RULES & REGULATIONS amateur

MANDATORY PROBATION PERIOD  An Athlete shall receive a mandatory period of rest in the event of a knockout or TKO caused by strikes to the head. 

•  One (1) Knock-Out or TKO: An Athlete who has been knocked out or for whom the Referee has stopped the contest due to receiving hard hits to the head rendering the Athlete defenseless or incapable of continuing, shall not be permitted to take part in competition of MuayThai or sparring for a period of at least thirty (30) days.  

•  Two (2) Knock-Outs or two (2) TKO’s: An Athlete who has been knocked out as result of head hits or wherein the Referee has stopped the contest due to an Athlete having received hard hits to the head rendering the Athlete defenseless or incapable of continuing twice within a period of ninety (90) days, shall not be allowed to take part in MuayThai competition or sparring for a period of ninety (90) days from the second Knock-out or second TKO; 

•  Three (3) Knock-outs or three (3) TKO’s: an Athlete who has been knocked out as a result of head hits or wherein the Referee has stopped the contest due to the Athlete having received hard hits to the head rendering the Athlete defenseless or incapable of continuing three (3) times in a period of twelve (12) months, shall not be allowed to take part in MuayThai competition or sparring for a period of twelve (12) months from the third Knock-out or the third TKO loss;  

PROTECTIVE MEASURES Any Athlete having lost a hard contest with many hits to the head or having been knocked down several times in some consecutive contests, may not be permitted to take part in MuayThai competition or training for a period of at least 90 days after the last contest on the advice of the Medical Officer should they decide that it would be necessary.  

MEDICAL CERTIFICATION FOLLOWING PROBATION Before resuming MuayThai after any periods of medical probation, an Athlete must be certified by a neurologist as fit to take part in MuayThai competition. The athlete should undergo, if possible, a special examination, electroencephalogram (EEG) and, if necessary, a contrast enhanced computed tomography (CCT) test. The results of examinations as well as the permission to resume competing shall be entered in the medical record.  

MEDICAL DECLARATION No Athlete shall be allowed to compete without having a completed WBC MUAYTHAI Medical Declaration Form, which must be signed by an authorized Doctor of Medicine. The medical declaration must be completed in the English language stating that prior to leaving their country the athlete was in good physical condition and not suffering from any injury, infection, or disability liable to affect the athlete’s capacity to compete.

Declaration of Non-pregnancy Athletes aged 18 and above must sign the declaration of non-pregnancy. athletes under this age will also require an additional signature from one of the Athletes parents and/or legal guardians.

COMPETITION MEDICAL CERTIFICATION Additionally, on each day of competition the athlete shall be certified as fit to compete by a qualified Doctor of Medicine who shall be approved by the association under whose jurisdiction the competition is taking place under the banner of the WBC Amateur MuayThai. 

CUTS AND ABRASIONS No athlete shall be allowed to take part in any contest if the athlete is wearing a dressing on a cut, wound, abrasion, laceration or blood swelling on the athlete’s scalp or face including the nose and ears. An athlete is allowed to compete if an abrasion is covered with collision or steri-strip. The decision should be made by the doctor examining the athlete on the day of competition.  

TIMING Medical and weigh-in checks will be conducted at the following times 

•  Official Weigh-In: 1 day prior to the start of competition. 

•  Competition Weigh-In: Each morning of competition; and

Competition shall start no earlier than three (3) hours after the close of the Competition Weigh-in. A shorter time may be permitted by the Organizing Committee or other WBC MUAYTHAI authorized delegates after consulting the Medical Commission, should it be determined as suitable and not to be detrimental to an athlete taking part in the early contests of the forthcoming session.   

MEDICAL EXAMINATION Each day of competition the athlete must be passed as fit to compete by the event doctor before being weighed in.  

WEIGH-IN 

Attendance Athletes in all weight divisions must complete a medical and weight check at the Official Weigh-In, which shall determine their weight for the entirety of competition. An athlete may only compete in the weight for which he has qualified at each official weigh-in.  

Athletes shall present themselves at the Competition Weigh-In each morning that they are scheduled to compete to ensure that his actual weight on that day does not exceed the maximum of his weight class. 

Clothing & Dress Athletes must complete their weigh-in in suitable lightweight undergarments, and in a fully prepared state for competition (e.g., no socks, shaved, trimmed toenails, etc.) 

Making Weight A competitor will be allowed to present himself/herself at the official scales only once at the weighin each day. The weight recorded on that presentation is final.  

Changing Weight Divisions at the Official Weigh-In it is permissible for the National Team Manager of a competitor who has failed to make the weight to enter the Athlete at a higher or lower weight for which they qualified. This may only occur if this country has no other Athlete entered in this division and the weigh-ins are not yet closed.  

Weighing Scales Electronic scales are recommended and shall the weight in kgs or pounds.  

