Taekwondo Rules

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Taekwondo is a Korean martial art and Olympic sport that was developed in post World War 2 Korea by
various martial artists but is usually attributed to military general and martial artist Choi Hong Hi.
Taekwondo is based on the native Korean martial arts of Taekkyeon, Subak and Gwonbeop but also has
significant elements of other martial arts such as Japanese Karate and to a lesser extent Chinese Kung
Fu.

As a martial art, it is known as a style that focuses particularly on kicking, and experienced practitioners
can be seen performing various spectacular head height and jumping kicks. There are various
Taekwondo administration bodies but the main two are the ITF (International Taekwondo Federation) and
the WTF (World Taekwondo Federation) but it is the latter that is the best known as it the WTF form of
Taekwondo that has been a major part of the Olympic Games since 1988.

Object of Taekwondo

In Taekwondo competition, the object is to land kicks and punches upon the scoring zones of your
opponent. These are the the torso and the head and both kicks and punches must be accurate and
powerful, as light tapping kicks are not counted by scorers (or electronic scoring systems in major
competitions). At the end of the three rounds of the match, the player with the most points is declared the
winner, but the match can end early by one player knocking the other player out.
All Taekwondo practitioners, whether competitors or not are at all times expected to uphold the five tenets
of Taekwondo. These are courtesy, integrity, perseverance, self-control and indomitable spirit.

Players & Equipment

In Taekwondo competition, fighters compete against other fighters of the same sex. They are also placed
into weight categories to ensure that fights are as evenly matched as possible. In junior competitions,
there may also be age categories too.

The white taekwondo uniform that competitors wear is often called a gi, but technically that is the
Japanese name for a martial arts uniform and the proper Korean term is a dobok. A coloured belt is tied
round the middle of the dobok and the colour signifies the grade of the practitioner. The belt system goes
from white for beginners through to yellow, green, blue, red and then black for more experienced
practitioners. Black belts then receive their ‘dan’ grades as they progress further in their experience and
expertise. In a Taekwondo match, each competitor wears several pieces of protective equipment and
these are:

 Head guard
 Chest (trunk) protector
 Groin guard
 Forearm guards
 Hand protectors
 Shin guards
 Mouth guard

Scoring

Scoring in a Taekwondo match is simple. A player gets:

 One point for a basic attack to the opponent’s torso

 Two points for a spinning kick to the opponent’s torso
 Three points for a kick to the head
In major competitions, electronic scoring systems are used that are placed within each player’s chest
protector and are adjusted to take into account of the weight category of the fight. For head kicks (and
fights where electronic scoring is not used), a panel of 4 judges push a button when they see a scoring
point. When at least 3 judges agree, then a point is awarded.

Winning the Match

Once a Taekwondo match is over (at the end of the 3 x 2 minute rounds), the winner is the fighter that
has the most points. If both fighters have the same amount of points, then an extra round is fought called
the golden point round. In this round, the first fighter to score a point is declared the winner. Taekwondo
matches can be won earlier if one fighter knocks the other out or if one fighter is disqualified for a rule
breach.

Rules of Taekwondo

 Taekwondo matches should be contested by competitors of the same sex and in the same
classified weight category.
 The competition area is a mat that measures 8 metres squared.
 Taekwondo matches are contested over 3 x 2 minute rounds with a rest of 1 minute between
rounds.
 Each fighter attempts to knockout their opponent or score points by landing blows on their
opponent’s torso or head. Kicks are allowed to both to the torso and head, whilst punches are
only allowed to the body. Below the waist is not a permitted target.
 If a fighter and their coach think that a point has been missed or that a mistake has been made,
they can make a protest. A video replay is then looked at by judges and a decision is made.
 Fighters can lose points by the way of penalties. These can be incurred by actions such as:
o Punching to the face
o Attacking with the knee
o Attacking below the waist
o Stepping out of the ring with both feet
o Turning your back on your opponent
o Pushing, holding or grabbing your opponent
o Feigning injury
 The match is won by the fighter who knocks their opponent out or who has the greater number of
points at the end of the three rounds.
 If the match is a draw, a golden point round is fought, with the fighter landing the first scoring
point being declared the winner.