REFEREEING BOARD

3.1.1.

The composition of the Refereeing Board for each international competition shall be appointed by the World Combat Sambo Refereeing Board and approved by the Executive Board of the World Combat Sambo Federation.

3.1.2.

The Chief Referee of an international competition shall be appointed from among referees holding the highest international refereeing qualification.

3.1.3.

The Refereeing Board shall consist of:

a) the Main Refereeing Board, comprising:

• the Chief Referee;
• the Deputy Chief Referee;
• the Chief Secretary;
• the Chief Medical Officer;
• Mat Chairpersons;

b) officials assigned to the competition area, including:

• Referees;
• Side Judges;
• Timekeepers;
• Technical Secretaries;
• Competitor Liaison Referees;

c)

• Secretaries;
• Commentators;
• Announcers.

3.1.4.

Each bout shall be officiated by a refereeing panel consisting of:

• Mat Chairperson;
• Referee;
• one Side Judge;
• Timekeeper;
• Technical Secretary;
• Announcer.

3.1.5.

By decision of the Organizing Committee, the Mat Chairperson, Referee, Side Judge, and Timekeeper shall be appointed by the Chief Referee only after successfully passing the Bilateral Sensorimotor Response Parameters Test.

3.1.6.

Each referee shall possess:

• a valid Referee Identification Card indicating his or her qualification;
• a valid certificate confirming annual certification by the World Combat Sambo Federation (WCSF);
• the official refereeing uniform;
• knowledge of, and possession of, these Rules and the Competition Regulations. 

3.1.7.

The official referee’s uniform shall consist of:

• dark trousers;
• a dark-coloured shirt bearing the referee’s category emblem (badge) on the left chest;
• blue and red armbands (blue on the left arm, red on the right arm);
• dark socks;
• dark soft-soled athletic footwear.

3.1.8.

Technical actions performed during a bout shall be evaluated jointly by the Mat Chairperson, the Referee, and the Side Judge.

3.1.9.

When making decisions regarding disputed situations, members of the refereeing panel shall refer to the relevant provisions of these Rules.

3.2.1. The Chief Referee shall be appointed by the World Combat Sambo Refereeing Board from among referees holding the International Referee Category, in accordance with the Regulations of the World Combat Sambo Refereeing Board.

The Chief Referee shall direct the competition and shall be responsible for the quality of its organization and conduct in compliance with these Rules and the Competition Regulations, being accountable to both the organization conducting the competition and the World Combat Sambo Federation.

3.2.2.

The Deputy Chief Referee shall be appointed by the World Combat Sambo Refereeing Board upon the recommendation of the Chief Referee.

The Deputy Chief Referee shall report directly to the Chief Referee and shall perform the duties assigned by him or her.

3.2.3.

During the absence of the Chief Referee, the Deputy Chief Referee shall perform all duties and exercise all powers of the Chief Referee.

3.2.4. The Chief Referee shall be obliged to:

a) inspect the availability and quality of all required documentation; verify the readiness of the competition venue, equipment and facilities, ensure their compliance with these Rules, and prepare an Acceptance Report confirming the readiness of the competition venue;

b) appoint the refereeing panel responsible for the official weigh-in of competitors;

c) conduct the drawing of lots, ensuring the mandatory separation of winners of previous competitions and competitors representing the same team into different groups;

d) appoint the refereeing panels responsible for officiating the bouts;

e) verify and approve the composition of the competitors’ pairings for each round of the competition;

f) immediately correct any errors committed by referees;

g) examine and decide upon all statements and protests submitted by team representatives (coaches or team captains) on the day of their submission. Decisions relating to the results of bouts shall be rendered before the commencement of the next stage of the competition;

h) conduct a meeting of the Refereeing Board (Referees’ Seminar) before the beginning of the competition and, where necessary, hold daily meetings upon completion of the competition programme;

i) evaluate the performance of each referee and record the assessment in the referee’s official record book;

j) upon completion of the competition, instruct the Competition Commandant to immediately return the rented premises to the owner and sign the official Venue Handover Report;

k) within three (3) days after the completion of the competition, submit the official competition report, together with an electronic copy of the report and the competition protocols, both to the organization conducting the competition and to the World Combat Sambo Refereeing Board.

