Need advice for NAGA

So a couple guys from the team I train with and myself have been getting ready for NAGA in Hartford CT. I feel pretty darn good about this. My question is this is the first tournament i have done. I have been training for about a year before that i thought i trained but deff not to a very good standard. I have grappled in a MMA cage maybe 5 times for live competition. My question is what level should i register for NAGA also is there any moves not allowed for the bracket your competing at? Just any general advice would be cool and helpful :)

Sounds like you fit into beginner. I don't think there are any banned moves in Nogi except for neck cranks but they could have implemented a rule change I am unaware of.

i have been told that heel hooks and knee bars are only allowed at higher brackets to insure fighter safety anyone know if theres truth to this

NAGA is open to athletes from all forms of grappling, and discriminates against none. All submission holds are legal. Neck cranks and all leg locks including inside heel hooks, outside heel hooks, and knee slicers are permitted. Bicep slicers and wrist locks are also permitted.
No scissors Takedowns are permitted, unless a hand is first placed on the mat.
No slamming from the Guard or to escape submission.
No slamming is allowed in Takedowns. In determining whether or not a Takedown was a slam, Referees will consider whether the intention was to hurt the opponent.
Submissions must be applied in order to get a submission, and not with the intention to injure the joint.
No strikes of any kind are allowed to any part of the body or head, by any part of the body or head.
No clutching of the windpipe is permitted (open hand posting is permitted).
No pressure of any type is allowed to the eyes. Explicitly, no fingers, chin, palm heel, etc are allowed to press on or around the eyes.
No pressure of any type is allowed to the groin, unless it is an inevitable and unintended result of a legitimate technique.
No pressure may be applied directly into the nose unless it is an inadvertent consequence of a legitimate technique.
No striking of any kind including: shoulder, head butts, punches, elbows, knees, kicks, etc.
No fish hooking is permitted.
No biting is permitted. A player defending against a rear naked choke cannot purposefully open his/her mouth so the teeth contact the opponents forearm.
No spiking an opponent on his/her head.
No Small Joint Manipulation is permitted. No pulling a thumb or less than three fingers is permitted.
No pulling hair.
No pinching, twisting of skin.
No putting a finger or toe into any orifice.
No Interference by a corner with any official or fighter.
No attacking an opponent in any of these circumstances:

1. Before the fight has started.
2. After the fight has ended.


3. During a rest period between rounds.


4. When an opponent is being looked at by the Medic or any other official.


No spitting while on the mat is permitted.
No swearing is allowed by a player either on the mats, or next to them. Coaches and spectators are held to these professional standards as well.
No throwing an opponent off the mat.
No unsportsmanlike conduct.
Hygiene Rule: All competitors must wear a clean competition uniform (Gi, shorts, shirt, etc.). If a Referee feels this criteria has not been met, they will not allow the competitor to compete.
At a minimum, a groin protector, mouthpiece, and shorts with a drawstring must be worn. Because fingers and toes can get caught and injured, no pockets or zippers are allowed on the shorts.
Wrestling/Martial Arts shoes are allowed in No Gi competition.
Ear guards (ear protectors) are allowed in No Gi competition.
Excessive taping of hands, wrists and feet is not allowed.
Knee braces cannot have a solid portion that could result in injury.
No stalling is permitted.
No going out of bounds to avoid a submission. It is not possible to restart players in a near submission position, so Referees are directed to allow the contest to continue if the moving out of bounds was inadvertent. Purposefully exiting the ring to avoid a submission will result in Disqualification.
No going out of bounds to avoid a Takedown. Purposefully going out of bounds to avoid a Takedown will result in the player receiving a stalling penalty.
Blood rule. Because there is no blood testing for grappling, a competitor who cannot control the bleeding will not be allowed to continue. In the event of bleeding, the Referee will stop the clock and allow the competitor a reasonable amount of time (two to three minutes) to stop the bleeding. If the competitor continues to bleed a second time in the same match, that competitor will be Disqualified. The competitor is not Disqualified from the event, so if the competitor is competing in another division, or if it is a quarter finals match, the competitor will be allowed to continue in further contests. Bleeding is defined as an amount of blood that shows when a white cloth is pressed on the area.
No competitor can compete with a communicable skin disease, including ring worm, impetigo, herpes, etc.
No grabbing the opponents clothing. Some competitors feel there is an advantage to wearing Gi pants or sweat pants that extend below the knee. Those players electing to wear full length pants that go below the knee should understand that the pants can be grabbed by the other player, to Takedown, to pin, etc. The rules governing grabbing Gi pants are identical to those allowed for Gi competition. Competitors cannot grab their own clothing or the clothing of their opponent. The ONLY acceptable use of shorts grabbing is grabbing ones own shorts to defend submissions.
Hair Rule: Women and Men with long hair are required to have her/his hair tied in such a fashion as to not interfere with the match. Due to the potential for injury to the eyes, and otherwise interfering with the normal play of a match, spiked hair, particularly spiked Mohawks, of a length and consistency sufficient to cause irritation to the eyes are prohibited in NAGA. Spray painted hair that may have the color "run" due to sweat is also prohibited in NAGA competition.
Placing one knee on the ground (with no intent to shoot for a Takedown) is a Penalty. Placing one knee on the ground while attacking a viable Takedown is not a Penalty.