IFMA RULES AND REGULATIONS FOR AMATEUR MUAYTHAI 1.THE RING

1)The ring must be of international standard either 20 x 20 feet / 6.10 m x 6. 10 or 24 feet x 24 / 7.30 x 7.30
2)The ring should be surrounded tightly with 4 ropes of at least 1.5 inches in diameter attached to the corner posts at 18, 30, 42 and 54 inches off the floor.
3)The ring floor must be safely constructed with at least 20 inches outside the ropes. The floor should be constructed of a soft material of at least 1.5inches with a top cover of canvas.
4)The four corners must be in good condition and the posts rise 58 inches off the floor.
5)Two ladders must be provided in opposite corners with another for the referee and doctors at a neutral corner.
6)Two plastic boxes are to be provided for the referee to dispose of used tissues etc.
7)It is possible to set up a second ring for the later rounds a major tournament.

 

2.THE GLOVES

1)The boxers must wear gloves of a minimum of 10 ounces
2)For divisions from Light Welterweight ( 63.5 kgs ) upwards, they must wear 12 ounce gloves.
3)It is not permitted to change the glove shape or the inside padding
4)The boxers must use the provided gloves.
5)The laces must be tied on the back of the wrist with a piece of tape covering the knot.
6)Both gloves and wraps must be inspected before entering the ring.
7)Approved gloves are: Windy, Multi, White Snake, Las Dos MM, Jefferson, Cleto Reyes, Taurus, F.B.T., Malpaso and T.B.T. Due to insurance reasons it`s not allowed to wear other gloves during official contests.

 

3.HAND WRAPS.

1)For international competition, the promoters must provide wraps.
2)It is allowed to use standard surgeons bandages of 2 inches wide and not longer than 2 meters
3)It is not permitted to use any other kind or an form of rubber based glue or any kind if plaster tape.

 

4.THE UNIFORM

1)The boxer must wear a traditional pair of Thai shorts - in red or blue according to his corner, a sleeveless shirt of the same colour,
2)He/ she must wear a Monkhon during the Wai Khru ritual before the fight.
3)An armband – Kwrang Wrang may be worn on the upper arm, biceps or waist but must be neatly covered.
4)Approved ankle supports on both legs - no supports are permitted on the knees or lower legs
5)The boxer must wear the standard Head guard and body guard
6)The boxer must wear the standard groin guard and a mouth guard. The boxer who intentionally loses his/her mouth guard will be cautioned initially and docked of a point for the second offence. While the referee replaces the guard, the seconds should not talk to the boxer.
7)No chain , necklace etc should be worn.
8)Penalty for non-compliance is to leave the ring until properly attired.

 

5.THE RING EQUIPMENT

1)The ring must be equipped as follows : 3 chairs for the boxer and seconds, 2 bottles/jugs of water, 2 plastic cups and water buckets. Two round stools with large trays for the boxer between the rounds A table and chairs for the officials A gong/bell with hammer, one or 2 stop watches, a boxing time marker or clock score sheets, a box to keep the score sheets in, a set of marker pens, A First Aid kit, a stretcher. A score board, two sets of gloves, 4 groin protectors. A good MC set of equipment.

 

6.MEDICAL EXAMINATION AND WEIGH-IN FOR INTERNATIONAL FIGHTS.

UAE-MTA Medical Examination:

In the scheduled weigh-in time, the contestants must have their physical examination by the appointed doctor before the weigh-in.
1)All contestants must be ready to weigh-in not less than 3 hours before the bouts. If the bout has to begin within this time, permission must be sought from the Medical Committee.
2)The boxers weight decides the division he/she will compete in. The weight-in must take place on official scales.

 

7.GROUP DRAWING AND BYES.

1)Group drawing must be done after the medical and weigh-in. It shall be done in the presence of the team representatives.
2)The Bye system : those who have a bye in the first round must fight in the second round, no contestant can have two consecutive walk-overs. If the matter occurs, there must be a new draw among the rest of the boxers in that group who do not have a bye in the previous round.
3)A new draw : for the match number in the programme, it will proceed from the lower weight divisions to the higher. In the next round, the procedure will follow from the first round etc.

