Tournament rules – Regionals 2021

With the Regional Tournament on 23 May at Trusts Stadium in Henderson, and the National Tournament Queens Birthday weekend in Tauranga, it is important to ensure that everyone understands our tournament rules. We went through these in class last week.

You can find the full tournament rules on the International Taekwon-Do reference documents page:

The Regional and National Tournaments are open to yellow belts and above. Read full details on the tournament pages. We recommend that all yellow belts and above compete in the Regional Tournament. It is great fun! At least compete in patterns, other events are optional. White belts, come along, too – watch, support, help out (we need many volunteers of all ages to run these tournaments).

It is very important that throughout the day we all show others the greatest levels of courtesy and respect (spectators included). Everything we do reflects on Glendowie. Step in to help if you are asked or if you see someone needs help. Accept judges’ decisions, even if you disagree with them (judges are volunteers doing their best).

International Taekwon-Do tournaments include four individual events, one event for pairs, and four team events. A summary of each event is below.

Patterns – yellow belt and above

Two competitors perform designated patterns side-by-side, and the winner proceeds to the next round in a pyramid competition.

Competitors begin with 10 points, and points are deducted for errors made:

  • Technical errors, -0.2 points per error up to 6 points;
  • Rhythm and sine wave, -0.5 points up to 2 points;
  • Power, -0.5 points up to 2 points;
  • Zero points are awarded in some circumstances, such as performing the wrong movements or stopping for more than 2 seconds (you only get one attempt).

Usually competitors perform two patterns. One is the current pattern for the lower rank of the two competitors. The other is a pattern selected randomly from the remaining patterns known by both competitors. Depending upon the number of competitors overall and the level of the category, sometimes only one pattern is performed.

In the event of a draw, another pattern is drawn randomly until a winner is selected.

Free sparring – yellow belt and above

Two competitors compete against each other to score points using Taekwon-Do techniques with their hands and feet to touch a scoring area above the belt and to the front of the body. To score, techniques must be controlled on the target, performed dynamically, and performed with correct technique. The winner proceeds to the next round in a pyramid competition.

Students must wear protective equipment for free sparring. Students should have their own clear mouthguard, approved free sparring gloves and boots, and males must wear a groin guard (cricket-style is fine, worn inside their trousers). Students who do not have their own headgear will have headgear provided at the tournament. Also bring your own towel and water bottle.

Competition is in an 8m x 8m square. There are two rounds of two minutes with a one minute break between rounds, but often this is reduced to 90 second rounds with a 30 second break for coloured belts. There are four judges in the corners of the square, and a referee in the centre controlling the match.

Competitors must have a coach, who sits on the side of the square and gives the competitor advice. Students should arrange for a senior student from Glendowie to be their coach before their contest begins. The coach holds the competitor’s towel and water bottle. The coach should wear sports shoes and wear a sports jacket or sweatshirt.

Points:

  • One point for a hand technique successfully delivered to a scoring area;
  • Two points for a foot technique successfully delivered to the mid-section (torso);
  • Three points for a foot technique successfully delivered to the high section (head).

Students lose one point for every three warnings. The most common warnings are:

  • Stepping completely out of the square (restart with your back foot 1m inside the square);
  • Intentionally avoiding free sparring, such as turning away from the opponent;
  • Unintentionally attacking an illegal target area;
  • Pushing with the hands, shoulders or body;
  • Falling down (any part of the body other than the feet touching the ground);
  • Faking an injury or pretending to have scored a point.

For more severe infractions, competitors will receive a foul. Three fouls, and a competitor is disqualified. Fouls are given for:

  • Heavy contact;
  • Intentionally attacking an illegal target;
  • Holding or grabbing;
  • Unsportsmanlike conduct;
  • Attacking a fallen opponent.

Referees can also disqualify a competitor immediately in some circumstances, especially if they risk the safety of the opponent.

The winner is the competitor who has the most judges scoring more points in their favour. In the event of a tie, there is a further round (usually 1 minute, sometimes 30 seconds). If that is tied, the competitors enter first point, where the judges stand and the referee stops the match every time a point could have scored. If two or more judges score a point, that competitor wins. (Note that you can lose this round if you get three warnings or one foul.)

Special technique – probably blue belt and above

Do not compete in this event unless you have practised specifically for it.

Competitors perform flying techniques to targets at preset heights. For each target the competitor hits with correct technique, the competitor gets 3 points for moving the target 90 degrees or more, or one point for moving the target 45 to 90 degrees. There are up to five techniques (coloured belts often do the first one, two or three):

  • Flying high kick (scissor action);
  • Flying turning kick (scissor action);
  • Flying high side piercing kick (over an obstacle, like a high jump);
  • Flying reverse turning kick;
  • Flying mid-air kick.

The competitors with the most points in total win the medals (bronze, silver, gold). In the case of a tie, one of the techniques is selected randomly, and judges will raise or lower the board. This continues until medalists are identified.

Power test – possibly blue belts and above

Do not compete in this event unless you have practised specifically for it.

Competitors break plastic, rebreakable boards with foot and hand techniques. This event is limited to youths and adults, for safety reasons. The number of boards for each technique is written in the tournament rules. For each separated board the competitor gets 3 points, and for each bent board the competitor gets 1 point.

There are up to five techniques (coloured belts often do the first one, two or three):

  • Side piercing kick;
  • Turning kick;
  • Knifehand strike (inward or outward);
  • Reverse turning kick;
  • Forefist middle punch.

The competitors with the most points in total win the medals (bronze, silver, gold). In the case of a tie, one of the techniques is selected randomly, and judges will raise or lower the board. This continues until medalists are identified.

Pre-arranged free sparring

Two competitors perform a prearranged sequence of Taekwon-Do techniques in a sequence of 60-70 seconds (like a choreographed fight sequence in a movie). Two pairs perform one after the other, and the winner proceeds to the next round in a pyramid-style competition.

Competitors begin with 10 points, and points are deducted for errors made:

  • Technical errors, -0.2 points per error up to 4 points;
  • Choreography, teamwork, difficulty and power, -0.5 points up to 2 points;
  • Overall power, -0.5 points up to 2 points;
  • Zero points are awarded in some circumstances, such as being outside the time requirement, stopping for more than 2 seconds (you only get one attempt), more than 3 acrobatic sequences per team, or more than one undefended attack (only one successful attack, at the end of the sequence).

In the case of a draw, both teams perform the same sequence again until a winner is decided.

Team events

Teams of 5 people plus one reserve can compete in each of the four core events. All team members must be from the same division (e.g. all black belts).

  • Team pattern – five competitors perform a pattern together, and choreograph staggers of timing during the pattern.
  • Team free sparring – five competitors compete one at a time against a competitor from the other team, and the team with the most overall judges in favour wins the bout.
  • Team special technique – one person performs each of the required technique.
  • Team power test – one person performs each of the required technique.

For more information, talk to your class instructor, and read the rules of competition linked above.

Leave a Comment

You must be logged in to post a comment.