Rules for Evaluating| Tactical Control League

TACTICAL CONTROL LEAGUE (TCL)

Official Rules & Competition Format

FIRST RULES DRAFT

TRAINING OVERVIEW & VALIDATION FRAMEWORK

Tactical Grappling is a team-based tactical grappling framework in which two Controllers attempt to safely restrain one non-compliant resistor through coordinated control tactics, positional dominance, and restraint mechanics.

Core Principles

TCL uses competition to mutually improve restraint techniques and strategies. Innovation is welcomed and encouraged; however, it must remain consistent with the underlying purpose of TCL as a safe, constructive, and mutually beneficial activity focused on tactical control, and restraint proficiency.
The framework emphasizes: Teamwork, tactical movement, escape ability, mechanical control, communication, and safe restraint techniques.
Prohibited: Striking, excessive force, dangerous submission holds, neck restraints, and uncontrolled impact techniques.

1. Sport Concept

· Team-based grappling sport focused on restraint, control, and escape. Two Controllers attempt to restrain one resisting competitor (Resister).

· Emphasizes teamwork, communication, tactical movement, safe control techniques, and escape skills.

· No striking, chokeholds, neck restraints, uncontrolled submissions, or excessive force.

· Referee-authorized Compliance Techniques are permitted only under Section 7.

2. Team Structure & Divisions

· Teams consist of three competitors.

· Each competitor serves once as the Resister during a match.

· Divisions are based on combined team weight:

· Lightweight: Under 500 lbs

· Middleweight: 500-650 lbs

· Openweight: Over 650 lbs

3. Match Format

· Six total rotations per match.

· Three-minute maximum competitive time per rotation, with one-minute recovery periods.

· Each team's Control Times and applicable penalties are accumulated across the match.

· Lowest cumulative Control Time wins.

· Coin toss determines initial role selection.

4. Match Objective

The Control Team must establish positional dominance, secure both of the Resister's hands behind the back in Cuffing Position, and maintain stable positional dominance and control of both hands for a full five (5) second referee count.

5. Universal Restraint Pin Standard

A. Restraint Pin

The same Restraint Pin standard applies regardless of whether the Resister is standing, seated, kneeling, side-lying, turtle, prone, or in any other controlled position.

For a valid Restraint Pin:

· Both of the Resister's hands must be securely controlled behind the back in Cuffing Position.

· The Control Team must maintain stable positional dominance.

· Both requirements must be continuously maintained for the full five (5) second referee count.

The referee begins the official count only after all requirements are established. Any loss of control of either hand or stable positional dominance immediately terminates the count. A new count begins only after all requirements are reestablished.

B. Cuffing Position

Cuffing Position means both of the Resister's hands are securely controlled behind the back, with the hands either touching or positioned within reasonable cuffing proximity, taking into consideration the Resister's body size, anatomy, and flexibility. The hands are not required to physically touch when size, anatomy, or flexibility reasonably prevents such positioning.

6. Immobilization & Qualifying One-Arm Control

Immobilized: The Control Team has established stable positional control over the Resister, one of the Resister's hands is securely controlled and pinned behind the back, and the Resister cannot freely disengage, stand, turn into the Controllers, or substantially change position without first defeating the Control Team's established control.

The Resister need not be motionless. The referee must determine that the Control Team has established control rather than using pain compliance to create the initial immobilization.

7. Referee-Authorized Compliance Procedure

A. Joint Control vs. Compliance

Joint control, leverage, and positional pressure may be used to establish and maintain lawful control. Intentional pressure applied for the purpose of compelling movement or surrender of an arm through pain constitutes a Compliance Technique and requires referee authorization.

Pain compliance before the requirements of this section are satisfied is prohibited.

B. Eligibility and Request

The Control Team may request to utilize “an enhanced compliance technique” only after the Resister is Immobilized as defined in Section 6.

A Controller must clearly verbalize: "Request compliance."

C. Referee Approval

The referee shall verify stable positional control, one hand securely pinned behind the back, and the Resister's inability to freely disengage, or substantially change position without defeating the established control.

If satisfied, the referee shall clearly verbalize: "Approved." Until "Approved" is stated, intentional enhanced compliance techniques remains prohibited.

D. Application

After approval, the Control Team may apply only an approved Compliance Technique using controlled, gradual, and progressively increasing pressure solely to obtain control of the remaining arm and bring the second hand behind the back into Cuffing Position.

· Pressure may not be sudden, explosive, uncontrolled, punitive, reckless, or intended to cause injury.

