments:

0:50 - Buchecha pulls guard and sweeps.  Straightforward.

3:05 - Rodolfo could arguably get an advantage for causing Buchecha to sit to his butt / attempting a foot lock.

Allow Me To Introduce Myself

So it seems customary to start off a blog with an introduction post.

A little about me:

• I currently train BJJ in Raleigh, NC.
• I got my purple belt under Gustavo Machado / The Pendergrass Brothers about 3 years ago.
• I have since moved on and train under a Royce Gracie affiliate.
• I have been reffing sport BJJ matches for US Grappling for 3 years (since I got my purple belt).
• I would guess I've reffed around 500 matches.