Page "Pancrase" Paragraph 1

The promotion had a rule-set more similar to that of professional wrestling than those used in contemporary fighting organizations such as Shooto.

Just as in Japanese professional wrestling, closed-fisted punches to the head were illegal ( however, close fisted punches to the body were allowed ).

Instead, a fighter had to strike to the head with a palm strike, and submission holds had to be broken when a competitor made it to the ropes.

Rope breaks resulted in a lost point and a fighter would only be granted between 3 and 5 rope breaks before being disqualified.

However, beginning in 1998, it began adopting a rule set more in line with other mixed martial arts organizations, with most fights transitioning to the new ruleset by 2000.