Proposed Tournament Rule Changes
RULE CHANGE PROPOSALS
The following rule changes proposals were submitted to the United States Karate Alliance for consideration. The proposals will be presented for a vote at the General Assembly Meeting on Thursday, March 28, 2019. The General Assembly will be held from 11 a.m. to 12 p.m. in the Rosegarden room at the Marriott Houston Westchase. All current members may vote. If you are a member under the age of 18, your parent or legal guardian may vote on your behalf. If you are unable to attend the General Assembly but would still like to vote, you may send an email with your name, your parent or legal guardian’s name if they are voting on your behalf, Alliance membership number and vote to uskaratealliance@gmail.com. The email vote must be sent prior to February 26, 2019, at 5:00 p.m. Please be sure and note the number of the rule change proposal and whether you vote yes or no.
Proposal No. 1 – Rules 4.2(e), 6.4 and Rule 13.2. Change the required national points weapons divisions and tournament weapons divisions for under the age of 18 years as follows:
Male & Female (16-17)
Male & Female (14-15)
Male & Female (12-13)
Male & Female (10-11)
Male & Female (8-9)
Male & Female (6-7)
Male & Female (5 & under)
Proposal No. 2 – Rules 4.2(e), 6.4 and Rule 13.2. Change the required national points weapons divisions and tournament weapons divisions for under the age of 18 years as follows:
Male & Female (14-17)
Male & Female (10-13)
Male & Female (7-9)
Male & Female (6 & under)
Proposal No. 3 – Rules 4.2(e), 6.4 and Rule 13.2. Change the required national points weapons divisions and tournament weapons divisions for under the age of 18 years as follows:
Male & Female (16-17) Beginning and Advanced
Male & Female (14-15) Beginning and Advanced
Male & Female (12-13) Beginning and Advanced
Male & Female (10-11)
Male & Female (8-9)
Male & Female (6-7)
Male & Female (5 & under)
Proposal No. 4 – Rules 4.2(e), 6.4 and Rule 13.2. Change the required national points weapons divisions and tournament weapons divisions for under the age of 18 years as follows:
Male & Female (14-17) Beginning and Advanced
Male & Female (10-13) Beginning and Advanced
Male & Female (7-9) Beginning and Advanced
Male & Female (6 & under)
Proposal No. 5 – Rule 11.14(8)(a)(8) is revised as follows:
11.14(a)(8) – No wrestling, no intentional pushing, butting or ramming with the head or body to the opponent’s head or body; no choking, biting, or hair pulling. No elbow strikes or knee strikes. No throwing your body at your opponent so that your body makes contact with your opponent before a legal hand or kick technique.
Proposal No. 6 – Rule 11.15(b) is amended as follows:
11.15(b) is amended to add the following as the last sentence – If the tournament medical personnel examines a fighter for an injury during the fight and the fighter, at the time of the examination by the tournament medical personnel, is not bleeding or does not have apparent bruising, and the medical personnel clears such fighter to continue fighting, in the event bleeding or bruising develops after the match has been terminated and the fighter leaves the ring, the outcome of the match may not be changed.
Proposal No. 7 – Rule 2.2(a) is amended to provide that a written request must be submitted ninety (90) days prior to the date of the proposed maximum point tournament.
Proposal No. 8 – Rule 2.3(3) is amended as follows: Other Alliance sanctioned tournaments may not be held either three weeks prior or two weeks after the USKA Nationals or World Championships within the country.
Proposal No. 9 – Rules 5.7(a) and 5.8(a) are amended as follows: Parents of competitors may score keep in the same ring as their son or daughter provided that during the kata divisions, the parent performs the role of calling out the scores only, and during the kumite divisions, the parent performs the role of turning the score cards and does not keep the time.
Proposal No. 10 – Rule 4.2(e) is amended to change the division names as follows: All age divisions below 11 shall be referred to as Youth, with the ages noted.
Proposal No. 11 – Rule 7.2(b) is amended when only beginning and advanced divisions are offered as follows:
A beginning student is a 7th, 8th, 9th, 10th… kyu, gup, kup or grade (usually white, orange, yellow or blue belt); OR is a student who has been training for 2 years and under – whichever is most restrictive.
An advanced student is a 6th, 5th, 4th, 3rd, 2nd, 1st kyu, gup, kup, grade (usually green, purple, or brown belt) or a black belt OR who has been training more than 2 years continuously – whichever is most restrictive.
Proposal No. 12 – Rule 11.8(2) is amended as follows: The Corner Judge will raise the flag directly in front and execute small circles immediately upon seeing a penalty and call “Penalty”. If the Center Referee does not see or hear the Corner Judge calling for a penalty, the other Corner Judges shall stop time to alert the Center Referee. The Center Referee MUST stop the fight and confer with the Corner Judges to determine if a majority vote exists that a penalty occurred.
Proposal No. 13 – Rule 11.1 is amended to include the following: 11.1.c – The Corner Judges shall be seated at each corner of the sparring ring.
Proposal No. 14 – Rule 12.2(c) is amended as follows: Form Judges shall be seated with four Judges at each corner of the ring and the Center Referee seated on the line between two of the corner Judges.
