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2010 10 7 amended competition rules interpretation table october 7 2010 part that revised or added part that deleted before amended 1 article 1 purpose the purpose of the competition rules is to manage fairly and smoothly all matters pertaining to competitions of all levels to be promoted and or organized by the wtf regional unions and member national associations ensuring the application of standardized rules after amended 1 1 article 1 purpose 1 the purpose of the competition rules is to manage fairly and smoothly all matters pertaining to competitions of all levels to be promoted and/or organized by the wtf continental unions and member national associations ensuring the application of standardized rules before amended 2 after amended 2 1 article 2 application 1 the competition rules shall apply to all the competitions to be promoted and/or organized by the wtf each continental union and member national association however any member national association wishing to modify some or any part of the competition rules must first gain the prior approval of the wtf in the case that a continental union and/or a member national association violates wtf competition rules without prior approval of the wtf the wtf may exercise its discretion to disapprove or revoke the concerned international tournament in addition the wtf may take further disciplinary actions to the pertinent continental union or member national association article 2 application the competition rules shall apply to all the competitions to be promoted and or organized by the wtf each regional union and member national association however any member national association wishing to modify some or any part of the competition rules must first gain the approval of the wtf 1

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1 1 1 1 explanation #1 first gain the approval any organization desiring to make a change in any portion of the existing rules must submit to the wtf the contents of the desired amendment along with the reasons for the desired changed approval for any changes in these rules must be received from the wtf one month prior to the scheduled competition wtf can apply competition rules with modifications in its promoted championships with the decision of the technical delegate after approval of the president explanation #1 first gain the approval any organization desiring to make a change in any portion of the existing rules must submit to the wtf the contents of the desired amendment along with the reasons for the desired changed approval for any changes in these rules must be received from the wtf one month prior to the scheduled competition before amended 3 8m x 8m 1 30 article 3 competition area the competition area shall measure 8m x 8m using the metric system the competition area shall have a flat surface without any obstructing projections and be covered with an elastic mat the competition area may also be installed on a platform 1m high from the base if necessary the outer part of the boundary line shall be inclined at a gradient of less than 30 degrees for the safety of the contestants 1 1 8m x 8m 1 2 3 4 after amended 3 2 8m x 8m 1 30 article 3 competition area 2 the competition area shall measure 8m x 8m using the metric system the competition area shall have a flat surface without any obstructing projections and be covered with an elastic and not slippery mat the competition area may also be installed on a platform 1m high from the base if necessary the outer part of the boundary line shall be inclined at a gradient of less than 30 degrees for the safety of the contestants 3 3.1 8m x 8m 1 2 3 4 3 demarcation of the competition area 3.1 the 8m x 8m area shall be called the competition area and shall be marked in blue color and the marginal line of the competition area shall be called the boundary line the outer part of boundary line shall be marked in red or yellow color the front boundary line adjacent to the recorder s desk and the commission doctor s desk shall be deemed boundary line #1 clockwise from boundary line #1 the other lines shall be called boundary lines #2 #3 and #4 1 demarcation of the competition area 1 the 8m x 8m area shall be called the competition area and the marginal line of the competition area shall be called the boundary line the front boundary line adjacent to the recorder s desk and the commission doctor s desk shall be deemed boundary line #1 clockwise from boundary line #1 the other lines shall be called boundary lines #2 #3 and #4 2

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2 6 1m 1 2 indication of positions 6 the position of the coaches shall be marked at a point 1m back from the center point of the safety boundary line of each contestant s side coaches shall not leave the 1m x 1m marked coach s zone that indicates the position of the coach 4 4.6 1m 1 4 indication of positions 4.6 position of the coaches the position of the coaches shall be marked at a point 1m back from the center point of the safety boundary line of each contestant s side coaches shall not stand up while coaching except the case when requesting for video replay and shall not leave the 1m x 1m marked coach s zone that indicates the position of the coach in case of violation of this rule the referee shall give kyong-go to the pertinent coach 1 explanation #1 elastic mat the degree of elasticity and slipperiness of the mat must be approved by the wtf before the competition added 4 explanation #4 the positions of referee and contestants shall be indicated on the mat with different color from the color of the mat 1 explanation #1 elastic mat the degree of elasticity of the mat must be approved by the wtf before the competition before amended 4 1 4 1 after amended 1.4 15 14-17 article 4 contestant 1 qualification of contestant added 1.4 contestants at the age of at least 15 years old in the year the pertinent tournament is held 14-17 years old for junior taekwondo championships 2 1 2 2.1 3

