First Three Tournaments Seeds

The previous year’s ratings will be used to determine the seeds before the new year’s ratings are published.  Once the new year’s ratings are published they will be used to seed competitors.

Ratings

Schedule of Ratings and “Best of Scores” Chart.  This is the schedule that the new updated rating will come out and let you know how many of your “Best of Scores” will count in that ratings period.

Seeding

Competitors can only be seeded in divisions they are rated.  Points earned in one division do not carry over into another division.  The only exception to this rule is in the first three tournaments of the year and a competitor is required to move into an older age division.  Competitors who have earned points in the division always takes priority over competitors moving into the older division and have not yet earned points in that division.  If there are additional seeds needed these competitors can qualify for the seeds needed.

Before New Year’s Ratings are Published: Tournaments Seeding Rules

Until the current years ratings are published, if there are not four rated competitors in the division you are seeding, additional seeds can be taken (to reach 4 seeds) from competitors who are moving up into another age divisions.  These competitors are seeded in front of the competitors in the current division who are currently rated in the division.  An exception to this rule is if a competitor moves up into an older division in the last tournament of the year in an attempt to secure a seed over competitors that were ahead of them in points in the younger division but chose to stay in their legal age division all year.  The ones moving up into the older division would be rated over the ones who changed age divisions in the last tournament of the year.

Priority Order of Seeding  

In all tournaments including the first three, the first priority of seeding goes to the #1, #2, #3 & #4 rated competitors in the Division.  This group is call Group –A.  The second priority of seeing goes to all other rated competitors in the Division.  This Group is called Group-B.  The third priority of seeding goes to rated competitors who are changing ages and must move into an older division because of their age change (only in the first three tournaments of the year).  This group is also part of Group-B.  Group-A and Group-B will have separate scuffling for order of placement with Group-A seeds going last and Group-B seeds going before Group-A seeds.

Maximum Seeds: Form and Weapons

There is a Maximum of 4 seeds in Form and Weapons Divisions unless there is a tie in points for competitors in Group-A and/or Group-B.  Ties can be added into the Group Shuffles.

Form and Weapons Seeding

Group-A seeds will be shuffled to determine the order of the seeds in the division.   If the #1, #2, #3 and #4 competitors are all present, the number of seeds is complete.   If not all the #1, 2, 3, 4 competitors are present; the number of competitors needed to fill the Maximum of 4 seeds will be selected from Group-B.  This group is selected by order of their rating in the division.  If more than one competitor is needed to reach the Maximum of 4 seeds, these competitors will be shuffled to determine their placement of order.  The Group-B seeds will always go before the Group-A seeds. It is required that the center official either supervise or perform the random selection process of the seeds.

Fight Seeding  

The Top Seeds (Max 4) will be seeded in the first round of competition with all competitors.  The Seeds (Max 4) will be seeded away from each other in the brackets with the number one and four seeds in the top bracket and the number 2 and 3 seeds in the bottom bracket.  If Byes are needed, the Seeds will receive the byes in order of their seeded position.  No longer are fighters automatically seeded into the quarter finals unless there are eight or less competitors in the division or if by receiving a bye they move into the quarter or semi final brackets.  Seeds can refuse byes but still must be bracketed away from other seeds as described above.

Seeding Fairness Rule

If there are question about seeding  that arise that cannot be answered by the rules above, the Chief Tournament Arbitrator will  make the final decision who and how a competitor will be seeded.

Under Black Belts  

Will not be seeded