3.2.5. The Chief Referee shall have the right to:

a) postpone the beginning of the competition if the competition venue, principal equipment or facilities fail to comply with these Rules, or if the referees or medical personnel are not prepared to officiate the bouts;

b) suspend a bout, declare an interval or terminate the competition whenever circumstances prevent its proper conduct, preparing an official report stating the reasons for such decision and attaching it to the competition protocol;

c) introduce amendments to the competition programme where necessary;

d) reassign the duties of referees during the competition by issuing a written order;

e) remove referees who have committed serious errors or failed to perform their duties properly, recording such action in the official report;

f) remove a competitor from a bout or from the competition, or issue an official warning;

g) issue a warning to, or remove from duty, a team representative, coach, team captain or second who has violated these Rules;

h) delay the announcement of the score awarded for a technical action or the official result of a bout if he or she disagrees with the decision of the referees, in order to conduct an additional review, discussion and render the final decision;

i) alter the order of the final bouts whenever necessary;

j) modify the method of conducting competitions at the regional level.

3.2.6.

The Chief Referee shall not have the authority to amend the Competition Regulations, nor to remove or replace referees during an ongoing bout.

3.2.7.

Instructions and decisions issued by the Chief Referee shall be binding upon all members of the Refereeing Board, competitors, team representatives, coaches and seconds.

3.3.1.

The Chief Secretary shall be appointed from among referees holding the International Referee Category. The Chief Secretary shall supervise the work of the Secretariat and ensure the timely preparation and accurate completion of all competition documentation.

3.3.2.

The Chief Secretary shall:

a) participate in the work of the Accreditation Commission and the refereeing panel conducting the official weigh-in;

b) participate in the drawing of lots;

c) prepare the competition schedule;

d) maintain the official competition records and protocols;

e) prepare the order of bouts for the competitors;

f) supervise the proper completion of bout protocols;

g) prepare the official orders and decisions of the Chief Referee;

h) prepare the official competition results and submit them to the Chief Referee for approval;

i) provide competition information and official protocols for publication on the official notice board;

j) with the authorization of the Chief Referee, provide information concerning the competition to the Announcer, team representatives, and representatives of the mass media; 

k) certify the official bout results and medical entries in the competitors’ qualification record books.

3.3.3.

During International Championships and Category “A” and Category “B” tournaments, the Chief Referee shall appoint a Deputy Chief Secretary and the necessary Secretaries to assist the Chief Secretary.

3.4.1.

The Mat Supervisor (Arbitrator) shall be appointed from among the most experienced referees holding the International Referee Category. The Mat Supervisor shall be seated at the table adjacent to the competition area and shall supervise the work of the refereeing team assigned to that mat.

3.4.2. The Mat Supervisor shall be obliged to:

a) assign refereeing teams for the bouts and submit their composition to the Chief Referee;

b) where no Announcer has been appointed, introduce the refereeing team and the competitors before the commencement of the bout;

c) evaluate the competitors’ technical actions and situations arising during the bout by using the prescribed officiating gestures and, after taking into account the opinions of the Referee and the Side Judge, render the final decision upon completion of the bout;

d) where necessary, interrupt the bout and, following additional review and discussion of a disputed situation, render the final decision;

e) where necessary, summon the competition physician or direct a competitor to undergo a medical examination;

f) evaluate the work of the refereeing team and submit a written assessment to the Chief Referee for entry into the referees’ qualification record books.

3.5.1.

The Referee shall be appointed from among experienced referees holding the International Referee Category.

The Referee shall officiate the bout while remaining on the competition area and shall not participate in displaying the scores awarded for technical actions (techniques).

3.5.2. The Referee shall be obliged to:

a) accompany the introduction of the competitors with the prescribed officiating gestures;

b) give the verbal command “Fight!” simultaneously with the sound signal (gong) of the Timekeeper, both at the beginning and at the conclusion of the bout;

c) interrupt the bout by the verbal command “Stop!”;

d) resume the bout in the standing position at the centre of the competition area by the verbal command “Fight!” after an interruption;

e) carefully supervise the competitors throughout the bout, using the prescribed commands and officiating gestures (Appendix 18);

f) maintain a position that allows full observation of the competitors’ actions and the officiating signals of the members of the refereeing team;

g) promptly prevent any movements or actions contrary to these Rules.

