Rules | Whistlekick Martial Arts League

Official League Ruleset

Updated Jan 16, 2026

1. Purpose

The Whistlekick Martial Arts League (WMAL) connects martial arts tournaments into a season-long league that recognizes competitive excellence, consistency, and participation across multiple events.

Tournament results are used to generate cumulative League standings.
The League does not alter match outcomes, placements, or awards determined by individual tournaments.

Transparency, fairness, and clarity are core principles of the League.

2. League Structure

• The League operates in defined seasons.
• Competitors earn League points by participating in League-tracked tournaments.
• Rankings are cumulative across the season and tracked by League division.

Tournaments may differ in rules, judging, formats, and division structures.
The League standardizes how results are scored for League purposes, not how events are run.

3. Competition Eligibility vs. League Standings

Competitors must always compete at tournaments according to their actual age and actual rank, as determined by the rules of the hosting event.

League divisions and League point tracking:

• Do not determine tournament eligibility.
• Do not permit competing below one’s actual age or rank.
• Do not override tournament rules.

A competitor’s placement at an event is accepted as published by the tournament and then applied to the appropriate League division based on League season rules.

A competitor may compete in one age or rank division at tournaments while their League points are tracked in a different League division due to seasonal cutoff rules. This distinction exists for League standings purposes only.

4. Divisions & Classification

League rankings are maintained by:

• Age group.
• Rank level.
• Competition type (e.g., forms, weapons, sparring).

League divisions may not exactly mirror tournament divisions.
When necessary, divisions are normalized and applied consistently.

5. Points Allocation

Points are awarded based on final placement, with scoring methods differing by competition type.

Forms & Weapons

Placements from 1st through 16th each receive distinct point values.

Sparring

• 1st through 4th place receive distinct point values.
• 5th through 8th place receive the same point value.
• 9th through 16th place receive the same point value.

Grouped sparring placements reflect elimination-round outcomes rather than exact rank ordering.

6. Base Points Table

7. Tournament Weighting

All League-tracked tournaments are weighted equally for scoring purposes.

No tournament carries bonus points, multipliers, or special weighting.

8. Event Participation Limits

At any single tournament, a competitor may earn League points from:

• One forms division.
• One weapons division.
• And one sparring division.

Points are awarded based on the competitor’s final placement in each of these divisions.
Additional entries beyond these categories do not earn additional League points.

9. Division Size, Combining & Splitting

The decision to combine or split divisions rests with the tournament organizers.

When divisions are combined or split by an event, League points are allocated based on the actual outcomes of the tournament, applied as fairly and consistently as possible using the League’s published scoring rules.

Any special handling is documented and reflected in League records and standings.

10. Age & Rank Advancement During the Season (Year One)

Competitors may advance in age and/or rank during the League season. League point handling depends on when that advancement occurs.

Advancement On or Before July 1

Any competitor changing age and/or rank on or before July 1 will have all accumulated League points carry over into the new League division.

All previously earned points are retained in full.
No point caps or adjustments are applied.

Advancement After July 1

Any competitor changing age and/or rank after July 1 will continue to accumulate League points at subsequent competitions; however:

• Those points will remain credited to the League division the competitor was in prior to July 1.
• The competitor will remain listed in that division for League standings purposes through the end of the season.

This rule applies to League standings only and does not affect tournament eligibility.

11. Event Results & Source of Truth

League points are awarded based solely on a tournament’s published final results.

For League purposes:

• The published final results issued by the tournament constitute the official and authoritative record,
• Informal communications, verbal statements, or unofficial postings are not used for scoring.

If a tournament publishes corrected or updated final results, League standings may be updated accordingly. Any such updates will be documented in the League’s public scoring change log.

12. Score Entry & Corrections

Scores are entered after tournaments conclude and may not appear immediately.

The League maintains a public scoring change log linked from the standings page.
All corrections include:

• The date of change.
• Competitors affected.
• And the reason for the correction.

No silent changes will occur.

13. Competitor Responsibility

Competitors are responsible for reviewing their posted results and reporting suspected errors in a timely manner.

Submitting an inquiry does not imply misconduct and carries no penalty.

14. Membership, Standings & Awards Eligibility (Year One)

League points accumulate throughout the season regardless of membership status.

• Membership is not required to appear in League standings during the season.
• League awards are restricted to active League members.

At the conclusion of the final tournament:

• Non-members are removed from the final standings.
• Non-members are ineligible for League awards.
• Points earned by non-members are not redistributed.

Competitors may join the League at any time during the season without penalty.

This policy applies to the League’s first year of operation and may change in future seasons. Any changes will be published prior to the start of the affected season.

15. Governance

Whistlekick administers the League and maintains the scoring system.

Tournament results are accepted as published.
The League does not reinterpret or override event outcomes.

Rule changes apply prospectively and are published with effective dates.

Status

This document represents the current authoritative ruleset of the Whistlekick Martial Arts League for Year One.
Future FAQs, examples, and procedural clarifications may be added to explain the application, but will not alter intent without notice.