The constraints-led approach (CLA) is a coaching method that emphasizes creating environments where learners can explore different solutions to achieve specific goals, rather than being directly told what to do. It focuses on manipulating three types of constraints: individual, environmental, and task, to promote creativity and adaptability in skill development.
In the context of hybrid combat sports, where athletes must fluidly integrate striking, grappling, and transitional movements, the CLA provides a powerful framework for cultivating creativity, resilience, and tactical intelligence. By shaping practice conditions rather than dictating responses, coaches allow fighters to discover efficient, personally attuned ways to meet the demands of dynamic combat situations. This “less involved, more evolved” philosophy shifts the coach’s role from commander to designer, enabling athletes to become perceptive, adaptable problem-solvers inside the cage or on the mat.
Respect the Dojo
Care for the space, equipment, and the people training beside you.
Respect Your Training Partners
No ego. Train safely and appropriately.
Show Up Clean & Ready
Hygiene, trimmed nails, secured hair.
Build the Culture
Welcome newcomers. Help others. Stay positive.
Train Hard but Smart
Communicate injuries, fatigue, or limitations.
Follow the Rules of the Mat
Listen to coaches, trainers, and mentors. Maintain control and discipline.
Leave It Better Than You Found It
Clean up, put gear away, and support the community.
This dojo is built on Trust. Honor and Protect it.
The Shoot Wrestling Federation Amateur League (SWFAL) is a hybrid combat sport that combines elements of striking, grappling, and positional control into a single, skill-driven competitive framework.
SWFAL contests are measured not by wins or losses but by Falls For and Falls Against, rewarding technical proficiency, strategy, and control. The official record for SWFAL competitors is based solely on this metric, which determines seeding and advancement. The official SWFAL record tracks cumulative Falls For and Falls Against. Every fall awarded to one competitor is simultaneously recorded as a Fall Against for the opponent, ensuring a balanced ledger.
Safety, fairness, and sportsmanship are paramount. This handbook provides all competitors, officials, and event organizers with the official rules, procedures, and requirements to ensure professional, consistent, and safe competition.
SWFAL amateur combatants shall weigh no less than 150 lbs and no more than 200 lbs with no more than a 20 lb. difference between combatants. Weigh-ins will occur 4-hours prior to the opening scheduled bout.
Ring Size: 14-foot pro wrestling-style ring
Ropes: Minimum of three ropes
Safety Design: “Low boy”(no more than 16 inches from the ground) ring design to minimize injury risk
Gloves: 7 oz hybrid gloves supplied by SWFAL
Mouthguard: Mandatory; must be approved by ringside physician.
Protective Cup: Required for male competitors.
Footwear: Wrestling, boxing, or sambo shoes.
Attire: Approved by SWFAL inspector; no grip panels, metal parts, or gis.
Hands must be wrapped with soft gauze and surgeon’s tape under inspector supervision.
Gloves may only be donned after inspector approval with signature.
Pre-wraps or unauthorized materials or substances are prohibited.
Contestants must maintain personal hygiene that does not endanger safety or interfere with supervision.
SWFAL inspectors and physicians may disqualify competitors for violations.
No long nails, jewelry, or excessive body oil; hair must be secured.
Duration: 10 minutes per bout
Falls: 3 Fall Limit
Rest: 1 minute between falls
Sudden Death: If score is 0–0 at 10 minutes, a 5-minute sudden death period occurs. Any fall-type counts as 3 falls.
Draws: If no fall occurs during sudden death, contest is a draw.
Records: Only Falls For and Falls Against are tracked. No wins/losses.
The bout consists of up to 3 falls within 10 minutes. The clock pauses during rests and combatants reset positions in their corners after each fall. If no falls have been awarded after 10 minutes of combat a 5-minute sudden death is added to the contest.
TYPE VALUE DESCRIPTION
Knockout (KO) 3 Falls (or remaining falls up to the 3-fall limit) Failure to rise after 10-count or recover after standing 8-
count
Technical Knockout (TKO) 3 Falls (or remaining falls up to the 3-fall limit) Referee or physician stoppage for injury/incapacity
Submission 2 Falls (or remaining falls up to the 3-fall limit) Tap out, verbal tap, or referee stoppage to prevent injury/
incapacity
Knockdown Blow 1 Fall A knockdown blow is any standing strike to the head,
body, or legs that results in a knockdown. Knockdown Blows must result from legal techniques; accidental slips do not count.
Pinfall 1 Fall Opponent’s shoulders held for 3-count
Ropefall 1 Fall More than 5 ropebreaks in a single fall
Disqualification (DQ) Loss of falls (up to the 3-fall limit) Intentional foul or unsportsmanlike conduct
Forfeit Loss of falls (up to the 3-fall limit) Failure to start or continue bout
Technical Decision Falls awarded (up to the 3-fall limit) Early stoppage due to accidental injury or submission
incapacity
No Contest No Falls awarded Early stoppage due to accidental injury
Sudden Death 3 Falls 5-minute overtime; any fall-type is worth 3 falls
Knockout or submission may award fewer falls if fewer remain available in the 3 fall limit pool. The first competitor to achieve any fall-type (KO, TKO, Submission, or Pinfall) during the Sudden Death period is 3 Falls For, with 3 Falls Against going to the opponent, for the purposes of the SWFAL record.
Definition: Any intentional contact with ropes (hand, arm, leg, or foot) to escape a grappling exchange (Any clinch or ground position). The competitor who uses the ropes to escape receives the count. Accidental rope contact does not count unless it provides an unfair advantage, as judged by the referee.
Limit: Five (5) ropebreaks per fall.
