Polaris Squads
Polaris Squads is a team format grappling event.
The Teams
There are six members per team. Three members must be under 80kg and Three members must be under 95kg. Teams can be centered around towns, nations, or team affiliations.
The teams will each have a Team Captain, who acts as a focal point deciding competitor order on the fly and when to use timeouts. Team Captains will also come into play in the case of a draw at the end of the event, explained later.
The Format
No gi events have a compulsory team rashguard. All known submissions from IBJJF and ADCC are legal.
Gi events will have each team in either blue or white gis. All IBJJF gi submissions are legal. Heel hooks are not legal.
The event will have two 45-minute halves. During those halves, there will be a ‘winner stays on’ format. Each round (or match between competitors) is 5 minutes with a strict 30 second rest period in between.
Each team will send one competitor to the stage, who will battle for up to 5 minutes in a simple submission only ruleset.
The winner of each match will be decided by either Judges’ Decision, or Submission.
Judges Decision means at the end of 5 minutes there is no submission and the judges will award one athlete the win based on the regular Polaris superfight rules, which essentially reward the initiation of action.
A decision win will award 1 point to the winning side. If the win is by submission, the winner receives 2 points for their team or 3 points if a competitor from the under 80 bracket submits a competitor in the under 95 bracket.
If a competitor is submitted or beaten by decision, they become inactive, and can onlybecome active again once the whole team has competed once. Competitors stepping to the mat are chosen “on the fly” during the 30 second break, except the first competitors of the event, who are chosen by their team captains in advance. Aside from the first competitors of the event, active competitors can be used in any order as selected by the Team Captain.
Inactive competitors will wear a mesh bib to signify that they are not eligible to be called upon to compete. Active competitors - those eligible to be called up to the mat - do not wear a bib. Once a competitor leaves the mat, they need to put on the bib to signify they are inactive. The bib can come off again once the whole team has been used. In the second half both teams reset again.
The format is winner stays on. If a competitor submits or defeats by decision someone from the other team, they will have 30 seconds to prepare themselves for the next challenger from the other team.
Both teams can call for 1 timeout per half. Timeout turns the 30 second break into a 90 second break allowing for more rest and gameplanning time. A timeout can be called any time by either team but only becomes active during the 30 second break.
‘Counter timeouts’ cannot be called - timeouts are on a first come first served basis.
The winning team is the team with the most points at the end of both halves.
The 45 min per half time limit is strict - no matter the remaining time on the 5-min round that is happening at the time.
In the case of a draw at the end of the event, the two team captains will compete against each other in one five-minute round under the Polaris Superfight rules - and if there is no submission, the judges will decide the winner based on aggression, submission attempts, and pushing the pace. (If a captain is legitimately injured before this then they may choose a substitute.)
Notes - if injured, and pulled out, competitor cannot come back on stage and the team must carry on with reduced numbers.
In case of injury after a match, if a fighter pulls out, then the opposing team will receive 1 point.
Although the team environment and pressure to perform for the team should help to eliminate stalling, any stalling will be heavily penalised.
SUMMARY
- Two teams of six
- Two 45 minute continuous periods of play with a break in between
- Matches are 5 minutes long
- Winner stays on
- Each match will have a winner either by JD or sub
- JD win - 1 point
- Sub win - 2 points
- Sub by lighter category vs heavier category - 3 points
- Winner is the team with the most points at the end
- If a draw, Team Captains have a 5-minute superfight.
JUDGING CRITERIA
Fighters will be rewarded for:
A) Effective Attacks and Aggression
● Legitimate submission attempts that cause the opponent to apply effort to escape
● Pushing the pace of the bout
● Initiating exciting exchanges
● Taking risks in an attempt to gain a takedown, advantageous position or submission attempt
Note on submission attempts:
The definition of a legitimate hold is that the opponent has to apply effort or take a risk in order to escape. If a fighter uses a submission attempt as a positional stalling tactic (e.g. holding on indefinitely to a submission that they are not able to finish) then this would not be looked upon favorably.