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2 contestant uniform and protective equipment 1 a contestant shall wear a wtf-approved trunk protector head protector groin guard forearm guards shin guards hand protector sensing socks in the case of using ebp and be equipped with a mouth piece before entering the contest area 2 contestant uniform and protective equipment 2.1 a contestant shall wear a wtf-approved trunk protector groin guard forearm guards shin guards hand protector sensing socks in the case of using pss and be equipped with a mouth piece before entering the contest area head protector must be firmly tucked under left arms when entering into competition area head protector shall be put on the head following instructions of the referee before the start of the contest 4 2.4 2.4 the organizing committee of wtf-promoted championships shall be responsible for preparing all equipment required for the championships prior approval of the wtf shall be required for the number of pieces of equipment as mandated in the technical manual the organizing committee shall provide equipment for free to the athletes at the training venue before and during the competitions upon request of the wtf 4 organizing committee of wtf-promoted championships shall be responsible for preparing all equipment required for the championships prior approval of the wtf shall be required for the number of pieces of equipment as mandated in the technical manual before amended 6 3 article 6 classification and methods of competition 3 taekwondo competition of the olympic games shall use an individual competition system between contestants after amended 6 3 article 6 classification and methods of competition 3 taekwondo competition of the olympic games shall use an individual competition system between contestants with the combination of single elimination tournament and repechage after amended 7 1 2 x 3 1 3 1 2 1 4 before amended 7 2 x 3 1 3 1 2 1 4 1 4

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x 3 1 30 x 3 2 1 x 3 1 30 x 3 2 x 2 article 7 duration of contest 1 the duration of the contest shall be three rounds of two minutes each with a one-minute rest period between rounds in case of a tie score after the completion of the 3rd round a 4th round of two minutes will be conducted as the sudden death overtime round after a one-minute rest period following the 3rd round 2 the duration of each round may be adjusted to 1 minute x 3 rounds 1 minute 30 seconds x 3 rounds or 2 minutes x 2 rounds upon the decision of the technical delegate for the pertinent championships article 7 duration of contest the duration of the contest shall be three rounds of two minutes each with a one-minute rest period between rounds in case of a tie score after the completion of the 3rd round a 4th round of two minutes will be conducted as the sudden death overtime round after a one-minute rest period following the 3rd round the duration of each round may be adjusted to 1 minute or 1 minute 30 seconds upon the decision of the technical delegate for the pertinent championships before amended 8 after amended 8 3 article 8 drawing of lots added 3 certain number of the athletes may be seeded based on their ranks in the wtf world ranking detailed guidelines shall be stipulated in bylaw of world ranking before amended 10 3 article 10 procedure of the contest 3 entering the competition area after inspection the contestant shall proceed to the coach s area with one coach and one team doctor if any after amended 10 3 article 10 procedure of the contest 3 entering the competition area after inspection the contestant shall proceed to the coach s area with one coach and one team doctor or a physiotherapist if any 1 5

