I got disqualified today for using an Electiric Chair at IBJFF Boston Open

[scottross]

To the best of my knowledge, the electric chair is in a grey zone for IBJJF tournaments. It's a technique that can be interpreted several ways, and it's up to the ref. I've never been offered any clear guidance.

Another reason to avoid IBJJJF tournaments.

[elon hodge]

The move is 100% legal its the number one submission on their submission chart. Also when you feel you have been disqualified wrongly you can always go to the head judge for a over ruling. He could of go the submission confuse with a knee bar because of the angle and the way your arms were on the leg. But it still was a bad call.

[Diogo Trigo]

The issue here is not confusing the electric chair with the kneebar. The problem is that the rule book states that it is ilegal to, paraphrasing, "apply pressure to the knee". That's why reaping is ilegal, same thing with ashi if you rotate towards the inside (his free leg). If the judge thinks that when you extend the lockdown you direct his foot outwards (hence rotating his knee inwards), he can rule it as the same kind of pressure as reaping.
It's just bollocks. Mostly because that kind of rotation only happens when the guy really really doesn't want to get swept (i.e. points), not because he's necessarily aware of the submission.

[Keith D]

https://photos.google.com/share/AF1Q...9IZk55aDcxWDhR

I have also been disqualified for using the electric chair, and straight up man, its referee ignorance. After I was disqualified my coach came out and asked why I was disqualified, and the guy looked at my coach and said in a really agitated sounding voice, "knee attacks are illegal".

Its one of the unfortunate part of IBJJF rules (as well as most rule sets), there are so many rules causing just as many "grey areas". I once saw a guy pull off a Baratoplata, and get disqualified, because the ref thought it was a "Bicep Slicer". I have also seen a guy in single leg x (standing Ashi position) with the foot on the hip - which is supposed to be "IBJJF Legal" - until the guy that was standing pulled the foot that was on his hip across his hip and pushed it down, causing an "illegal 'reap' in the knee" disqualifying the guy.. So essentially they guy reaped his own knee with the other guys leg, and won via dq... IBJJF all for to many grey areas with how many rules they have and a lot of them are pretty stupid to begin with..

[Chris Herzog]

..................hence Sub Only.

[Damon Tunstall]

I don't understand. I've seen the electric chair used in IBJJF comps before. Sounds petty but can you complain to someone about the ref?