B) Escalating Positional Control
● Takedowns
● Sweeps
● Improving position in order to set up a submission
C) Effective counter attacks and dynamic escapes
● Effectively countering takedowns
● Reversals
● Spectacular escapes
Fighters will be penalised for:
D) Stalling and Passivity
● Not capitalising on good positions
● Constantly moving backwards
● Exiting the competition area
● Being overly defensive and unwilling to take risks
● Not attempting to advance position
E) Poor sportsmanship / fouls
● Attempting illegal submissions or maneuvers
● Striking
● Any other breach of the rules
● In extreme cases the referee may disqualify or indicate that the judges are to mark a fighter down, at his discretion
The judge is encouraged to always look upon the aggressor / attacker more favorably than the defensive competitor.
STALLING / STALEMATE RULES
Single competitor stalling:
Referee notices stalling, gives official warning, and starts stalling timer. If no attempt at action has been made, 1 point taken away from the team. If the same competitor stalls again, the process repeats however, after 30 seconds the other competitor will be gifted a dominant position of their choice (BACK, SIDE, CONTROL, MOUNT)
If both competitors are stalling:
Referee notices stalling, gives warning, and starts timer. If stalling continues for 30 seconds:
– If the stalling is taking place on the ground, both competitors will be forced to stand
– If the stalling is taking place standing, both competitors will be forced to start in the combat base position half a meter apart
If both competitors are warned for stalling but then only one competitor continues to stall, then conditions revert to ‘single competitor stalling’ guidelines
In a “one up one down” situation eg one competitor in seated guard, one competitor trying to pass, the competitor who is moving backwards will be considered the one who is stalling.All stalling calls are reset once the athlete or athletes stop stalling.
“STALEMATE” Rule
Polaris is grappling entertainment, with paying viewers. If a position is deemed a stalemate, the referee may interrupt and force a reset or other break in action, at his or her sole discretion. A stalemate can be called in ANY position (standing, half guard,
full guard, mount, etc) where the action does not proceed, either to a more dominant position OR a submission.
Further notes / clarifications
Pulling guard must be initiated with contact first.
Competitors who repeatedly leave the ring for any reason (passivity, rolling out of submissions) will receive a warning, and then receive a negative (which will contribute to the final bout outcome.)
Stalling and passivity are strongly discouraged and the judges should score appropriately, penalising any kind of stalling tactic that slows down the action (for example, 50/50 without advancement, lapel guard used to slow down the action, etc)
Injuries
Where a fighter sustains an accidental injury during the match, they will be given up to 5 minutes to recover. The timekeeper will stop the time during this. If the fighter indicates they are able to continue before the 5 minutes is up then the match can resume.
If the player is unable to recover during the 5 minutes then the match will be declared no contest and the injured fighter will receive medical assistance off-stage.
If medical intervention is necessary then the judges and referee can confer with the medic to decide if the bout can continue.
If the injury is sustained via an illegal manoeuvre, the fighter will be given up to 8 minutes to recover. The timekeeper will stop the time during this. If the fighter cannot recover or elects not to continue then the bout will be declared a win for the injured fighter, and his team will receive a point, however, he will not be able to continue for the rest of the event.
Poor sportsmanship / fouls
Upon an infraction, the referee will pause the bout, warning the fighter (s) and pointing to the fighter (s) who is receiving a warning, and then the three judges one by one.
After two infractions, or at the referee’s discretion, the match can end, with the fighter committing the offenses being declared the loser, and the opponent the winner.
Continuing in position when reaching out of boundsReferees will reset competitors in the centre of the mat in the exact same position they were in when asked to stop.
If a resolution cannot be reached, competitors will be stood up but the defensive athlete (who initiated or accepted going out of bounds) will receive a negative (which will contribute to the final bout outcome.)