Moving & Merging Policy

Our Pro Sport Grappling bracketing team are Bjj Black Belts who are very experienced in competitive Jiu Jitsu. They are therefore best placed to decide whether to merge divisions or not. We always try our best to give people matches as the more mat time you can get the better your Bjj will be.

Around 30% of competitors end up with no direct match in their division when registration closes. This is perfectly normal and we base our divisions on the IBJJF world standard which are designed to be able to move or merge with the next division up without significant disadvantage to the competitors.

When looking at moving or merging divisions or competitors we look at 3 criteria. In order of priority these are:-

Weight – This is the single most important differentiator especially for Children and is why we are so strict on weigh-in. IBJJF kids divisions are typically split by 3-5Kg depending on age. We ask for approximate weight during registration to gauge where you are within your division range. Even though you maybe in another division we look at the difference between competitors actual weight to ensure the above limits are adhered to.

Belt Grade – This is your skill level and Bjj divisions are split by your grade. We try to avoid merging grades as much as possible but in some cases this is the only option and 1 grade up will also not represent a significant enough advantage on its own.

Age – Although age is still a factor it is the least significant factor between 2 competitors. Kids divisions are initially split by 2-3 years depending on age. If two competitors are the same weight, the same grade but there is an age gap it would not result in enough of an advantage to determine the match result. This is why we merge by age most commonly. Our bracketing team also have access to actual date of birth information as a competitor may have their birthday the day after the event and another a day before the event but this could put them in separate age divisions even though there is only 2 days age difference between them! We therefore look at actual age difference not division age limits when deciding to move or merge.

Our bracketing team when looking to move or merge competitors will look at the 3 criteria above in their order of priority. If 2 or more criteria are within limits we move or merge. If only 1 is within limits we will contact to discuss your options. If none of the above are met then we refund in full and notify by email or phone call.