Muay Thai (WMC) — Official Rules

Muaythai is a Combat (Full Contact) and Technical (Semi Contact) Sport contested between two opposing individuals (Nak Muay) representing their national team. It is the "art of eight limbs", using punches, kicks, knees and elbows together with clinch work, sweeps and Muaythai throws. IFMA competitions are organised across three disciplines: Muaythai Combat (Full Contact), Muaythai Technical (Semi Contact) and Muaythai Cultural (No Contact: Wai Kru / Mai Muay). Each national team may enter only one (1) Athlete per division.

The international governing body is the International Federation of Muaythai Associations (IFMA), recognised by the International Olympic Committee (IOC) and a signatory to the World Anti-Doping Code. These Rules & Regulations for International Competition (revised 11 May 2026) apply to all IFMA-sanctioned events worldwide, including the World Championships, Continental Championships, and Muaythai at multi-sport Games. Where the English and any translated text differ, the English version prevails.

A bout (contest) is conducted by one (1) Referee inside the ring who controls the contest, and by three (3) or five (5) Judges seated around the ring who independently score it (five Judges are used at IFMA World Championships). The contest is supported by a Timekeeper, an Announcer, a ringside Doctor, and a Jury with oversight authority. Judges score each round independently; the Referee controls the bout but does not score it.

Every IFMA Muaythai contest is three (3) rounds. Round and rest durations depend on the division: Elite and Masters 35+: 3-minute rounds with 1-minute rest; Masters 40+ and 45+: 2-minute rounds with 1.5-minute rest; U24: 2-minute rounds; U18: 1.5-minute rounds; U16, U14, U12, U10 and U8: 1-minute rounds. Time during which the Referee stops the contest for a warning, caution, or to adjust clothing or equipment is not counted in the round, and no additional round may be given.

Eligibility is set by the calendar-year system with a cut-off date of 31 December of the competition year. The age categories are: Elite (18-40), U24 (18-23), U18 (16-17), U16 (14-15), U14 (12-13), U12 (10-11), U10 (8-9) and U8 (6-7), plus the Masters categories Masters 35+ (35-39), Masters 40+ (40-44) and Masters 45+ (45-50). Athletes enter one of three pathways - Elite (Olympic performance), Development (U categories) or Masters - and may enter only one pathway per competition.

Weight is expressed in kilograms and the same divisions apply to men and women. The core Elite and U24 weight classes are: 45kg (multi-sport events only), 48, 51, 54, 57, 60, 63.5, 67, 71, 75, 81, 86, 91 and +91kg. Youth and Masters divisions use age-appropriate scales (for example U18 ranges from 42/45kg up to +91kg, and the youngest categories start from 16-30kg). An Athlete must make weight at the official Weigh-In; failing to make weight results in a Walk-Over (WO) for the opponent.

All Athletes, coaches, seconds and Technical Officials must hold a valid Khan (grade) certification appropriate to their role and age. Minimum Athlete Khan rises with age - for example Khan 6 for Elite and Masters, Khan 5 for U24, down to Khan 1 for U10/U8. Coaches and seconds require at least Khan 7 and senior coaches Khan 10. Proof of Khan must be presented at registration; failure to meet the level results in ineligibility.

The ring shall measure a minimum of 6 m and a maximum of 6.5 m inside the line of the ropes (square). The ring floor (platform) stands not less than 1.2 m and not greater than 1.5 m above the ground, and the platform must extend at least 90 cm outside the line of the ropes. Four well-padded corner posts, 10-12.5 cm in diameter, rise no more than 2.85 m from the ground. Corner pads are arranged Red and Blue for the Athletes and White at the two neutral corners.

The floor is covered with padding (felt, rubber or equivalent) not less than 2.5 cm and not more than 3.75 cm thick, secured under a stretched canvas covering the whole platform. There are four (4) ropes, each 3-5 cm thick, drawn tightly at heights of 45 cm, 80 cm, 115 cm and 150 cm, covered in soft material and joined on each side at equal intervals by two ties. Turnbuckles are padded with foam at least 2 cm thick. Only IFMA-approved rings are permitted.

The minimum Field of Play (FOP) for a single ring is 18 m by 18 m, with an extra 18 m of width per additional ring. A barrier at least 1.5 m from the officials' tables separates spectators from the ring. The Round-by-Round (RbR) and Strike-by-Strike (SbS) scoring displays must be visible to all stakeholders. For technical/rural Muaythai a floor-level Contest Area may replace the ring with the Technical Delegate's approval.

Athletes wear IFMA-approved gloves weighing 10 ounces (284 g), in which the leather is no more than half the total weight and the padding no less than half. Both Athletes in a contest use identical gloves, coloured red and blue to match their corner, fitted and signed off by Glove Supervisors. Hand wraps are a soft surgical bandage or Velcro wrap no longer than 5 m and no wider than 5 cm per hand; only a single 7.5 cm x 2.5 cm strap of adhesive may secure the wrist - rubber or adhesive tape used as bandaging is strictly forbidden.