 

8.THE ROUNDS

1)Normally, this shall be 3 rounds of 3 minutes each - 1 minute resting. This may be changed to 4 rounds of 3 minutes or 5 rounds of 2 minutes with 1-minute rest.
2)Any official stop for caution, point deduction, dress or equipment is not counted in the 3 minutes.
3)Before the bout, each boxer must perform the traditional Thai ritual of Wai Khru , this will be accompanied by the traditional Thai music of Java Pipes, small cymbals and 2 drums. It is not permitted to perform any other martial arts ritual at this time.

 

9.SECONDS

1)Only the seconds (2 ) can be on the ring floor and they must wear suitable dress.
2)During the bout, neither can be near the ring and they must clear the ring of stool etc etc after the rest period.
3)The second may act to protect the boxer when he/she is outclassed by throwing the towel or sponge into the ring but not during the referee’ counting.
4)The seconds shall not give advice to the boxer during the bout. If they break this rule, they may be given a caution or the boxer disqualified for persistently breaking this rule.
5)If the second is discharged from duty twice, he is then barred from officiating at the rest of the tournament.

 

10.REFEREES AND JUDGES

International competitions : There must be one referee approved by IFMA to control the ring. There must be 5 qualified judges, 3 juries and 1 Chairman. There may be 3 judges if 5 are not possible. The referee and juries must not undertake other duties. The Executive members of IFMA are entitled to discharge the jury for ineffective work.

Qualifications:

a)Completion of clinics and tests for Referee status.
b)Medical approval – e.g. the referee cannot wear glasses
c)Submission of evidence for amateur status, fitness etc
d)Fluency in one official IFMA language

 

11.REFEREES

1)Their main duty is to safeguard the boxers.
2)The official uniform is dark blue trousers, a navy-blue polo shirt, black shoes without heels and a pair of surgeon gloves.
3)They should make decisions with the following commands : Yoot – to stop the fight Chok – to start the fight Yak – to separate the boxers after grappling, the boxers must then step back and wait for Chok.
4)They should inspect the boxers’ gloves etc
5)Safeguard the weaker boxer from undue injuries.
6)Make the appropriate signals to the boxers.
7)After the final round, the referee shall collect the score sheets and hand them to the Chairman.
8)The referee shall only raise the hand of the winner or otherwise indicate it after the announcement.
9)When the referee disqualifies a boxer, he must notify the Chairman.
10)The referee should give the boxer clear warning when they make a mistake.
11)If a boxer breaks the rules but not seriously enough for disqualification, then the referee must deduct a point with a clear cautioning. After 3 points being deducted, the boxer is disqualified.

Referees’ powers:

a)Stop the bout if one boxer is outclassed or the bout is one-sided.
b)Stop the bout when the boxer is too injured to continue.
c)Stop the bout if the boxer is not fighting.
d)Warn or caution the boxer ( see above 10-11 )
e)Discharge the seconds for breaking the rules
f)Disqualify a boxer who commits a foul – with or without a caution.
g)Stop the count for a fall if the other boxer doesn’t go to their corner.
h)Interpret the rules as provided.

 

12.JUDGES

1)Each judge shall make decisions independently but according to the rules.
2)During the bout, the judge should discuss only with the referee or advise him of misconduct that the referee may have overlooked.
3)After each round, the judge shall score each boxer on the score sheet.
4)After the bout, the judge shall compile the score the identify the winner and sign the score sheet. Uniform : The judge shall be in dark blue trousers , grey shirt with proper jacket if approved.

 

13.THE JURY

Appointment: They may be at least 3 jury members but not over 5, including the Chairman. The Jury will be appointed for each bout by the Chairman. For International tournaments, the jury shall comprise members from different countries.

Duties :

1)Each jury member must score the fight for comparison to the judges.
2)The jury must check the score-cards for correct scoring, boxer’s name, winner’s name, judge’s signature and decision.
3)The jury shall meet daily to discuss the referee and judges’ performances. If there are cases which are questionable, these shall be discussed – the referees and judges should be included in this discussion. A written report should be made in this case.
4)Any boxer who severely breaks the rules should be reported to the EMTU Technical Committee.
5)A jury member shall not act as a referee or judge during the tournament.