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added explanation#1 team doctor or a physiotherapist at the time of submission of entry for team officials copies of relevant and appropriate licenses of team doctor or physiotherapist written in english shall be attached after verification special accreditation cards shall be issued to those team doctors or physiotherapists only those who have obtained proper accreditation shall be allowed to proceed to competition area with coach before amended 12 3 1 1 3 3 12 after amended 3.1 1 3.3 3 3.4 4 article 12 valid points 3.1 one 1 point for a valid attack on trunk protector 3.3 three 3 points for a valid attack to the head added 3.4 four 4 points for a valid turning kick to the head article 12 valid points 3 the valid points are divided as follows 1 one 1 point for attack on trunk protector 3 three 3 points for a successful attack to the face deleted guideline for officiating when any part of the foot touches the opponent s head it will be regarded as a valid point 2 ­ explanation #2 powerfully b in the use of electronic scoring trunk protector force of impact is measured by the electronic sensor of the protector with the level of force by which points are scored varying by weight division and sex 2 b explanation #2 powerfully b in the use of pss force of impact is measured by the pss with the level of force by which points are scored varying by weight division and sex 6

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17 k.o 18 17 guideline for officiating when a contestant is knocked down due to opponent s legitimate attack with valid point the referee shall first check the status of the contestant and decide whether to count or not if the referee determines that the contestant cannot continue the match the referee may stop the match and declare the winner by k.o when a contestant is knocked down by the opponent s legitimate attack without registration of valid points the referee shall either resume the match after checking the status of the athlete or take action in accordance with the article 18 `procedure in the event of a knock down the criteria of knock-down shall be in accordance with the article 17 after amended 13 3 3.2 3 in the use of pss 3.2 valid points scored to the head or attack by fist shall be recorded by each judge using the electronic scoring instrument or by the judges scoring sheet as per valid turning kick on the head the judges shall score valid points and `valid turn 4 3 4 2 guideline for officiating -the criterion of kye-soo when a contestant is knocked down the referee should first check over the condition of the contestant and then count -the criteria of knock-down shall be in accordance with the article 17 before amended 13 3 2 3 in the use of electronic trunk protector 3.2 valid points scored to the head or attack by fist shall be recorded by each judge using the electronic scoring instrument or by the judges scoring sheet 4 3 3 2 4 in the case of scoring with an electronic scoring instrument or on a judge s scoring sheet valid points shall be those recognized by at least three or more judges in case of three 3 judges valid points shall be those recognized by at least two or more judges 4 in case of using 4 judges or 3 judges valid points shall be those scored by at least two or more judges 7

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before amended 14 5 1 1 b 1 d 1 g 2 2 b 2 g 2 d 5 fight i 10 ii 10 after amended 14 5 5.1 5.1.2 2 ii 5 fight 10 5 article 14 prohibited acts and penalties 5 the following acts shall be classified as prohibited acts and kyong-go shall be declared article 14 prohibited acts and penalties 5 the following acts shall be classified as prohibited acts and kyong-go shall be declared deleted 1 b evading by turning back to the opponent 1 d avoiding the match deleted 5.1.2 avoiding or delaying the match 8

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1 g pretending injury explanation #2 prohibited acts resulting in a kyong-go penalty d this act involves stalling with no intention of attacking a contestant who continuously displays a non-engaging style shall be given a penalty however the referee shall distinguish intentional avoidance from tactical defense and the penalty shall not be given for tactical defense if both contestants remain inactive after five 5 seconds the center referee will signal the fight command a kyong-go will be declared on both contestants if there is no activity from them 10 seconds after the command was given or on the contestant who moved backwards from the original position 10 seconds after the command was given explanation #2 prohibited acts resulting in a kyong-go penalty ii this act involves stalling with no intention of attacking a contestant who continuously displays a non-engaging style shall be given a penalty however the referee shall distinguish intentional avoidance from tactical defense and the penalty shall not be given for tactical defense if both contestants remain inactive after five 5 seconds the center referee will signal the fight command a kyong-go will be declared on both contestants if there is no activity from them 10 seconds after the command was given or on the contestant who moved backwards from the original position 10 seconds after the command was given turning the back to avoid the opponent s attack and should be punished as it expresses the lack of a spirit of fair play and may cause serious injury the same penalty should also be given for evading the opponent s attack by bending below waist level or crouching `pretending injury means exaggerating injury or indicating pain in a body part not subjected to a blow for the purpose of demonstrating the opponent s actions as a violation and also exaggerating pain for the purpose of elapsing the match time in this case the referee shall give the indication to continue the match to the contestant two times in five 5 seconds intervals and then shall give a kyong-go penalty unless the contestant follows his/her instructions kyong-go shall also be given to the athlete who asks the referee to stop the contest for any reason for instance in order to adjust position of protective equipment or ask his/her coach to request for video replay before amended 15 after amended 15 5 4 2:2 article 15 sudden death and decision of superiority added 5 in case of using 4 refereeing officials 1 referee and 3 corner judges the referee can break the tie when the decision is tied with 2:2 among all refereeing officials before amended 16 1 2 after amended 16 1 2 9