· Compliance may not be used to force a submission as an independent victory condition.

· Compliance may not physically prevent the resister from voluntarily surrendering or placing the remaining hand behind the back to the Cuffing position.

· Authorization applies only to the immediate control sequence for which it was granted.

E. End of Compliance / Transition to Restraint

Intentional compliance pressure must cease immediately when the second hand is secured behind the back in Cuffing Position. Lawful mechanical, positional, and restraint control may continue to maintain both hands behind the back.

The referee may then begin the five (5) second Restraint Pin count when all Section 5 requirements are satisfied.

Compliance authorization also ends if the referee commands "Stop," the Control Team loses immobilization or qualifying one-hand control, the technique can no longer be applied safely and gradually, or the referee determines continued pressure is unnecessary or unsafe. Any later use requires a new request and approval.

8. Tap & Referee Review

A. Right to Tap

A Resister may tap verbally or physically whenever the Resister reasonably believes a technique is causing or is likely to cause injury. Every tap produces an immediate safety stoppage and referee review.

B. Tap Before Authorization

A Resister may tap when the Resister believes pain compliance is being applied before immobilization, before one hand is pinned behind the back, or before the referee has stated "Approved." The referee shall determine whether unauthorized pain compliance or another illegal technique caused the tap.

C. Tap During Authorized Compliance

A Resister may tap during an Authorized Compliance Technique if the Resister believes continued application is causing or is likely to cause injury. The referee shall review whether the technique was approved, properly authorized, gradual, controlled, and within its permitted application.

D. Illegal-Technique Tap

If the referee determines an illegal or unauthorized technique caused the tap, the Control Team is assessed a sixty (60) second penalty and the rotation restarts, subject to additional disqualification authority for intentional, reckless, or dangerous conduct.

E. Legal-Technique Tap

If the referee determines the technique causing the tap was legal, including a properly authorized Compliance Technique where authorization was required, the Control Team is awarded the rotation.

For scoring, the Control Team's Control Time is the elapsed competitive time at the moment of the tap plus five (5) seconds, representing the restraint period that otherwise would be required to complete a Restraint Pin. Legal-tap Control Time is capped at the normal three-minute (3:00) rotation maximum before penalties are added.

The Resister receives no Escape Victory or other scoring benefit from a tap resulting from a legal technique.

F. Referee Safety Authority

The referee may command "Stop" at any time and need not wait for a tap. All compliance pressure and contested action must cease immediately upon the command.

9. Escape Victory & Scoring

The Resister immediately wins the rotation by either:

· Removing all four Controller retention flags; or

· Completing the designated Boundary Escape under Section 10.

If the Resister wins by either method, the Control Team is assessed the maximum Control Time of three minutes (3:00) for that rotation. Any applicable penalty time is added to the 3:00 Control Time.

10. Boundary Escape

Before competition begins, the organizer shall designate and demonstrate one of the following Boundary Escape formats. The selected format shall apply consistently throughout the applicable competition or division.

A. Floor Boundary Escape

The Resister must completely disengage from both Controllers and place both feet beyond the designated competition boundary. One foot, a hand, or another body part crossing the boundary does not complete the escape.

B. Designated Target Escape

The competition may designate a clearly identifiable wall, target or other approved object as the escape point. The Resister must completely disengage from both Controllers and securely grasp the designated target with a hand. Merely touching, striking, brushing, or momentarily contacting the target does not constitute an escape. The referee must observe a clear and intentional grasp.

C. Common Requirement

Under either format, the Resister must be completely disengaged from both Controllers before the Boundary Escape can be completed.

11. Retention Flag System

· Each Controller wears two retention flags.

· Loss of both flags removes that Controller from the rotation.

· Removed Controllers may not re-enter or assist.

· Flags are not replaced during the rotation.

12. Starting Position

· The Resister begins standing with hands together in front of the body.

· Each Controller begins with a grip on an opposite arm.

13. Permitted Techniques

· Controlled takedowns by Controllers.

· Joint control, leverage, and positional pressure used to establish or maintain control, provided intentional pain compliance is not used before authorization.

· Referee-authorized Compliance Techniques under Section 7.

· Directional head control that does not constitute a choke, neck restraint, or prohibited neck manipulation.

· Balance disruption and positional lower-body techniques.

· Defensive movement, hand-fighting, framing, and escape mechanics by the Resister.

· Lawful escape movements by the Resister that incidentally cause a Controller to lose balance or fall.

14. Prohibited Techniques & Conduct

· Strikes of any kind.

