🏛️Official — FIAS
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Release submissions the instant the opponent taps or referee intervenes
Continuing to crank a painful lock or choke after the tap or stoppage signal is one of the gravest breaches of conduct in any Sambo discipline. Beach Sambo practitioners are expected to disengage immediately — hesitation is treated as intentional harm, not a reaction-time lapse.
Sambo jacket + shorts (red/blue per competitor) — same as Sport Sambo; Barefoot (no Sambovki required on sand); Mouthguard recommended; protective cup permitted (men)
Why people argue about this
People often assume that beach sambovki (the protective cups) are mandatory for all male competitors, leading to arguments about whether they should be worn or not during matches. However, the official rule actually states that a protective cup is recommended only for men, which can lead to misunderstandings and debates among athletes and officials.
Sand court: 10m × 10m FIAS-spec compacted-but-soft sand area; Minimum sand depth: ~30 cm; Marked boundary tape or cord
Why people argue about this
People often assume that the shaded rest areas adjacent to the court are optional, which leads to arguments about their necessity. Actually, these shaded areas are a crucial part of the playing area specification, directly impacting players' comfort and recovery during matches.
Two competitors per match; Beach Sambo weight classes typically consolidated to 3-4 categories per gender (vs. 7 indoor); Officials: 1 mat referee + 1 corner judge + scoring official + timekeeper
Why people argue about this
People often assume that Beach Sambo's weight class consolidation is solely for convenience, thinking it makes matches easier by reducing categories. However, the actual reasoning behind consolidating to 3-4 categories per gender is to balance the physical demands and skill levels required in each category, ensuring fair competition across different sizes while maintaining competitive intensity.
Match length: 3 minutes (single period; vs 4-min indoor Sport Sambo); Throws scored as in Sport Sambo (1, 2, or 4 points based on landing position); Groundwork: pin-time reduced to account for sand difficulty (3-second pin = 1 pt; 6-second = 2 pts)
Why people argue about this
People often assume that joint locks on arms are illegal in Beach Sambo matches, which they misunderstand as a senior level restriction. In fact, the key fact is that these joint locks are perfectly legal at all levels, and it's the match duration of 3 minutes that causes confusion for many players.
Decision priority: total victory > technical superiority > points > last-scoring competitor; Tournament: single-elimination + repechage; Gold/Silver/two Bronze per weight + gender
Why people argue about this
People often assume that in Beach Sambo, scoring priority is solely based on who wins a round, which leads them to overlook the importance of total victory, technical superiority, points, and last-scoring competitor criteria. This confusion stems from not fully grasping how these various factors are interwoven into determining the winner in single-elimination and repechage tournaments.
Standard Sport Sambo foul taxonomy (passivity, illegal techniques, fleeing, etc.); Sand-specific: eye-poke with sand → DQ if intentional; Equipment violation: warning + correction
Why people argue about this
People often think that just using sand as a weapon in an eye-poke is okay if it's unintentional, but they're actually misunderstanding that even intentional use of sand for such an attack results in disqualification under this rule. The confusion arises because beach sambo rules are quite specific about the nature and intent behind fouls like this one.
Sand surface reduces blunt-impact injury risk vs indoor mat (softer landing), but increases ankle/knee instability injuries from uneven footing during throws. Mandatory pre-event medical screening.
Why people argue about this
People often assume that the mandatory pre-event medical screening is solely for catching pre-existing health issues like asthma or heart conditions, but they overlook how it addresses the unique risk of ankle/knee instability from uneven sand surfaces during throws, leading to misunderstandings about its necessity and scope.