The head guard, shin guard and elbow guard are mandatory in IFMA competition and are supplied by the Organizing Committee - this is a key safety feature distinguishing amateur IFMA Muaythai from professional bouts. The head guard has no cheek protector, chin guard or face shield; it is put on only after presentation, the Wai Kru and the handshake, and is removed immediately after the contest before the decision. The head guard may not be removed or undone during a contest except under the supervision of the Jury or Referee.

A gum shield (form-fitted, not red or pink) must be worn before each round; intentionally removing it draws a caution, warning or disqualification. A groin guard is mandatory for all Athletes - metal or polycarbonate for males, polycarbonate or foam for females. Chest protection is mandatory for all female Athletes in senior divisions. A body protector is mandatory for U12-U24 and Masters 40+/45+ divisions, but is not worn in Elite and Masters 35+. No ankle protection of any kind may be worn.

Athletes wear Muaythai shorts with the word "Muaythai" on the front and a red or blue singlet matching their corner. For the Wai Kru, the Athlete wears the sacred headband Mongkon; an arm/waist band Prajiad (Krueng-Wrang) with an amulet may be worn but neatly covered, and its strings must not exceed 7-10 cm (5-7 cm for youth). Hair is tied and contained in a hairnet under the head guard; only a reasonable amount of Vaseline on the face is permitted. Religious head/body covers in white fabric (e.g. sport hijab) are permitted under the non-discrimination principle.

Before the first round, every Athlete must perform the traditional ritual of homage "Wai Kru" according to Muaythai custom. At a minimum the Athlete performs the Starting Postures Thep Pa Nom and Kom Krab, prostrating to the canvas three (3) times while wearing the Mongkon; a full Wai Kru uses all six (6) Starting Postures. The ritual is accompanied by traditional Muaythai music (java pipe, small cymbals and two drums, or a recording). On preliminary contests the Wai Kru lasts a maximum of 2 minutes, ended by the Referee's signal. Performing a non-Muaythai martial ritual is not permitted.

Each Athlete is presented to the audience and performs the Wai Kru before putting in the head guard. The Athletes then shake hands (or perform the "Wai") at the authorised times as a show of respect to one another, to the opponent's seconds and to the Referee. Krob Kru ("Sealing the Ring") and Rai Ram Muaythai may only be performed during the finals of a competition. After the head guard is fitted and hands are checked, the contest begins.

A scoring Muaythai skill is a punch, kick, knee or elbow applied with force and intent to cause effect, that lands on a scoring target without being blocked, guarded against, or infringing the rules. One score is awarded per landed skill. A strike that is effectively blocked by the opponent's gloves/forearms or shins/feet, lacks force, lacks Muaythai skill, or merely throws the opponent without striking, does not score.

The target is any part of the body except the groin and the cervical spine (the C1-C7 vertebrae and occipital bone, i.e. the back of the neck). The gloves, forearms, foot and shin are non-scoring targets unless a strike lands with enough force to affect them (for example a high kick that off-balances a blocking opponent). The groin and cervical spine are illegal targets, and intentional strikes to them are fouls.

Under the Ten-Point Must System, each round is scored individually and at least one Athlete is awarded 10 points - no fractions are given. The round is decided first on the number of scoring Muaythai skills; if equal, on the forcefulness of the skills (in Semi Contact, on effective light-contact execution). The Athlete with the higher count or greater force wins the round and receives 10; the opponent receives proportionately fewer points by margin.

The opponent's score reflects the margin in scoring Muaythai skills: even = 10-10; a small margin (a difference of 7 or fewer skills) = 10-9; a large margin (8 to 14 skills) = 10-8; and total domination (15 to 21 skills) = 10-7. The winning Athlete always receives 10, and the opponent receives 10, 9, 8 or 7 accordingly.

When the Referee gives a Warning, each Judge who agrees deducts one (1) point from the warned Athlete's total for that round (marked "W"); a Judge declining to deduct marks "X". A Judge who observes a foul the Referee missed may impose their own deduction (marked "J"). Under the Real Time (Strike-by-Strike) Scoring System, a Warning instead automatically awards five (5) points to the opponent.

IFMA may operate a Strike-by-Strike (SbS) Real Time Scoring System in which each Judge presses a Red or Blue button per landed skill. A strike becomes an Accepted Score only if a majority of Judges press within one (1) second of the first input (≥3 of 5 Judges, or ≥2 of 3). SbS runs in either Ten-Point-Must Conversion Mode (strike difference converts each round to a 10-10/10-9/10-8/10-7 result) or Pure SbS Accumulated Mode (each confirmed strike = 1 point, accumulated across all rounds).