3.5.3. The Referee shall interrupt the bout if:

a) the competitors move into the “out of bounds” position;

b) in the ground position, one or both competitors remain insufficiently active and make no attempt to perform technical actions for ten (10) seconds;

c) during the execution of a joint lock or choke hold, the attacking competitor’s actions are ineffective;

d) a competitor requires medical assistance (the Referee shall signal “Stop the Time”);

e) a competitor’s uniform or protective equipment requires adjustment;

f) a competitor performs a prohibited action;

g) the interruption is requested by the Mat Supervisor;

h) the interruption is requested by the Side Judge, and the Referee considers such interruption appropriate at that moment;

i) the interruption is requested by a competitor, and the Referee considers such interruption appropriate at that moment;

j) interruption is required in circumstances not specifically provided for by these Rules.

3.5.4. The Referee shall stop the bout:

a) upon the competitor’s signal of submission or upon the corresponding signal given by the competitor’s Second;

b) when a choke hold has been fully secured.

c) where a competitor has completely or temporarily lost the ability to defend himself or herself (“unable to continue the bout”), including a knockout (KO) or knockdown (KD);

d) where, in bouts involving younger and middle-age boys and girls, as well as adult competitors holding no higher than the Second Sports Category, the Referee determines that one of the competitors has been defeated by a joint lock or choke hold, without waiting for the competitor’s signal of submission.

3.5.5.

If the defending competitor performs a Prohibited Action (P.A.) that can be stopped without interrupting the bout, the Referee shall immediately order the competitor verbally to cease such action and shall simultaneously indicate the prohibited action by the prescribed officiating gesture.

Should the competitor fail to comply, the Referee shall stop the bout and announce the commission of a repeated prohibited action.

3.5.6.

As soon as one competitor begins to apply a hold-down, the Referee shall announce:

“Count the hold-down!”

and simultaneously display the prescribed hand signal until the hold-down is completed.

After ten (10) seconds, upon the signal of the Timekeeper, the Referee shall clearly announce:

“Hold-down scored!”

and discontinue the hand signal indicating the beginning of the hold-down.

3.5.7. The Referee shall discontinue the hold-down signal and announce:

“Do not count the hold-down!”

if:

a) the angle between the defending competitor’s back (at shoulder blade level) and the surface of the mat exceeds 90 degrees;

b) the defending competitor has pushed the attacking competitor away from his or her torso;

c) both competitors move into the out-of-bounds position;

d) the competitor applying the hold-down releases it and proceeds to perform a joint lock or choke hold.

3.6.1.

The Side Judge shall be appointed from among referees holding the International Referee Category.

The Side Judge shall be seated opposite the officials’ table adjacent to the competition area.

Where necessary, the Side Judge may stand in order to obtain a better view of the competitors.

3.6.2.

The Side Judge shall independently evaluate the competitors’ actions and shall immediately indicate his or her assessments by means of the prescribed officiating gestures.

3.6.3.

Whenever, in the opinion of the Side Judge, the bout should be interrupted, he or she shall make the prescribed signal to attract the Referee’s attention and indicate the relevant action or situation occurring during the bout.

3.7.1.

The Timekeeper shall be appointed from among experienced referees and shall be seated at the officials’ table beside the Mat Supervisor.

3.7.2. The Timekeeper shall:

a) announce the beginning and the end of the bout by means of the official sound signal (gong);

b) record, by stopwatch, any delay in a competitor’s appearance on the competition area after the first official call and announce the elapsed delay every thirty (30) seconds;

c) record a competitor’s failure to appear after two (2) minutes have elapsed; 

d) begin timing immediately after the Referee gives the command: “Count the hold-down!”

e) announce the expiration of each minute of the bout.

3.7.3.

Whenever the bout is temporarily suspended by order of the Referee or upon instruction of the Mat Supervisor, the Timekeeper shall stop the stopwatch and restart it upon the Referee’s command, ensuring that only the actual bout time is recorded.

3.7.4.

If the bout is interrupted because of a competitor’s injury, the Timekeeper shall, upon the Referee’s command:

“Stop the time!”

start a separate stopwatch and announce the elapsed time of medical treatment at the end of each minute.

3.7.5.

Upon the Referee’s command:

“Count the hold-down!”

the Timekeeper shall activate a separate stopwatch and announce loudly:

“Five seconds!”

after five (5) seconds, and

“Hold-down time!”

after ten (10) seconds have elapsed.

3.7.6.

As soon as the Referee announces:

“Count the joint lock!” or “Count the choke hold!”

the Timekeeper shall activate a separate stopwatch and announce the elapsed time aloud every thirty (30) seconds.