Anti-Doping Consent Athletes age 18 and above must sign the WBC MUAYTHAI Anti-Doping Consent Form. Athletes under this age will also require an additional signature from one of the athletes parents and/or legal guardians.

PENALTIES Any athlete or official violating this prohibition shall be liable to disqualification or suspension by WBC MuayThai. 

PROHIBITED DRUGS Any Athlete taking illegal substances or any official administering such substances shall be subject to the penalties. WBC MuayThai may ban additional substances upon the recommendation of the WBC MuayThai Medical Committee. 

Platform and Corner Pads The platform shall be safely constructed, level and free from any obstructing projections and shall extend for at least 85 cm outside the line of the ropes. It shall be fitted with four corner posts which shall be well padded or otherwise so constructed as to prevent injury to the athletes. The corner pads/posts should be arranged in the following way:  

•  Red – in the nearer left-side of the supervisor’s table 

•  White – in the far left-side corner of the supervisor’s table  

•  Blue – in the far right-side of the supervisor’s table 

•  White – in the near right corner of the supervisor’s table 

Floor Covering The floor shall be covered with padding (felt, rubber or other suitable approved material having the same quality of elasticity) not less than 1.5 cm and not more than 2 cm thick. Canvas shall be stretched and secured in place over the padding, and both the padding and canvas shall cover the entire platform.  

Ropes There shall be 4 ropes with a thickness of minimum of 3 cm and maximum of 5 cm tightly drawn from the corner posts at 40 cm, 70 cm, 100 cm, and 130 cm (15.7”, 27.5”, 39.25”, 51.25”) high respectively. The ropes shall be covered with a soft or smooth material. The rope shall be joined on each side, at equal intervals, by two pieces of closely textured canvas 3 to 4 cm wide. The pieces must not slide along the rope.  

Turnbuckles The turnbuckles shall be covered by foam no less than 2cm thick and securely fastened with a Velcro cover or tape. 

RING EQUIPMENT The following ring equipment shall be available:  

•  Three (3) sets of steps – one (1) set at each colored corner for use by the contestants, and one (1) set in the neutral corner for use by the referees and doctors.  

•  Six (6) seats – Four (4) seats for Seconds, with two (2) in each colored corner. Two (2) stools for athletes, one (1) in each colored corner. 

•  Two (2) shallow trays – one (1) per colored corner.  

•  Two (2) mops – one (1) per colored corner. 

•  Table and chairs for Officials and competition staff; For three (3) Judges Three (3) tables with one (1) chair each; One (1) table for the scorekeepers with two (2) chairs; One (1) table for the Timekeeper; One (1) table for the Doctor and medical staff with two (2) chairs 

•  White medical gloves for referees and medical staff.  

•  Gong or bell.  

•  Two stop watches. 

•  One stretcher or access to a cot/gurney with full medical team and ambulance.

•  Only WBC MUAYTHAI approved rings are permitted.  

GLOVES Athletes shall wear the gloves which the organizer of the competition has placed at their disposal and have been approved by WBC MuayThai. Athletes are only permitted to use WBC MuayThai approved gloves. 

Specification The gloves shall weigh 10 ounces (284 grams) of which the leather portion shall not weigh more than half of the total weight and the padding not less than half the total weight. The padding of the gloves shall not be displaced or broken. All athletes in any one contest must wear the same gloves from the same manufacturer, and only clean and serviceable gloves of red and blue color may be used.  

Glove Supervision All gloves, wraps and bandages shall be fitted under the supervision of the referee, WBC MuayThai supervisor or appointed changing room inspectors. The glove supervisors should tape and sign the wrist of each pair of gloves fitted on an athlete and ensure that all rules are observed until the athletes enter the ring.  

BANDAGES & HAND WRAPS A soft surgical bandaging not longer than 5 m and whose width does not exceed 5 cm or a “Velcro” hand wraps not longer than 5 m on each hand should be used - no other kind of bandage may be used. 

Tape The use of any kind of tapes - rubber or adhesive plaster - as bandages is strictly forbidden. A single strap of adhesive 7.5 cm long and 2.5 cm wide may be used at the upper wrists to secure the bandages.  

Inspection The bandages / hand wraps of the athlete shall be inspected before being provided their competition equipment. The hand wraps may be inspected at any later time by the Referee or supervisor after a decision has been rendered. 

HEAD GUARD, SHIN GUARD, & ELBOW GUARD The use of the head guard, shin guard, and elbow guards are mandatory, and shall be provided to athletes by the promotion. Only WBC MuayThai approved equipment is permitted.  

Head Guard The head guard shall conform to WBC MuayThai specifications and have no cheek protectors, chin guard or face shield. Athletes must come into the ring without their head guard - only after having been presented to the audience, sealing the ring, performing the Wai Kru, and shaking of hands has been completed shall it be put in. The head guard shall be taken off immediately after the contest is over and before the decision is announced.  