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3 4 5 6 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 article 16 decisions 1 win by k.o 2 win by referee stops contest rsc 3 win by final score or superiority 4 win by withdrawal 5 win by disqualification 6 win by referee s punitive declaration article 16 decisions 1 win by knock-out ko 2 win by referee stops contest rsc 3 win by final score ptf 4 win by point gap ptg 5 win by sudden death sdp 6 win by superiority sup 7 win by withdrawal wdr 8 win by disqualification dsq 9 win by referee s punitive declaration pun 1 1 3 2 3 12 explanation #1 win by k.o the referee shall declare this result when a contestant who has been knocked down by a legitimate technique cannot demonstrate the will to resume the contest by the count of yeo-dul and when the referee determines the contestant is not able to resume the competition this result may be declared before 10 seconds have elapsed explanation #1 win by knock-out the referee shall declare this result when a contestant who has been knocked down by the opponent s legitimate technique with valid points cannot demonstrate the will to resume the contest by the count of yeo-dul and when the referee determines the contestant is not able to resume the competition this result may be declared before 10 seconds have elapsed added explanation #3 win by point gap in case of 12 points difference between two athletes at the time of the completion of 2nd round and/or at any time during the 3rd round the referee shall stop the contest and shall declare the winner by point gap 10

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before amended 18 2 k.o 30 article 18 procedure in the event of knock down 2 procedures to be followed after the contest any contestant suffering a knockout as the result of a blow to the head may enter competition within thirty 30 days of the knockout with the written approval of a physician designated by the pertinent national federation after amended 18 2 30 article 18 procedure in the event of knock down 2 procedures to be followed after the contest any contestant who could not continue the match as a result of a serious injury regardless of any parts of the body cannot enter competition within thirty 30 days without approval of the wtf medical chairman after submission of a statement from the physician designated by the pertinent national federation before amended 20 21 22 23 24 article 20 refereeing officials article 21 recorders article 22 assignment of refereeing officials article 23 other matters not specified in the rules article 24 arbitration and sanction above articles have been combined and changed as the right column after amended 20 1 1.1 wtf wtf 1.2 wtf 2 2.1 wtf 2.2 7 wtf 2.3 11

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3 3.1 s 1 3.2 1 1 3.3 1 4 4.1 4.2 4.2.1 4.2.1.1 4.2.1.2 4.2.1.3 4.2.1.4 2 4 5 2:2 4.2.1.5 15 4.2.2 4.2.2.1 4.2.2.2 4.3 4.3.1 4 1 3 4.3.2 5 1 4 4.4 4.4.1 4.4.2 4.5 4.6 12

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4.6.1 4.6.2 5 article 20 technical officials 1 technical delegate td 1.1 qualification chairman of wtf technical committee shall serve as the td at the wtf-promoted championships except wtf world taekwondo poomsae championships and wtf world para-taekwondo championships in case of absence of chairman of wtf technical committee wtf president can appoint td upon recommendation of wtf secretary general 1.2 roles td is responsible to ensure that wtf competition rules are properly applied and preside over the head of team meeting and drawing of lots session td approves the result of draw weigh-in and competitions before it being officialized td has the right to make final decisions on competitions and overall technical matters in consultation with competition supervisory board td shall make final decisions on any matters pertaining to competitions not prescribed in competition rules td serves as the chairman of competition supervisory board 13