3.7.7.

The Timekeeper shall reset all stopwatches only upon the instruction of the Mat Supervisor, after the bout has officially concluded.

3.8.1.

The Technical Secretary shall be appointed from among experienced referees. The Technical Secretary shall be seated at the Mat Supervisor’s table and shall record the progress of the bout by entering, in the prescribed symbols and in the appropriate sections of the official bout protocol, the evaluations of technical actions, remarks, and warnings announced by the Mat Supervisor.

3.8.2.

Evaluations of technical actions shall be entered into the official protocol in the order in which they are announced, together with all remarks and warnings issued to the competitors, using the prescribed conventional symbols.

3.8.3.

The method of victory shall be recorded with the appropriate explanation, as follows:

a) X – Victory before the expiration of regular time by:

• Strike;
• Joint Lock;
• Choke Hold;

(resulting in the opponent being unable to continue or submitting).

The official record shall indicate the elapsed time and the classification points awarded, 4 : 0 (winner : loser).

Example:

X “STRIKE” – 1 min. 25 sec. / 4 : 0

b) Victory awarded before the expiration of regular time without the opponent’s submission, as a result of withdrawal or retirement, shall be recorded as:

• “Withdrawn by the Competition Physician”, or
• “Victory by Opponent’s Withdrawal.”

Classification points shall be recorded as 4 : 0.

Example:

X “Withdrawn by Physician (2–8)” – 2 min. 20 sec. / 4 : 0

If the withdrawal occurs during extra time, the classification score shall be 4 : 1.

c) Victory upon expiration of the scheduled bout time shall be recorded as:

“Victory on Points.”

Classification points shall be recorded as 4 : 2.

Example:

X “Victory on Points” (8–2) – 4 min. / 4 : 2

d) Where no scoring advantage exists after both the regular and extra time have expired, victory shall be awarded by decision of the referees.

The official record shall state:

“Decision of the Refereeing Panel.”

Classification points shall be recorded as 4 : 3.

Example:

X “Referees’ Decision” (12–12) – 7 min. / 4 : 3

An Activity score awarded for:

• a 10-second hold-down;
• maintaining a joint lock for 30 seconds;
• maintaining a choke hold for 30 seconds;
• controlling the opponent during a 10-second series of strikes in the ground position,

shall be entered inside a circle.

A warning shall be entered inside a square.

3.8.4.

If a competitor fails to appear for a bout, the reason shall be established, after which one of the following abbreviations shall be entered opposite the competitor’s name:

• DNS (Did Not Start);
• Withdrawn by Physician.

Opposite the opponent’s name, the following notation shall be entered:

“Bye.”

3.8.5.

Where a bout is terminated because the time limit for providing medical assistance has expired, the official protocol shall record the actual elapsed bout time (minutes and seconds).

The duration of medical treatment provided to the competitor shall be entered beside the competitor’s name.

Example:

X “Medical Time Limit Exceeded – 3 min.” (2–12) – 2 min. 15 sec. / 4 : 1

3.8.6.

Upon completion of the bout, the Technical Secretary shall calculate the total score, enter it into the official protocol, and submit the protocol to the Mat Supervisor for determination and announcement of the official result.

Thereafter, the Technical Secretary shall enter the official result into the protocol.

The surname of the winner shall be circled.

3.8.7.

No entries other than those prescribed by these Rules shall be made in the official refereeing protocol.

3.8.8.

The evaluations of competitors’ technical actions announced by the Mat Supervisor shall be displayed by the Scoreboard Judge.

3.9.1.

The Announcer shall be appointed from among experienced referees and shall be responsible for providing competitors and spectators with information concerning the competition procedures, progress, and preliminary results.

The Announcer shall possess thorough knowledge of these Rules, the Competition Regulations, complete information concerning the sporting achievements of the competitors and teams, and the official competition programme.

3.9.2. The Announcer shall:

a) announce the competition procedure;

b) introduce the competitors, announcing the colour of the competition jacket (belt), their full names, age, weight, height, profession, sporting achievements, and the name of the team (club, region, country);

c) announce the winner of the bout, indicating the colour of the jacket (belt), the competitor’s full name, and team (club, region, country);

d) explain individual provisions of the Combat Sambo Competition Rules where necessary;

e) announce the orders and instructions of the Refereeing Board during the competition, together with the official final competition results;

f) introduce the honoured guests of the competition;

g) conduct the competition in accordance with the approved official programme (scenario).

