RULES & REGULATIONS

Professional Fighters

Professional bouts consist of nine (9) X two (2) minute rounds.  Contestants must contractually agree to a specific ruleset; International Rules, Unified Rules, Modified Muay Thai rules or Full Rules Muay Thai

Professional fighters are allowed to have two (2) corner persons and one (1) cut person in their corner.  Failure to have appropriate assistance in a professional corner may disqualify the bout.

Amateur Fighters

Contestants may choose from International, Unified or Modified Muay Thai rules.

Amateur bouts consist of three (3) X two (2)-minute rounds for men and women.  Title fights consist of five (5) X two (2)-minute rounds.  

Amateur fighters are allowed a maximum of two (2) corner persons per fighter.  If your academy has two fighters on the card, you will be allowed a maximum of three (3) corners.  Academies with 3-4 fighters on a card may have a maximum of four (4) corners.  No exceptions!

Weigh-Ins

Professional fighters are weighed in the day before the fight.  Weigh-in time and location will be provided in the contract, and in the fight itinerary.  Weigh-ins will be conducted on a digital scale provided by the NCBCSC.

Amateur fighters shall be weighed in the day of the event, at the venue, on a digital scale provided by the NCBCSC.  An event Itinerary is provided to all coaches and fighters prior to the event which contains all details that you’ll need to know about the event.  Please do not contact the promoter with questions until you have thoroughly read the entire Itinerary.

Standing 8 Count

The standing eight (8) count rule is in effect for all bouts.  The three (3) knockdown rule is also in effect.  If a fighter is knocked down to the canvas three (3) times in one (1) round OR is given three (3) standing eight (8) counts in one (1) round, the bout is automatically over.  If a fighter is knocked down four times (cumulatively in a 3-round bout), the fight is over.

A fighter cannot be saved by the bell in any round including the final round.

Knockdowns

A fighter shall be declared knocked down if any portion of the fighter’s body other the feet touch the floor, or if the fighters hang helplessly over the ropes.  “Flash” knock downs will not be considered knock downs.

  • A boot-to-boot sweep in any division is not counted as a knockdown.
  • Slips will not count as a knockdown or a standing 8 count in any rule set.
  • If a fighter is knocked down, the other fighter must retreat to farthest neutral corner, or the corner instructed by the ring referee.

Counting

Any time a fighter is knocked down, the referee shall automatically begin a mandatory eight (8) count, and if the fighter appears OK to continue, will allow the bout to resume.

Should the fighter be knocked down three (3) times in one (1) round from blows to the head, the referee shall stop the contest and declare the opponent the winner.   

Whenever a fighter is knocked out, a referee shall declare the opponent to be the winner.  This information shall be entered into the fighter’s official record.

Should the fighter who is down rise before the count of ten (10) and then go down immediately without being struck, the referee shall resume the count where it was left off.

If the fighter taking the count is still down when the referee calls the count of ten (10), the referee shall waive both arms to indicate the fighter has been knocked out and will signal the opponent is the winner.

A round ending before the referee reached the count of ten (10) will have no bearing on the count. The fighter must still rise before the count of ten (10) to avert the knockout.

Shall both fighter’s go down at the same time; the referee shall continue to count as long as one of the fighters is down. If both fighters remain down until the count of ten (10), the bout will be stopped, and the referee will declare the bout a technical draw.  However, if one fighter rises before the count of ten (10) and the other fighter remains down, the first fighter shall be declared the winner by knockout.  Should both fighters rise before the count of ten, the round will continue.

Suspensions

  • If a fighter cancels his/her bout without ample notice provided to the promoter, the fighter will be indefinitely suspended from all IKF sanctioned events, unless proof of a medical emergency is presented to the promoter.
  • A fighter who intentionally refuses to engage an opponent for a prolonged period of time, or who deliberately clinches or holds onto an opponent, or repeatedly spits our his/her mouth guard shall receive an immediate warning from the referee.  If the fighter continues to utilize such passive tactics after receiving one warning during a round, a point shall be deducted from the fighters total score as determined by the referee.  If the fighter repeats the passive tactics, either in the same or following rounds, he/she may be considered guilty of a foul and penalized accordingly. 
  • If the bout is stopped because of an accidental foul, the referee shall determine whether the contestant who was fouled can continue.  The referee may consult with the attending physician.  If the fighters’ chances have not been seriously jeopardized as a result of the foul, the referee may order the bout to continue after a reasonable interval.  On the other hand, if by reason of accidental foul, a fighter shall be rendered unfit to continue with the bout, the bout shall be terminated.  If the injured fighter is behind on points in the majority of the opinion of the judges, the referee may declare the contest a technical draw.  But if the injured fighter has the lead on points, the referee shall declare him/her the be the winner by technical decision.  Further, should an accident or foul terminate a bout during the first (1) round, the referee may declare the content a technical draw.

Timidity

A fighter who intentionally refuses to engage an opponent for a prolonged period of time, or who deliberately clinches or holds onto an opponent, or repeatedly spits our his/her mouth guard shall receive an immediate warning from the referee.  If the fighter continues to utilize such passive tactics after receiving one warning during a round, a point shall be deducted from the fighters total score as determined by the referee. 
If the fighter repeats the passive tactics, either in the same or following rounds, he/she may be considered guilty of a foul and penalized accordingly. 

If the bout is stopped because of an accidental foul, the referee shall determine whether the contestant who was fouled can continue.  The referee may consult with the attending physician.  If the fighters’ chances have not been seriously jeopardized as a result of the foul, the referee may order the bout to continue after a reasonable interval.

If, by reason of accidental foul, a fighter shall be rendered unfit to continue with the bout, the bout shall be terminated.  If the injured fighter is behind on points in the majority of the opinion of the judges, the referee may declare the contest a technical draw.  But if the injured fighter has the lead on points, the referee shall declare him/her the be the winner by technical decision. 

Further, should an accident or foul terminate a bout during the first (1) round, the referee may declare the content a technical draw.

If a fighter drops his mouthpiece 3 times during the entire contest, he/she will be disqualified from the match and lose by a technical knockout.

Stopping the Contest

The referee or physician has the power to stop the contest.  The referee shall have the power to stop the contest at any stage if he/she considers the contest to be one-sided, or if either fighter is in such condition that to continue the bout might subject him/her to serious injury.  In either case, the referee shall declare the fit fighter the winner by technical knockout.

Should fighters be in such condition that to continue might subject them to serious injury, the referee may declare the contest a technical draw. 

In the cases where a fighter receives a cut eye from a fair blow, or accidental foul, or any other injury which the referee believes may incapacitate the fighter, the referee shall call the attending physician into the ring for examination of the fighter before the referee decides whether to stop the contest. Time will be called during the examination.

Rules Styles

Amateur fighters may choose from International Rules, Unified Rules or Modified Muay Thai Rules.  Professional fighters may choose Full Rules Muay Thai.  Select a rule set to learn more about it.