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2 competition supervisory board csb member 2.1 qualification csb members shall be appointed by the wtf president upon recommendation of secretary general from those who have sufficient experience and knowledge of taekwondo competitions composition csb shall consist of one chairman and no more than 6 members at wtf-promoted championships chairman of wtf games committee shall be included in csb as ex-officio 2.2 roles csb shall assist td in the matters of competition and techniques and ensure the competitions are held in accordance with the schedule csb shall evaluate the performances of review jury and refereeing officials csb shall also concurrently act as the extraordinary sanctions committee during competition with regard to competition management matters 3 review jury rj 3.1 qualification rj shall be appointed by wtf president upon recommendation of wtf referee chairman from those who are s or 1st class international referees composition one 1 rj and one 1 assistant to rj shall be allocated per court 3.2 roles rj shall review an instant replay and inform the referee of the decision within one 1 minute 4 refereeing officials 4.1 qualification holders of international referee certificate registered by the wtf 4.2 duties 4.2.1 referee 4.2.1.1 the referee shall have control over the match 4.2.1.1 the referee shall declare shi-jak keu-man kalyeo kye-sok kye-shi shi-gan winner and loser deduction of points warnings and retiring all the referees declarations shall be made after the results are confirmed 4.2.1.3 the referee shall have the right to make decisions independently in accordance with the prescribed rules 4.2.1.4 in principle the center referee shall not award points however if one of the corner judges raises his/her hand because a point was not scored then the center referee will convene a meeting with the judges if it was found that two corner judges request for change of the judgment the referee must accept and correct the judgment in case of 1 referee 3 judges the referee has right to break tie when the opinions of judges are tied with 2:2 in case of 1 referee 4 judges pressed for a point but two did not then the center referee has the authority to break the tie by deciding if it was a point 4.2.1.5 in case of a tie or scoreless match the decision of superiority shall be made by all refereeing officials after the end of four 4 rounds in accordance with article 15 4.2.2 judges 4.2.2.1 the judges shall mark the valid points immediately 4.2.2.2 the judges shall state their opinions forthrightly when requested to do so by the referee 4.3 composition of refereeing officials per court 14

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4.3.1 with the use of a protector and scoring system the officials squad is composed of one 1 referee and three 3 judges 4.3.2 with non-use of protector and scoring system the officials squad is composed of one 1 referee and four 4 judges 4.4 assignment of refereeing officials 4.4.1 the assignment of the referees and judges shall be made after the contest schedule is fixed 4.4.2 referees and judges with the same nationality as that of either contestant shall not be assigned to such a contest however an exception can be made for the judges when the number of refereeing officials is insufficient 4.5 responsibilities for decisions decisions made by the referees and judges shall be conclusive and they shall be responsible to the competition supervisory board for the content of those decisions 4.6 uniforms 4.6.1 the referees and judges shall wear the uniform designated by the wtf 4.6.2 the refereeing officials shall not carry or take any materials to the arena which might interfere with the contest 5 recorders the recorder shall time the contest periods of time-out and suspensions and also shall record and publicize the awarded points and/or penalties interpretation the details of the official s qualifications duties organization etc shall follow the wtf regulations on the administration of international referees interpretation td may replace or penalize the refereeing officials in consultation with csb in the event that refereeing officials have been wrongly assigned or when it is judged that any of the assigned refereeing officials have unfairly conducted the contest or made unjustifiable mistakes guideline for officiating in case that each judge awards different score respectively to the legal attack on the face for instance one judge gives one point another gives two and the other gives no point and that no point is recognized as a valid one any of refereeing officials may indicate the mistake and ask for confirmation among the refereeing officials then the referee may declare shi-gan time to stop the contest and gather the judges to ask for a statements after discussion the referee must publicize the resolution in the case that a coach requests for video review for the same case that one of the judges 15

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