Over-ruling of Referee and/or Judges :

1)When it is found that a decision was made clearly against the Rules and Regulations. A video may be used.
2)If it is clearly found that at least 2 judges have made an error in scoring.
3)A protest can be made to the jury only by the Team Manager.

 

14.TIME-KEEPER.

1)The time-keepers main duty is to keep time for the rounds, the rest period and the number of rounds.
2)He shall signal the beginning/end of the round with a clear sound.
3)He shall announce the round before the beginning of that round.
4)Five seconds before the end of the rest period, he must announce this.
5)When the boxer is in a “fall “ the time-keeper shall signal to the referee for every second of the count.
6)For international tournaments, he shall ring the bell when the 3-minute round is over even if the referee is counting a fallen boxer.

 

15.DECISIONS.

Types :

1)If the boxer is knocked down for the full 10-second count then his opponent is the winner by Knock-Out.
2)After a full bout, the boxer with the majority decision from the judges is the winner. If both are seriously injured or counted out, the judges shall examine the scores and the higher is the winner.
3)Referee stopping the bout :
a)When one boxer is outclassing the other by a large margin
b)When one boxer is injured or having other physical problems, the fight may be stopped by the referee or the ring doctor. The doctor should first signal the Chairman.
c)In the final match of the tournament a boxer is injured then the judges shall examine all compiled scores and the higher scorer is the winner. For Championships, the boxer without injury is the winner.

4)Counts : When a boxer has been given 3 standing 8-counts in one round, or 4 times in the span of a bout. For Juniors – when the boxer has been counted 2 times in one round or 3 times in the span of the bout.
5)When a boxer withdraws from a fight because of injury or after the rest-period, his/her opponent is declared the winner.
6)When a boxer is disqualified, his/her opponent is the winner. A disqualified boxer will not be awarded any trophy etc.
7)No decision :
a)The ring is damaged, bad weather, a riot from the spectators, or any other reason to suspend the competition.
b)Either boxer or both do not fight to their capacity or intentionally commits a foul.
8)Walk-over : when one boxer is ready in the ring but his opponent is absent after being called for, the bell is rung with a 3-minute warning and the referee shall then declare the boxer present as the winner.
9)A Draw – this may only be declared for a single elimination match or a friendly tournament.

 

16.SCORING SYSTEMS.

Here the phrase “punch “ refers to punches, kick, knees and elbows.
1)Boxing actions must consist of the following : punching, kicking, kneeing and elbowing in accordance with the MuayThai system.
2)Actions which do not score are as follows : An unorthodox action No force applied from the body.
3)Fouls :
a)The judges may deduct a point for fouls even if the referee doesn’t see it. The judges shall indicate this action, having considered the seriousness of the foul, by (D ) in the space next to the boxer’s name.
b)When the referee cautions one boxer, the judges may mark a point for the other boxer. When doing so the judge shall mark (/) in the space to indicate their actions. If they do not approve of the caution, they shall mark (x) in the space.
4)Scoring procedure :
a)3 good punches will equal 1 point. In the case of a round ending with 1 or 2 scoring punches, this will get 1 point.
b)The points are scored without fractions, and the better boxer will score higher.
c)At the end of the bout, if the points are equal then the winner will be decided on : Aggressiveness, style or form Better defensive skills
5)A fall will not get any extra points.
6)There must be a winner announced.

 

17.FOULS

Warning, Point Deduction and Disqualification If the contestants disobey the referee, break the rules, behave in an unsportsmanlike manner or commit a foul, the referee can warn or caution or disqualify the boxer depending on the offence. Only 2 cautions or point deductions are allowed for each offender. A 3rd caution will result in an automatic disqualification. Types of Fouls :
1)A bite, eye gouge, press or scratch, spitting or head-butting.
2)Throwing the opponent, a back-breaking manoeuvre, an intentional fall-over, a judo or wrestling throw, illegal holds
3)A neck or arm lock.
4)Unfair usage of the ropes while striking.
5)Going after a fallen opponent
6)Not fighting to his/her ability.
7)Abusive language while boxing
8)Intentionally striking the opponent on the groin guard.
9)Not obeying the referee’s instructions
10)Aggressive actions to the referees
11)Intentionally losing the mouth-guard
12)The seconds will not be seated. If the referees believes a foul has occurred out of his vision, he may consult with the judges on this.

