The Professional Grappling Federation (PGF), powered by SUBVERSIV, starts its Season 5 Qualifiers TODAY (22 April 2023) at Coosa Jiu Jitsu and Wellness in Wetumpka, Alabama (suburb of Montgomery, AL). This qualifier kicks off Season 5 of the PGF where 185 pound men and 125 pound women will vie for their respective PGF championship titles.
The PGF is the only submission grappling league with a pre-season, regular season, and post-season. This weekend, the pre-season kicks off at Coosa Jiu Jitsu and Wellness. The qualifiers serve as the preseason to the PGF. To earn a spot in the regular season, prospective competitors MUST participate in a qualifier. Most qualifiers operate as a submission-only jiu jitsu tournament, adding the “wrestle back” losers bracket seen in many wrestling tournaments (essentially a double-elimination tournament). The winner of pre-season qualifiers earn an automatic bid to the regular season. But to incentivize exciting submission grappling action, the Commissioner (10th Planet Black Belt and ADCC and CJJ commentator Brandon Mccaghren) will select an unknown number of the most exciting competitors for at-large invites to the regular season.
The regular season will begin October 29. The season will be broadcast LIVE on YouTube each day. Each competitor will have 15 guaranteed matches. At the end of the regular season, the top eight competitors will move onto the post-season tournament on Saturday, November 4.
The PGF brings the most exciting rule set to a submission grappling league. Each match is only six minutes long, forcing each competitor to push the action. Moreover, the ONLY way to score points is securing a submission. Kills, or chokes, garner a competitor six points. Breaks, joint locks, earn a competitor three points. If competitors score a submission in less than one minute, the Elbow Genie rule gives the competitor a bonus point. With a set amount of matches and therefore opportunities to score points, competitors must make the most of every opportunity. Essentially, A DRAW IS A LOSS! So every competitor should take risks to score submissions, which opens up the matches (i.e. stalling seen in other formats is dis-incentivized).
The post-season tournament on November 4 will likely be a single-elimination, submission-only tournament using Eddie Bravo Invitational (EBI) overtime rules. In the last four seasons, the tournament was preceded by a number of “super fights” between fan favorites from the season and other exciting competitors.
But, to make it to the post-season tournament and be crowned champion, every competitor MUST participate in a qualifier. If you’re reading this post and are interested in competing, it’s too late to head to Coosa Jiu Jitsu in Wetumpka for today’s qualifier, but the PGF has three additional qualifiers on the books. On May 13, 10th Planet Decatur (PGF HQ) will host a qualifier. On August 12th, 10th Planet Jacksonville will host a qualifier. On August 26th, One Nation Jiu Jitsu will host a qualifier. The Commissioner has said he is looking to add qualifiers in Los Angeles and Austin, but the details have not been finalized so make sure to subscribe to his YouTube Channel and follow him on Instagram (or check back here) to get the details on additional qualifiers when they become available.
Each season of the PGF has made big jumps in the quality of the broadcasts and event overall. From day one, the PGF was the most exciting competition format in submission grappling. Conscious Keelan, the Commisioner’s partner in the PGF and head of Subconscious Studios, was ahead of everyone in the grappling broadcast game, using a gimbal to bring the fans right into the action. Fans didn’t have to worry about competitors moving to dead space on the broadcast, Keelan constantly moved the camera to catch the action.
But the PGF is also the most interactive submission grappling promotion. Besides live fans at the events, the live broadcasts over Youtube allow fans from all across the world to hop into the chat and participate in the PGF community. Fans can ask the commentators questions or provide inside information on competitors. In recent seasons, we’ve also seen the chat put out bounties where they pay the competitors money if they hit certain submissions; or just send superchats to reward competitors for outstanding work. The Commissioner is such a believer in his fans that he’s allowed the chat to help make rulings on submissions (e.g. Kill or Break).
Whether your are a competitor or a submission grappling fan, you need to check out Season 5 of the PGF. You’ll see exciting competition with compelling storylines from competitors. Finally, you’ll join a community of competitors, production staff, and fans who truly put untold passion and their entire hearts into this promotion. It’s really something special.
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