•  The head guard is not permitted to be removed or undone during a contest unless under the supervision of the supervisor or referee 

Shin Guard & Elbow Guard The shin guard and elbow guards for competition shall be made of cloth. If taping is required, it shall be supplied by the local combat sports commission or appointed WBC MuayThai team members. 

BODY PROTECTOR The use of a corner color coordinated body protector is mandatory for all athletes competing at U23 level. It is not to be worn in senior divisions.  

Division   -    Body Protector

Senior     -     No

U23         -     Yes

GUM SHIELD A gum shield shall be worn by all athletes before the commencement of a round. The gum shield should be form-fitted. It is forbidden for an athlete to intentionally remove their gum shield during the contest and if the Athlete does so, the Athlete shall be cautioned, warned, or disqualified. Should an athlete’s gum shield be removed from their mouth, it should be rinsed by the Athlete’s Second before being returned to the athlete’s mouth.  

ANKLE PROTECTION No ankle protection (cloth anklet, tape, etc.) may be worn.

GROIN GUARD The use of a groin guard is mandatory. To observe hygiene, all athlete’s male and female must have their own groin protectors. Each groin guard must pass inspection prior to competition.  

• Male Groin Guards Male athletes shall wear a metal groin guard.    

• Female Groin Guards for Female athletes, a polycarbonate or foam groin guard shall be worn.  

FEMALE CHEST PROTECTION The use of chest protection is mandatory and for all female athletes competing in a senior division to guard against hematoma formation within soft tissue areas of the breast proper. Each chest protector must pass inspection prior to competition. 

Division   -   Chest Protection

Senior     -    Yes

CLOTHING & DRESS Athletes shall wear the competition clothing and dress when provided, in accordance with the following: 

Shorts MuayThai shorts must be worn in all competitions. 

Shirts Male and female athletes must wear a singlet in red or blue according to their corner color. Shirts must be tucked into the belt line of the shorts. 

Mongkon & Prajiad Athletes must wear the sacred headband (Mongkon) for paying homage during the Wai Kru. A Krueng-Wrang (Prajiad/arm band) with a leather or fabric amulet or charm may be put on around the upper arm, biceps or waist but must be neatly covered. The referee may request that a Prajiad is removed if the strings are longer than 5 cm or delay competition by becoming undone/falling.  

Hair Should be tied (ponytail, braided, etc.) and must be secured in a hairnet to be contained within the head guard so as not to obscure the face of the athlete and prevent risk to either athlete from its movement. Hair clips are not permitted. 

Head & Body Cover Head and body covers may be worn by athletes to comply with cultural requirements and shall consist of the following:  

•  A head covering such as a full sport hijab like the ResportOn design or an individual skull cap of black or white fabric 

•  An optional body suit (two piece, tights, and upper body) of black or white fabric covering of the legs to the ankles and covering the arms to the wrists.  

•  Only WBC MuayThai approved attire can be used to participate in the competitions  

Facial Hair Beards and moustaches are not permitted; athletes must be clean shaven. 

Prohibited Dress No other object may be worn during contests.  

LINIMENT & VASELINE A reasonable amount of Vaseline is permitted on the face only for the purpose of reducing the risk of cuts. On any other part of the body, the use of grease, Vaseline, rubbing lineament, or products likely to be harmful or objectionable to an opponent is forbidden.  

EQUIPMENT & DRESS INFRACTIONS A referee shall exclude from the contest any athlete whose equipment or dress does not conform to the standards set above. In the event of the athlete’s glove or dress becoming undone during the contest, the referee shall stop the contest to have it attended to.  

THE DRAW Draws for competitions will take place once all on-site weigh ins and medicals have taken place. 

BYES In competitions where there are more than four (4) competitors, enough byes shall be drawn in the first series to reduce the number of competitors in the second series to 4, 8, 16 or 32. Competitors drawing a bye in the first series shall be the first to compete in the second series. If there are an odd number of byes, the Athlete who draws the last bye will compete in the second series against the winner of the first contest in the first series. Where the number of byes is even, the Athlete drawing byes shall compete in the first contests of the second series in the order in which they are drawn.  

CONTESTS PER COMPETITION DAY An athlete is only permitted to compete in a maximum of one (1) contest per day. In special circumstances, the regional WBC MuayThai representative or supervisor has the authority to allow an athlete to compete in more than one (1) contest per day. 

•  Additional Contest Rest Allowance the athlete must be allowed a minimum of three (3) hours rest between contests.

•  Maximum Additional Contests An athlete must not exceed three (3) contests per day.

NUMBER OF SECONDS Each athlete is entitled to a maximum of two (2) Seconds but may not compete with less than one (1). 

CONDUCT The Seconds shall abide the following rules  

During an Active Round  

•  The Seconds shall remain seated away from the platform of the ring. Before a round begins, they shall remove all objects from the ring platform (e.g., seats, towels, buckets, water bottles, etc.); and 

•  During a count, warning, or Time Out the Second shall not provide advice to their athlete. 