· Chokes or neck restraints.

· Submission holds or techniques applied for the purpose of forcing a submission without obtaining goal of a cuffing position.

· Intentional pain compliance before referee authorization.

· Any Enhanced Compliance Technique not approved due to recognized safety concerns.

· Small-joint manipulation. (Fingers or Toes)

· Spine locks.

· Slams.

· Sudden, explosive, uncontrolled, punitive, reckless, or excessive pressure.

· Excessive force or intentional injury attempts.

· Continuing compliance pressure after Cuffing Position is achieved or after the referee commands "Stop."

· Offensive takedowns by the Resister. The Resister may use lawful escape movements that incidentally cause a Controller to lose balance or fall, but may not initiate a technique whose primary purpose is to throw, trip, or take down a Controller.

15. Body-Weight Pressure & Positional-Asphyxia Safety

Controllers may use body weight as necessary to establish and maintain lawful positional control. Controllers may not apply sustained or excessive weighted pressure to the Resister's torso in a manner that restricts breathing or creates an unreasonable risk of positional asphyxia.

The referee shall immediately order an adjustment or stop the action when body-weight pressure creates an apparent respiratory or positional-asphyxia safety concern.

Referee authorization of a Compliance Technique never authorizes unsafe torso compression, excessive force, reckless application, or intentional injury.

16. Time Penalties

A one-minute penalty adds sixty (60) seconds to the Control Team's cumulative match Control Time.

Penalty time is added in full and may cause a team's recorded Control Time to exceed the normal three-minute maximum for a rotation. The three-minute rotation maximum does not limit the assessment of penalty time.

17. Scoring & Tie-Breakers

· Competitive Control Time runs until the rotation ends under the rules.

· A normal restraint victory is completed when both hands remain controlled behind the back in Cuffing Position with stable positional dominance for the full five (5) second count.

· Escape Victory results in a 3:00 Control Time against the Control Team, plus applicable penalties.

· A legal-technique tap is scored as elapsed time at the tap plus five (5) seconds, capped at 3:00 before penalties.

· Penalty time is added after the underlying rotation score and may cause the recorded time to exceed 3:00.

· Lowest cumulative Control Time wins.

Tie-Breakers

1. Longest cumulative Resister Time.

2. Sudden-death rotation.

18. Officiating

Head Referee

· Controls rules, scoring, fouls, compliance authorization, tap review, restraint counts, and final decisions.

· Determines whether the Resister satisfies the Immobilized definition before approving compliance.

· Uses "Approved" to authorize compliance and "Stop" to terminate compliance or other action.

· Starts, stops, and resets the official five-second Restraint Pin count.

Safety Referee

· Monitors competitor safety and may call for immediate stoppage.

· Observes breathing, torso pressure, joint position, and authorized compliance application.

Timekeeper/Scorekeeper

· Maintains official competitive time, penalties, rotation results, and cumulative match Control Time.

19. Standard Referee Commands

Situation

Command

Effect

Controller seeks compliance authorization

Request compliance

Referee evaluates Immobilization and qualifying one-hand control.

Requirements satisfied

Approved

Authorizes approved gradual compliance solely to obtain the remaining arm.

Unsafe/invalid application or stoppage

Stop

Compliance pressure and contested action cease immediately.

Both hands secured and stable dominance established

1 - 2 - 3 - 4 - 5

Completes restraint victory if all required control is maintained through five.

Resister signals injury concern

Tap

Immediate safety stoppage followed by referee review.

20. Approved Compliance Technique List

Only techniques specifically approved by the competition's governing rules, referee training materials, or published Approved Compliance Technique List may be used under Section 7.

The approved list should identify each permitted technique, authorized target joint or control point, prohibited directions of force, required release conditions, and referee safety criteria. A technique not on the approved list is prohibited even if commonly described as a pain-compliance technique.

TBA

21. Rule Interpretation

The Compliance Procedure is a limited control mechanism, not a submission phase. Its sole purpose is to permit a controlled, referee-supervised method of obtaining the remaining arm after the Resister has been Immobilized with one hand pinned behind the back.

Pain compliance before authorization is prohibited. Once authorized, approved compliance may be used only to obtain the remaining hand and ends when Cuffing Position is achieved. The Control Team must then maintain lawful mechanical and positional control through the five-second Restraint Pin count.

22. Sportsmanship

Competitors must demonstrate professionalism, controlled force, and immediate compliance with referee instructions . Unsportsmanlike conduct will result in penalties, match forfeiture, suspension, or team disqualification.