 

18.FALLS

1)A boxer who touches the ring floor with his body – other than the feet, or collapses on the ropes or is hit outside the ropes: this is a fall
2)When the referee starts a count, the opponent must go to the neutral corner – otherwise the referee will stop the count
3)After a fall, the referee shall count from 1-10, with a finger signal for every count.
4)If the boxer is ready to fight again before 10, the referee shall continue to 8. However, if he/she is not ready by 10, the opponent is the winner.
5)If both boxers fall, the referee shall count as long as there is a fallen boxer. If both are out, the points shall decide the winner.
6)When the boxer has been counted out 3 times in one round or 4 times in the bout span, the referee shall stop the contest.

 

19.PROCEDURE AFTER A KNOCKOUT.

Unconscious: Only the referee and ring doctor are allowed in the ring. Others may be allowed if the doctor asks for assistance. The boxer must be checked immediately. The judges must mark Head Injury on the score sheet. Recovery :
1)The boxer will not be allowed to fight or have sparring practice for at least 4 weeks afterwards.
2)In case of a knockout again , the boxer should not fight for a further 3 months.
3)Before fighting again, the boxer must undergo a through medical examination.
ADMINISTRATION OF DRUGS Doping : The boxers are not allowed to use medicine or chemical substances other than their Norman food in order to improve physical fitness or gain advantage over the opponent.
Penalty: Any boxer who violates this rule will be disqualified or prohibited from competition by IFMA. Any official who encourages a boxer to commit such an action will be penalized.
Anaesthetic : The usage of an anaesthetic is only permitted with approval of the Medical Committee.
Doping Substances : All of the doping substances listed by the International Olympic Committee are also prohibited by the IFMA. Substances may be added to this list on the recommendation of the Medical Committee.

 

20.MEDICAL COMMITTEE DUTIES.

Medical Approval : Any boxer who is not certified as healthy by a qualified doctor from the Organizing Association will not be allowed to compete in an international competition. Medical Certificate : Any boxer wishing to compete abroad must be in possession of a Medical Certificate, signed by the appropriate authority to show that he/she was in full health prior to leaving the country : i.e. no injury etc which would adversely affect their competing in a MuayThai tournament. The Certificate must be shown at the time of the weigh-in. Medical Examination : All boxers must be examined prior to competing. Injuries : Any boxer who has cuts etc especially on the face must be certified as fit on the day of the bout. Ring Doctor : The appointed doctor must remain close to the ring until the final bout is complete. When the doctor is dealing with a serious injury, he should signal the Chairman of the Jury to stop the bout.

 

22.SHAKING OF HANDS

Before and after the bout, both boxers should shake hands in a sign of the friendship of amateur sportsmen. This should be done before the first round and after the result is announced.

 

23.AGE LIMITS.

For an open International tournament, the contestants must be at least 17 years old and not over 30 years old. For a Junior competition, the contestants must be at least 15 years old and not over 18 years old.

 

24.TROPHY

For an International tournament, an award and souvenir will be given to the boxers. Winning Team Classifications:
1)The winner of the early rounds/quarter-final will get 1 point
2)The winner of the semi-final will get 2 points
3)The winner in the final will get 3 points
4)A boxer who is unable to compete may be awarded points if it is reasonable.
5)In the case of a team tie, it will be broken as follows: Which team has more Gold medallists Or which team has more semi-finalists Or which team has more 3-ranking boxers.

 

25.INTERPRETATION OF RULES

In the case of a situation arising which is not mentioned in the above rules, a decision shall be made by the Chairman of the Organizing Committee and the Jury Committee.