During the Rest Between Rounds 

•  Only two Seconds shall mount the apron of the ring and only one may enter the ring.  

•  A Second, who is outside the ropes, may not insert their body between the ropes and must reach over the top if tending to the athlete.  

•  A Second will ensure that the athlete faces toward the center of the ring, with their back to their corner; and 
•  Seconds are permitted to spray a reasonable amount of water on the athlete using a water bottle or spray bottle.  

 At Any Time  

•  A Second can retire an athlete and may, when they consider their athlete to be in difficulty, throw the towel into the ring to signal the end of the contest - except when the referee is while counting. 

•  No bad advice, bad assistance or bad encouragement, or aggressive physical contact shall be given to an athlete by a Second.  

•  Any Second encouraging or inciting spectators by words or signs to advise or encourage an athlete during the progress of a round shall not be permitted to continue to act as a Second at the tournament where the offense is committed.  

•  If a Second violates the rules they may be warned or disqualified. An athlete may also be cautioned, warned, or disqualified by the referee for offences committed by their Seconds. If a Second is removed by the referee from the corner, they may not be replaced by an alternate Second and shall not assist for the remainder of competition.  

REQUIRED SUPPLIES  Each corner is required to have their own towel, squeeze bottle and water with the corner bucket. These items are not to be lent for use by any other Athlete to prevent the spread of bacterial-viral illnesses and contamination with regards to the WBC MuayThai anti-doping policies.  

COMPULSORY MEETING Before each competition the appointed head of ring officials and WBC MuayThai supervisor will arrange a technical meeting of all officials and the Seconds who are going to work in each tournament and emphasize that WBC MuayThai rules will be followed.  

DUTIES OF THE TIMEKEEPER Each contest shall have one (1) timekeeper who shall be seated ringside. The Timekeeper shall:  

•  Regulate the duration of the Wai Kru and signal its end to the Referee and athletes by hand signal or bell. 

•  Regulate the number and duration of the contest rounds. 

•  Regulate the intervals between rounds.  

•  Commence and end each round by striking the gong or bell. 

•  Indicate or give a signal of 10 seconds to clear the ring before the commencement of each round.  

•  Take off time when instructed to do so by the referee.  

•  Regulate all periods of time and counts by a watch or clock; and  

•  If at the end of around an athlete is “down” and the referee is while counting, the gong indicating the end of the round will not be sounded. The gong will be sounded only when the referee gives the command “CHOK” indicating the continuation of the match. 

PRESENTING FOR COMPETITION Athlete’s will approach the ring wearing the following equipment in a state ready to be used for competition:  

•  Gloves. 

•  Elbow guards.  

•  Shin guards.  

•  Groin guard.  

•  Chest protection (if used); and  

•  Body protector (if used).  

The Mongkon, head guard, and gum shield shall be held by the athlete’s Seconds in preparation for the contest.  

The athlete shall enter the ring between the 2nd & 3rd rope, or 3rd & 4th rope for Athletes in heavier weight divisions, and after having entered the ring will have the Mongkon placed on their head by their Second before presenting themselves to the Jury and Judges. The athlete, in their corner, will then present themselves to the Referee for their equipment inspection.  

PERFORMING THE WAI KRU After the equipment inspection is completed the referee will signal the start of the Wai Kru. 

SHAKING OF HANDS Before beginning and after a contest, athletes shall shake hands or “Wai” in a proper manner, as a sign of a purely sporting and friendly rivalry in accordance with the rules.  

Authorized Times The shaking of hands takes place before beginning the first round and after the announcing of the contest results. Any further shaking of hands between the rounds is prohibited.

REQUIREMENT Before the first round, every athlete must perform the traditional MuayThai ritual of homage “Wai Kru” according to the customs of MuayThai.

FUNDAMENTAL ELEMENTS The athlete must, at a minimum, prostate to the canvas three (3) times while wearing a sacred Mongkon. Athletes are encouraged to perform a proper Wai Kru consisting of Starting Postures, Sitting Postures and Standing Postures.    

MUSIC The traditional MuayThai musical instruments (java pipe, small cymbals and two drums) will accompany the ritual. If a live band is not available, it is permissible to use MuayThai music played from a recording.  

DRESS REQUIREMENTS The referee is to wear flat soled shoes without a raised heel, and is recommended to wear surgical gloves while officiating. Any accessories such as eyeglasses, jeweler, belt, and headwear are prohibited. 

PRIMARY CONCERN The ‘duty of care’ of the Athlete is the primary concern of the referee.  

DUTIES The referee shall: 

•  Use 3 words of command in Thai: “YUT” (Stop) when ordering the athletes to stop action; “YAK” (Break) when breaking a clinch, upon which command each athlete shall step back to await the  

1. Referee’s command to continuing the competition; and  
2.  “CHOK” (Box) when ordering the athletes to continue.

•  See that the rules and fair play are strictly observed 

•  Check the gloves and dress of the athletes.