3.9.3.

Depending on the available information and technical facilities, the duties of the Announcer may be combined with those of the Mat Supervisor or the Technical Secretary.

The Competitor Marshal shall be appointed from among experienced referees and shall be obliged to:

a) announce the order of bouts before the commencement of the competition and verify the attendance of competitors and their readiness to compete;

b) familiarize competitors with the competition schedule and the procedure for conducting the competition; 

c) timely notify the next competitors of their call to the competition area and carefully inspect their competition uniform and protective equipment;

d) promptly inform the Chief Secretary of any failures to appear, withdrawals, or removals of competitors from the competition;

e) organize the assembly and procession of competitors for the Opening Ceremony, Award Ceremony, and Closing Ceremony.

3.11.1.

The Chief Medical Officer shall be appointed from among experienced physicians, shall be a member of the Refereeing Board, and shall be responsible for the medical supervision and medical support of the competition.

3.11.2. The Chief Medical Officer shall:

a) participate in the work of the Accreditation Commission;

b) verify the proper completion of team applications, including the presence of the team physician’s medical clearance authorizing competitors to participate;

c) conduct an external medical examination of competitors during the official weigh-in;

d) supervise compliance with all sanitary and hygienic requirements at the competition venue;

e) monitor the medical condition of competitors throughout the competition and provide medical assistance in the event of illness or injury upon the request of the Second (Coach) or the Team Representative;

f) at the request of the Mat Supervisor, determine whether a competitor has lost the ability to continue the bout (“unable to continue the bout”);

g) have the authority to stop a bout at any time through the Mat Supervisor whenever, in the opinion of the Chief Medical Officer, a competitor’s medical condition prevents him or her from safely continuing the bout; 

h) upon completion of the competition, submit a report on the medical and sanitary support of the competition, including all cases involving competitors becoming unable to continue the bout, illnesses, injuries, and any violations of sanitary regulations.

3.11.3.

The Chief Medical Officer shall provide medical assistance to competitors directly on the competition area.

Referees, team representatives, seconds, and all other persons shall act only in accordance with the instructions of the Chief Medical Officer while medical assistance is being provided.

3.11.4.

The Chief Medical Officer shall make the final decision regarding the admission of an injured competitor to continue participation in the competition.

Where a competitor is unable to continue the bout, the Chief Medical Officer shall immediately inform the Mat Supervisor and submit the appropriate medical certificate to the Competition Secretariat.

Any competitor declared unable to continue the bout, or who has sustained severe blows to the head, shall be withdrawn from further participation in the competition.

3.11.5.

The Chief Medical Officer shall pay particular attention to competitors whose medical condition raises concerns before the commencement of the bout.

3.11.6.

Medical personnel shall be stationed in a convenient location near the competitors’ entrance and exit area.

They shall:

● wear medical gowns;

● display visible identification indicating their professional status;

● have available all necessary medicines, medical equipment, and instruments.

3.11.7.

The competition physician shall organize cooperation with the Emergency Medical Service (Ambulance Service) and the designated hospital responsible for emergency medical care.

3.12.1.

The Competition Commandant shall be appointed by the Executive Board of the World Combat Sambo Federation upon the recommendation of the Organizing Committee.

The Competition Commandant shall be subordinate to the Chief Referee and shall be responsible for the preparation and suitability of the sports venue, competition equipment, and facilities in accordance with Section 6 of these Rules.

3.12.2.

The Competition Commandant shall:

a) ensure the installation of barriers and the security of access areas designated for spectators, competitors, team representatives, members of the media, invited guests, and VIP guests accredited by the Organizing Committee;

b) arrange the accommodation and ensure the proper functioning of the Refereeing Board;

c) prepare and decorate the competition venue in due time, including the display of national flags, sponsors’ banners, and other official symbols;

d) verify the availability and proper condition of all required equipment and competition facilities;

e) ensure that the public address and sound system are fully operational;

f) provide safe access to the competition venue and ensure appropriate conditions for competitors and spectators throughout the event;

g) maintain public order during the competition;

h) immediately upon completion of the competition, return the rented venue to the owner and sign the official Venue Handover Report;

i) perform any other duties assigned by the Chief Referee or the Organizing Committee that are necessary for the proper conduct of the competition.