Section 5: Rules of Play
Starting Position
- Both elbows on elbow pads; non-pulling hand grips peg
- Grip set by competitors with referee assist (referee may center the grip if needed)
- Wrists straight, thumb knuckles visible, shoulders square to table
- One foot must remain in contact with the floor
- Referee calls "Ready... Go!"
The Match
- First competitor to pin opponent's hand to the touch pad wins the round
- Match = best of 3 rounds at major championship (single round at preliminary)
- 5-minute rest between rounds
- Time limit: 90 seconds per round; if no pin, judges score
Fouls (categorized 1-3)
- 1st warning: positional foul (elbow off pad, shoulder off-line, foot off floor)
- 2nd warning: loss of round
- Intentional fouls (slipping grip deliberately, false starts repeatedly): loss of round or DQ