•  Always maintain control of the contest.  

•  Prevent a weakened athlete from receiving undue and unnecessary punishment.  

•  Referee shall visually demonstrate any infringement of the rules to an athlete. Stop each round at the strike of the bell by commanding “YUT” and obstructing the athletes, directing them to their corner.  

•  At the end of a contest collect and check the papers of the Judges; after checking the Referee shall present these papers to the supervisor, or on occasions when there is no Jury, to the announcer.  

•  When the referee has stopped the contest, they shall first inform the Jury as to the reason such that the announcer can make the decision known to the public; and  

•  The Referee shall not indicate the winner, by raising an athlete’s hand or otherwise, until the announcement has been made. When the winner of the contest is announced, the referee shall raise the hand of the winning athlete.  

POWERS OF THE REFEREE The Referee has the authority to  

•  Terminate a contest at any stage if they consider it too one-sided  

•  Terminate a contest at any stage if one of the athletes has received an injury on account of which the referee decides they should not continue 

•  Terminate a contest at any stage if they consider the contestants are not competing in earnest. In such case they may disqualify one or both contestants.  

•  Caution an athlete or to stop the contest to administer a warning to an athlete against fouls or for any other reason in the interests of fair play, or to ensure compliance with the rules.  

•  Disqualify an athlete who fails to comply immediately with the referee’s orders or behaves towards them in an offensive or aggressive manner at any time.  

•  Disqualify a Second who has infringed the rules and/or the athlete themselves if the Second does not comply with the Referee’s orders 

•  With or without a previous warning, disqualify a contestant for committing a serious foul 

•  In the event of a knock-down, suspend a count, if an athlete’s opponent deliberately fails to retire to a neutral corner or delays to do so 

DUTIES  

•  Each Judge shall independently evaluate the merits of the two contestants and decide the winner according to the rules.  

•  A Judge shall not speak to an athlete or to another Judge, nor to anyone else except the referee during the contest, but may, if it is necessary, at the end of a round, bring to the notice of the referee any incident which they may appear not to have noticed, such as the misconduct of a Second, loose ropes, etc.

•  The number of points awarded to each competitor shall be entered by a Judge on their scoring system or paper immediately after the end of each round. 

•  At the end of the contest a Judge shall total the points, nominate a winner, sign their scoring paper, and submit their scorecard to the referee; and a Judge shall not leave their seat until the decision has been announced to the public.    

SCORING MUAYTHAI SKILL A MuayThai skill is a punch, kick, knee, or elbow applied with force and intent to cause damage. One score will be awarded for each MuayThai skill that strikes against a scoring target without being blocked, guarded against, or infringing the rules 

•  Target the Target for MuayThai means, any part of the body except the groin.  

•  Non-scoring Targets The gloves, forearms, foot, and shin are not scoring targets, unless a strike is applied with enough power to affect a scoring target (e.g., a high kick against the gloves of a blocking opponent off balances the target.)  

•  Illegal Targets The groin is not a scoring target and intentional strikes against the groin may be considered fouls.

TEN-POINT MUST SYSTEM Each round shall be scored individually, in which at least one athlete shall be awarded 10 points. No fraction of points may be given.

Steps for Awarding Points    

•  First, an athlete wins the round when utilizing more scoring MuayThai skills than the opponent; o A difference of 7 or less scoring MuayThai skills between the athletes is a small margin.  

1.  A difference of 8 to 14 scoring MuayThai skills between the athletes is a clear margin; and o A difference of 15 to 21 scoring MuayThai skills between the athletes is a total domination.  

If the Athletes are equal in scoring MuayThai skill, then

•  Second, an athlete wins the round when using more forceful MuayThai skills than the opponent.    

Non-Awarding of Points 

•  Striking with lack of MuayThai skills.  

•  Strikes which are effectively blocked by the opponent’s forearms/gloves or shins/feet.

•  Striking with lack of force even when those strikes have landed on target; • Throwing the opponent without striking; and  

•  Striking while infringing any of the rules.  

Assignment of a Round’s Score At the end of each round, 10 points shall be awarded to the better (more skillful in MuayThai) athlete, and the opponent proportionately less (9-8-7 respectively). 

•  10 points will be awarded to each athlete if they are even in the round.  

•  10 points will be awarded to the athlete who wins the round by a small margin, the opponent will receive 9 points.  

•  10 points will be awarded to the athlete who wins the round by a large margin, the opponent will receive 8 points.  

•  10 points will be awarded to the athlete who wins the round by a total domination, the opponent will receive 7 points.  

•  The athlete will have their number of total points reduced by one (1) for each warning received if the Judges agree with the Warning.  