Penalty: Sixth ropebreak awards 1 fall to the opponent (Ropefall).
Reset: Ropebreak count resets at the start of each new fall.
Procedure: Referee stops action, directs fighters to neutral corners, and resumes standing.
Punches (except to head of grounded opponent)
Body and leg kicks (except to linear kicks to the knee joint)
Knees to the body (standing only)
Trips, throws, and takedowns
Chokes and joint locks (excluding small joints)
Pins and positional control
Referee is sole authority. Penalties may include warnings, fall deductions, Ropefall, or disqualification.
Examples include, but are not limited to:
Headbutts
Eye gouging
Eye pokes
Open palm strikes/"slaps"
Spinning strikes including "backfists"
Groin attacks
Small joint manipulation
Strikes to spine and back or top of head
Elbows of any kind
Stomps to grounded opponent (foot-stomps on standing opponents are allowed)
Head kicks
Attacking during breaks, ropebreaks, or 8/10-counts
Timidity/Stalling (avoiding engagement for a continuous period of 30 seconds after instruction from the referee to engage)
Corner interference (
Throwing opponent from ring (DQ)
Noncompliance of referee instructions (warnings and up to fall deduction and/or disqualification)
Spiking opponent on head/neck (DQ)
Excessive violations are subject to fall deductions or disqualification.
Standing to ground only via trip, throw, or takedown.
Dropping, sitting to the mat, or "pulling guard" without a takedown attempt or being visibly off-balance is considered Timidity/Stalling.
No strikes to the head of grounded opponents.
Referee may stand fighters up if there is no visible attempt to advance position, strike, or attempt a fall for a continuous period of 15 seconds.
Knockdown: 10-count
Standing Rocked: 8-count
Failure to demonstrate readiness results in KO (3 falls, or remaining up to the 3-fall limit).
All officials ABC-compliant and licensed by SWFAL.
Pre-fight medicals: HepB, HepC, HIV bloodwork, physician clearance.
Ringside team: MD/DO, 2 EMTs, and ambulance present throughout event.
Minimum age: 18.
Insurance required for promotion and competitors.
Post-contest: competitors with a KO/TKO must undergo a concussion examination, minimum 30-day medical suspension, and requires baseline cognitive testing.
Mandatory meeting with SWFAL Head Official prior to event. All competitors and corners must attend.
Only water or SWFAL-approved electrolyte drinks permitted during bouts.
Energy drinks prohibited.
Abusive language or unsportsmanlike conduct may result in warnings, fall deductions, or disqualification.
Obedience to referee commands is mandatory.
The Shoot Wrestling Federation Amateur League emphasizes technical control, positional awareness, and finite fall strategy.
Victory is achieved through skill, execution, and composure, not by cumulative points or subjective judgment. Each fall represents a tangible achievement; each misstep carries measurable consequence.
SWFAL contests are competitive, safe, and educational, preserving the integrity of hybrid shoot-style combat.
SWFAL seeding and advancement in tournaments, leagues, or events are determined solely by competitors' official records of cumulative Falls For and Falls Against. This metric rewards consistent technical proficiency and minimizes the impact of isolated poor performances.
Seeding Calculation: Competitors are ranked by net falls (Falls For minus Falls Against). In case of ties, the competitor with the higher Falls For takes precedence. If still tied, head-to-head results (if applicable) or a random draw is used.
Example: Competitor A (15 Falls For, 8 Against; net +7) seeds higher than Competitor B (12 For, 6 Against; net +6).
Example: In a tie (both net +5), Competitor C (10 For, 5 Against) seeds higher than Competitor D (8 For, 3 Against) due to higher Falls For.
Advancement: In bracket-style tournaments, higher-seeded competitors receive byes or favorable matchups where applicable. Advancement to subsequent rounds is based on bout outcomes, with Falls For/Against from each bout added to the record. In league formats, end-of-season standings use the same seeding calculation.
Ties in advancement: Resolved by a one-fall sudden death bout or, if time-constrained, by net falls from the event.
Record Reset: Records are cumulative across a season or career unless specified otherwise for specific events (e.g., reset for playoffs). Draws and No Contests do not add falls but may affect tiebreakers via participation count.
This system ensures seeding reflects overall skill and strategy, aligning with SWFAL's emphasis on control and execution.
To maintain fairness and integrity, SWFAL provides a structured process for appeals and protests regarding rule interpretations, officiating decisions, or bout outcomes. All appeals must be handled professionally and without disrupting events.
Eligibility: Only competitors, their designated corners, or event organizers may file an appeal. Protests must pertain to verifiable rule violations (e.g., foul enforcement, fall scoring errors) and not subjective judgments (e.g., referee's discretion on stalling).
Procedure:
Immediate Protests: Raised verbally to the referee during the bout (e.g., during a break). The referee has final authority in real-time.
Post-Bout Appeals: Filed in writing to the SWFAL Head Official within 1 hour of bout conclusion. Include specific details: rule violated, evidence (e.g., video timestamp), and requested remedy (e.g., fall adjustment, rematch).
Review Process: The Head Official, in consultation with a panel of at least two neutral SWFAL-licensed officials, reviews the appeal within 24 hours. Video review is mandatory if available. Decisions are final and binding.
Possible Outcomes: Appeal upheld (e.g., adjust falls, declare No Contest); appeal denied (original outcome stands); or partial remedy (e.g., warning to official without changing result).
Penalties for Frivolous Appeals: Repeated unfounded appeals may result in warnings, fall deductions in future bouts, or suspension to deter abuse.
This process upholds SWFAL's commitment to transparency while ensuring efficient event operations.