Official Rules · Draft v3
IPWF Isibaya® Official Rules
The complete competition ruleset for Pit Wrestling® — amateur and professional divisions.
1 Objective
An athlete wins by:
- Submission (tap, verbal tap or referee stoppage)
- Technical Submission
- Technical Knockout (TKO)
- Referee Stoppage
- Corner Stoppage
- Opponent Disqualification
- Judges’ Decision
2 Match Format
| Division | Rounds | Rest |
|---|---|---|
| Youth (A, B & C) | 3 × 2 minutes | 1 minute |
| Amateur (18+) | 3 × 3 minutes | 1 minute |
| Professional | 3 × 5 minutes | 1 minute |
3 Starting the Match
Both athletes begin standing inside the center of the Isibaya®. At the referee’s command — “FIGHT!” — athletes may immediately:
- Clinch
- Wrestle
- Execute takedowns
- Pull guard
Standing striking is prohibited.
4 Standing Phase
Legal
- Collar ties
- Underhooks
- Overhooks
- Wrist control
- Body locks
- Arm drags
- Single-leg takedowns
- Double-leg takedowns
- Trips
- Sweeps
- Hip throws
- Sacrifice throws
- Clinch wrestling
Illegal
- Punches
- Elbows
- Knees
- Kicks
- Headbutts
5 Definition of a Grounded Athlete
An athlete is considered Grounded when any part of the body other than the soles of both feet touches the competition surface. Examples include:
- Hand
- Knee
- Shin
- Elbow
- Forearm
- Hip
- Buttocks
- Torso
- Shoulder
- Back
An athlete standing only on the soles of both feet is not grounded.
6 Ground Phase
The ground phase officially begins only when BOTH athletes are grounded. If either athlete returns to standing on both feet:
- Ground striking must stop immediately.
- Grappling, clinching and takedowns may continue.
- Ground striking resumes only when both athletes are grounded again.
7 Legal Ground Strikes
Ground striking is legal only when both athletes are grounded.
Permitted
- Closed-fist punches (head & body)
- Hammerfists (head & body)
- Forearm strikes (head & body)
- Shoulder strikes
- Elbows to the body only
- Knees to the body only
- Elbows to the head
- Knees to the head
Permitted
- Closed-fist punches (head & body)
- Hammerfists (head & body)
- Forearm strikes (head & body)
- Shoulder strikes
- Elbows
- Knee strikes
- Kicks
- Headbutts
Permitted — body only
- Closed-fist punches to the body
- Hammerfists to the body
- Forearm strikes to the body
- Shoulder strikes to the body
8 Legal Grappling Techniques
- All wrestling takedowns
- Guard
- Half Guard
- Closed Guard
- Open Guard
- Butterfly Guard
- Spider Guard
- De La Riva Guard
- X-Guard
- 50/50 Guard
- Side Control
- Knee-on-Belly
- Mount
- North-South
- Back Control
- Scrambles
- Sweeps
- Reversals
- Guard Passing
- Positional transitions
9 Legal Submissions
Chokes
- Rear Naked Choke
- Guillotine
- Triangle
- Arm Triangle
- D’Arce
- Anaconda
- Ezekiel
- Bow and Arrow
Joint Locks
- Kimura
- Americana
- Straight Armbar
- Omoplata
- Wrist Lock (Professional only)
- Straight Ankle Lock
- Kneebar
- Toe Hold
- Heel Hook (Professional only)
10 Illegal Techniques
The following are prohibited at all times:
Prohibited
- Eye gouging
- Fish hooking
- Hair pulling
- Biting
- Spitting
- Groin attacks
- Small joint manipulation
- Fingers inside the mouth or nose
- Throat attacks
- Strikes to the spine
- Strikes to the back of the head
- Intentional neck cranks using striking force
- Slamming an opponent onto the head or neck
- Unsportsmanlike conduct
- Deliberately fleeing the contest
11 Illegal Target Areas
Never target
- Back of the head
- Neck
- Spine
- Throat
- Groin
Legal targets
- Face (Professional & Amateur only)
- Side of the head (Professional & Amateur only)
- Chest
- Abdomen
- Ribs
- Arms
- Legs
Youth divisions may strike the body only.
12 Out of Bounds
If the athletes leave the competition area:
- The referee stops the action.
- Athletes are returned to the center.
- The referee recreates the previous position whenever practical.
- If the position cannot reasonably be recreated, the match restarts standing.
13 Stalling
Standing
If athletes fail to engage:
- Verbal Warning
- Official Warning
- Penalty Point
Ground
If an athlete intentionally stalls without advancing position or attempting offense:
- Verbal Warning
- Official Warning
- Penalty Point
Repeated stalling may result in disqualification.
14 Judging Criteria
Rounds are scored using the 10-Point Must System. Judges evaluate, in order:
- Effective Ground Striking
- Effective Grappling
- Submission Attempts
- Dominant Position
- Aggression
- Control
15 Ways to Win
- Submission
- Technical Submission
- Technical Knockout (Ground Strikes)
- Referee Stoppage
- Corner Stoppage
- Doctor Stoppage
- Opponent Disqualification
- Judges’ Decision
16 Athlete Eligibility & Pro Licensing
Every athlete must create an IPWF® profile. Once an athlete’s profile qualifies, they may enter sanctioned events. Progression from amateur to professional competition is earned through the athlete’s official record.
Age Eligibility
- Athletes must be at least 18 years old to compete in Amateur (18+) events.
- Only over-18 Amateur competition counts toward professional licensing.
- Youth divisions (A, B & C) are for athletes under 18 and do not count toward a pro license.
Earning a Pro License
To be issued a Professional License by the IPWF®, an athlete must meet both of the following in over-18 Amateur competition:
Minimum experience
- At least 10 sanctioned Amateur events
Minimum win ratio
- A 70% win ratio or higher
Once these criteria are met, the IPWF® issues the athlete a Professional License. Only licensed professionals may enter Professional events.
Pathway
- Create an IPWF® athlete profile.
- Qualify and enter Amateur (18+) events.
- Reach 10+ amateur events with a 70%+ win ratio.
- Receive your IPWF® Professional License.
- Enter Professional events.
17 Core Principle of IPWF Isibaya®
Compete under the code.
Fighters, promoters, and affiliates — reach out to get sanctioned and join the federation.
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