Deduction of Points If the referee provides a warning to one of the athletes the Judges may award a point to the other competitor. When a Judge decides to award a point to an athlete in agreement with a referee warning they shall place a “W” in the appropriate column against the points of the warned competitor to show that they have done so. If the Judge decided not to award a point, they shall place the letter “X” against the points allotted for that round to the warned Athlete indicating the reason they have done so.  

•  During each round, a Judge shall assess the seriousness of and shall impose an appropriate scoring penalty for any foul witnessed whether the Referee has observed such foul. If a Judge observes a foul apparently unnoticed by the Referee and imposes an appropriate penalty on the offending athlete, they shall indicate that they have done so by placing in the appropriate column the letter “J” against the points of the offending athlete and indicate the reason.  

Method for Applying a Deduction of Points If a Judge agrees with a referee’s rarning or observes a foul and imposes a Judge’s warning, the athlete receiving the warning will be deducted one (1) point from their total points. 

END OF CONTEST A winner must be nominated in all tournaments. If at the end of a contest a Judge finds that the athletes are equal in total score, the Judge shall determine a winner by applying the Steps for awarding points across the entirety of the contest.  

•   If the athletes are equal in both scoring MuayThai skill and the forcefulness of their MuayThai skill then an Athlete wins then round by any of; Showing less exhaustion or less bruising than the opponent; Showing more willingness to lead off or aggressive intention to compete than the opponent; Having better defense by which the opponent’s MuayThai skills effectively blocked or made to miss; Having better MuayThai style than the opponent; and having less infringement of the rules than the opponent.  

In Exhibition Matches, a draw decision may be awarded.  

WIN ON POINTS At the end of a contest, the athlete who has been awarded the decision by many of the Judges shall be declared the winner. If both athletes are injured, knocked out simultaneously or cannot continue the contest the Judges shall record the points gained by each athlete up to its termination; the competitor with the most points shall be declared the winner. 

WIN BY REFEREE STOPS CONTEST 

Outclassed If an athlete, in the opinion of the referee, is being outclassed or is receiving excessive punishment or hard strikes, the contest shall be stopped, and his/her opponent declared the winner.  

Injury If an athlete, in the opinion of the referee, is unfit to continue due to injury sustained from legal strikes or other action or is incapacitated for any other physical reasons (e.g., joint dislocations, vomiting, profuse nasal bleeding), the contest shall be stopped, and the opponent declared the winner.  

•  The right to make this decision rests with the referee, who may consult the doctor at the neutral corner. If the doctor advises to stop the contest, the referee must follow their advice. It is recommended that the referee checks the other athlete for injury also before making this decision.  

•  When a referee calls a doctor to examine an athlete inside the ring only these two individuals should be present. No Seconds should be allowed into the ring or on the apron; and  

•  If the injury should happen in the final round of a gold medal contest, the winner will be decided on majority points scored from all preceding rounds only.  

The Doctor shall only examine an athlete during the rest under direct instruction from the referee. In such cases that the Doctor advises the contest to be stopped, the Referee shall instruct the Timekeeper to begin the round time. The referee will then immediately stop the contest and declare the opponent the winner by TKO. 

Head Injury When an athlete has received hard head blows or strikes to the head rendering the Athlete defenseless and incapable of continuing the contest.  

Body Injury When an athlete has received a hard strike to any part of the body except the head rendering the Athlete defenseless and incapable of continuing the contest. 

Compulsory Count Limit the referee stops the contest when a prescribed limit of counts has been reached, depending on the division of competition.  

•  Senior and U23: 3 counts in the same round or 4 counts in the whole contest. 

WIN BY KNOCK-OUT (KO) If an athlete is “down” and fails to resume competing within the count of “SIB” (10), the athlete’s opponent shall be declared the winner by a knock-out.

WIN BY RETIREMENT (RET) An athlete’s opponent shall be declared the winner when   

•  The athlete does not leave their corner after the rest between rounds 

•  The athlete does not wish to continue after receiving a count; or 

•  The athlete’s Second surrenders on their behalf.  

WIN BY DISQUALIFICATION If an athlete is disqualified, the opponent shall be declared the winner.  

If both athletes are disqualified, the decision shall be announced accordingly. A disqualified athlete shall not be entitled to any prize, medal, trophy, honorable award, or grading, relating to any stage of the competition in which the athlete has been disqualified. 

WIN BY WALK-OVER Where an athlete presents them self in the ring fully attired for boxing and the opponent fails to appear after their name has been called out by the announcement system, the bell has sounded, and a maximum period of two minutes has elapsed, the Referee shall declare the first athlete to be the winner by a “Walkover”. Referee shall first inform the Jury accordingly and summon the athlete to the center of the ring for the presentation of the decision. 

NO CONTEST A contest may be terminated by the referee inside the scheduled duration owing to a material happening outside the responsibility of the athletes or the control of the referee such as the ring becoming damaged, the lighting has failed, exceptional weather conditions, etc. In such circumstances, the contest shall be declared “No Contest” after a maximum period of 10 minutes has elapsed.   

DRAW A draw may only occur in Exhibition Matches. A draw occurs when most of the Judges have scored the competition equally.

APPEALS An appeal must be lodged by the manager of a team within one hour after the decision has been announced, or within thirty (30) minutes if the contest is a gold medal match.   

After the decision is announced, the protest shall be made in writing and handed to the WBC MuayThai supervisor, with all appeal decisions taken by an appointed review committee. 

TREATMENT OF FOULS The athlete who commits fouls can, at the discretion of the referee, be cautioned, warned, or disqualified without a warning. 

Cautions A caution is an admonishment given by the referee to an athlete to check or prevent undesirable practices of the less serious infringements of the rules. To do so referee will not necessarily stop the contest but may find a suitable safe opportunity during a round to admonish an athlete for an infringement of the rules. A caution shall be accompanied by the appropriate physical signal for the offense committed. If an athlete is given three (3) of the same  

Caution in a contest, they shall receive a warning. Should an Athlete receive many cautions for different types of fouls the Referee may apply a warning for unsportsmanlike conduct.  

Warnings If an athlete commits repeated or serious infraction of the rules, the Referee shall stop the contest and clearly demonstrate the infringement. The referee will inform the Jury of the Warning, then point to the athlete and to each of the Judges to signal that a Warning has been given. After giving the Warning, the Referee shall order the Athletes to resume competition. 

Disqualifications For major/dangerous infractions of the rules the referee may opt to immediately disqualify an athlete.  

TYPES OF FOULS If the athlete intentionally commits the following fouls: 

•  Biting, head-butting, spitting at an opponent. 

•  Pressing on opponent’s eyes with the thumb. 

•  Intentionally smothering or suffocating an opponent by covering the mouth and nose.  

•  Intentionally removing, unfastening, or displacing equipment. 

•  Intentionally expelling or removing the gum shield. 

•  Intending to impact the opponent with the canvas using a non-MuayThai technique, such as but not limited to 

•  Tripping an opponent without using a MuayThai skill when making 3 points of contact with the body;  Throwing an opponent using the hip; or  Tackling the opponent’s body or legs.

•  Hooking or immobilizing the opponent’s legs using the calf, ankle, or heel of the foot 

•  Lifting an opponent by the body. 

•  Locking/hyperextending the opponent’s joints in the arms, legs, head/neck, or back.  

•  Striking while holding the ropes or making any unfair use of the ropes.

•  Falling on to an opponent who is lying on the floor.  

•  Striking an opponent who is down on the floor or who is in the act of rising.  

•  Striking while having any part of the body other than the feet touching the floor.  

•  Obstructing an opponent from rising or re-entering the ring.  

•  Completely passive defense by means of double cover or intentionally falling to avoid a hit.  

•  Striking the groin of the opponent; o If the Athlete is unintentionally struck by a MuayThai skill and unable to continue the contest, the Referee will pause the contest for up to 5 minutes to allow the hit Athlete to take a rest. If Athlete refuses to resume the contest after 5 minutes rest the opponent will be declared the “winner”.  

•  Holding the opponent’s leg and pushing forward more than two (2) steps in any direction without striking with any one of the MuayThai skills.  

•  Striking an opponent after the round has ended.  

•  Not following the referee’s command to “YUT” (“Stop”) or “YAK” (“Break”) and take a step back.  

•  Attempting to strike the opponent before the Referee has ordered “CHOK” following the command to “YUT” or “YAK”.  

Division   -    Restricted Muay Thai Skills

Senior     -    No Restrictions

U233       -    No Restrictions

•  Useless, aggressive, or offensive utterance during the contest.  

•  Assaulting or behaving in aggressive manner towards the Referee at any time.  

•  Applying water to an athlete by means other than a water bottle or spray bottle.  

•  Use of excessive water during the rest between rounds causing a delay starting the next round.  

•  Using any forbidden substance acknowledged by the WBC MuayThai Antidoping policies.  

REFEREE CONSULTS JUDGES If a referee has any reason to believe that a foul has been committed which Referee has not seen, they may consult the Judges or use instant replay with the assistance of the supervisor  

DEFINITION An Athlete is considered “Knocked Down” 

•  If an athlete touches the floor with any part of his body other than their feet as the result of a strike or series of strikes and shows difficulty rising.  

•  If an athlete hangs helplessly on the ropes as the result of a strike or series of strikes. 

•  If an athlete is outside or partly outside the ropes as the result of a strike or series of strikes; or 

•  Following a hard strike, the athlete has not fallen and is not lying on the ropes but is in a semi-conscious state and in the opinion of the referee cannot continue the round. 

THE COUNT In the case of a Knockdown the referee shall immediately command “YUT” and begin to count the seconds elapsing. The referee shall count aloud from one (1) to ten (10) in the Thai language:   

• 1 = NEUNG

• 2 = SONG

• 3 = SAM

• 4 = SII

• 5 = HA

• 6 = HOOK

• 7 = JET

• 8 = BAED

• 9 = GOUW

• 10 = SIP

Starting the Count Before the number “NUENG” (1) is counted, an interval of one second must have elapsed from the time when the athlete has been struck, and the time of announcing “NUENG” (1).  

Timing and signal the referee shall have intervals of one second between the numbers counted and, starting with the index finger, shall indicate each second with their hand in a manner that the athlete who has been Knocked Down may be aware of the count.  

Judge Treatment the Judge shall note a “KD” (Knockdown) on their scoring sheet when the referee had given a count to an athlete. When an athlete is considered Knocked Down due to a strike to the head, the Judge shall then enter “KD+H” (Knockdown to the head) on their scoring sheet.  

OPPONENT’S RESPONSIBILITIES If an athlete is knocked down the opponent must at once go to the neutral corner as designated by the referee, facing toward the center of the ring, and waiting with their arms at their side. If the opponent does not go to the neutral corner on the command of the referee, the referee shall stop counting until the opponent has done so. The counting shall be then continued where it has been interrupted.  

The opponent may only continue against the athlete who is Knocked Down after the latter has gotten up and the referee resumes the contest on the command “CHOK”.  

MANDATORY 8-COUNT When a referee administers a count to an athlete the contest shall not be continued until the referee has reached the count of “BAED” (8), even if the athlete is ready to continue before then. 

THE KNOCKOUT If the athlete is unable to continue by the count of “BAED” (8) the Referee shall 

continue to count to “SIB” (10). At “SIB” (10) the contest ends and shall be decided as a “Knockout”. 

COUNTING AT THE END OF A ROUND In the event of an athlete being Knocked Down at the end of a round, the referee shall continue to count. Should the referee count to “SIP” (10) the athlete shall be deemed to have lost the contest by Knockout (KO). Should the Athlete recover by the count of “BAED” (8) the referee shall immediately use the command “CHOK”.  

THE SECOND TIME AN ATHLETE GOES DOWN WITHOUT A FRESH STRIKE If an athlete is Knocked Down as the result of a strike and the contest is continued after the count of “BAED” (8) has been reached, but the Athlete falls again without having received a fresh strike, the referee shall continue the counting from “BAED” (8).  

BOTH ATHLETES KNOCKED DOWN If both athletes are Knocked Down at the same time, counting will be continued if one is still Knocked Down. If both athletes remain Knocked Down until “BAED” (8) the contest will be stopped, and the decision given in accordance with the points awarded up to the time of the Knockdown.  

ATHLETE FAILS TO RESUME An athlete who fails to resume competing immediately after the termination of the rest interval, or who when Knocked Down by a strike, fails to resume within 10 seconds, shall lose the contest.

ATHLETE OUTSIDE THE RING Should one or both athletes fall Outside the Ring the referee shall immediately command “YUT” and begin to count the seconds elapsing. The athlete(s) should make their way back into the ring unassisted and unhindered within a count of “Yee-Sip” (20).  

The referee should ensure that the athlete(s) are not assisted or hindered in any manner. Should this occur, the referee should stop the count immediately and the offending party should be warned, continuing the count after the necessary action has been taken.  

Should one athlete be unable to return into the ring before the count of “Yee-Sip” (20), the athlete within the ring will be declared the winner by “Referee Stops the Contest”.  

If both athletes remain outside the ring with a full count of “Yee-Sip” (20) the contest will be stopped, and the decision given in accordance with the points awarded up to the time of the occurrence.  

DUTIES OF THE DOCTOR A Doctor of Medicine for MuayThai should be a well-trained doctor in the sport.  

•  Physical Examination During the medical examination period the Doctor shall check the health of Athlete and certify that the athlete is fit to compete before the weigh-in. 

•  Competition Attendance the Doctor shall sit close to the ring with unimpeded access to the neutral corner steps nearest the Jury. The Doctor shall be in attendance throughout competition and should not leave this place until having examined the two (2) Athletes who participated in the last contest of the session. 

•  Advise the Referee The doctor shall give instruction to the Referee upon their request. The Doctor shall not examine an Athlete during the rest between rounds unless instructed to do so by the Referee. 

•  Attend an Unconscious Athlete If an athlete is rendered unconscious, only the Referee and the Doctor summoned should remain in the ring unless the doctor requires extra help.  

•  Provide Medical Attention an athlete who has been rendered unconscious because of a head hit in a contest or wherein the referee has stopped the contest due to the athlete having received hard hits to the head rendering the athlete defenseless or incapable of continuing, shall be examined by a Doctor immediately afterwards and recommend aftercare or follow up examinations to the athlete and their Seconds. The athlete will be accompanied to their accommodation by one of the officials on duty at the event.  

•  Post-Contest Examination the Doctor should examine each athlete following a contest if there are any concerns of injury.