A winner must be nominated in every tournament contest. If a Judge's totals are equal, the Judge applies the Steps for Awarding Points across the whole contest, deciding by less exhaustion or bruising, more willingness to lead/aggression, better defence, better Muaythai style, and fewer rule infringements. In SbS, a tie is resolved by cumulative confirmed-strike totals (for five Judges, dropping the highest and lowest and averaging the remaining three). A draw is only permitted in Exhibition Matches.

An Athlete is Knocked Down if, as a result of a strike or series of strikes, the Athlete: touches the floor with any part of the body other than the feet and shows difficulty rising; hangs helplessly on the ropes; is outside or partly outside the ropes; or, after a hard strike, is in a semi-conscious state and cannot effectively defend themselves in the Referee's opinion. An Athlete who goes down without a strike (a "Down") may also be counted if showing difficulty rising.

On a knockdown the Referee commands "YOOT" (Stop) and counts aloud in Thai from one (NUENG) to ten (SIB) at one-second intervals, beginning one second after the strike. The count is a mandatory eight (BAED): the contest may not resume before "eight" even if the Athlete is ready. If the Athlete cannot continue by eight, the Referee counts on to ten (SIB), ending the contest as a Knockout (KO). The opponent must wait in the neutral corner; if they do not, the count is paused until they comply. The contest resumes only on the command "CHOCK".

A knockdown at the end of a round is counted out regardless - reaching "SIB" (10) is a KO. If an Athlete continues after eight but falls again without a fresh strike, the Referee resumes counting from eight. If both Athletes are down, counting continues while one remains down; if both are still down at eight, the contest is stopped and decided on points to that moment. An Athlete who fails to resume immediately after the rest interval, or within 10 seconds of being knocked down, loses the contest.

The Referee stops the contest (RSC) when the count limit for the division is reached: U24, Elite and Masters 35+ - 3 counts in one round or 4 counts in the whole contest; U18, Masters 40+ and Masters 45+ - 2 counts in one round or 3 in the whole contest; U8 to U16 - 2 counts in the whole contest. For a count to count toward the CCL, it must have been initiated by a Muaythai skill.

At the end of a full contest the Athlete awarded the decision by a majority of the Judges is the winner. If both Athletes are injured, simultaneously knocked out, or cannot continue, the Judges record the points to that moment and the Athlete with more points wins. If an accidental injury stops a gold-medal final, the winner is decided on majority points from the preceding rounds only.

The Referee stops the contest and the opponent wins by RSC in several cases: RSCS (Safety) when an Athlete is in danger or receiving excessive punishment; RSCI (Injury) when an Athlete is unfit due to injury from legal strikes (serious injury such as a suspected fracture, dislocation, vomiting or uncontrolled bleeding requires immediate stoppage); RSCH (Head Strike) and RSCB (Body Strike) when hard strikes leave an Athlete defenceless; and CCL when the count limit is reached. The Referee may consult the Doctor at the neutral corner for no more than 1 minute, and must follow the Doctor's advice to stop.

An Athlete knocked down who fails to resume by the count of "SIB" (10) loses by Knockout (KO) - classified as KOH (head strike) or KOB (body strike). Retirement (RET) is declared when an Athlete does not leave the corner after the rest interval, does not wish to continue after a count, or when the Athlete's Second surrenders on their behalf.

Disqualification (DQ) makes the opponent the winner; a disqualified Athlete forfeits all prizes and medals from that competition. A Walk-Over (WO) is declared when an opponent fails to appear within 2 minutes of being called. A No Contest (NC) is declared for events outside the Athletes' or Referee's control (ring damage, power or lighting failure, severe weather) after a maximum of 10 minutes. A draw is permitted only in Exhibition Matches. A protest must be lodged in writing within 30 minutes (or 5 minutes for a gold-medal contest) with a US$500 fee.

An Athlete who fouls may, at the Referee's discretion, be Cautioned, Warned, or Disqualified without a warning. A Caution is a lesser admonishment; three (3) cautions of the same type in a contest become a Warning, and many cautions for different fouls may bring a warning for unsportsmanlike conduct. A Warning is given for repeated or serious infractions and deducts a point per Judge; three (3) Warnings in a contest = Disqualification. The Referee may immediately disqualify for a major or dangerous foul.

Intentional fouls include: biting, head-butting, spitting; pressing the thumb into the eyes; rubbing the face with the chin; smothering the mouth and nose; intentionally removing equipment or the gum shield; non-Muaythai throws (tripping/sweeping without a skill while making three points of contact, hip throws, or tackling the legs/body); hooking or immobilising the legs with the calf/ankle/heel; lifting the opponent; locking or hyperextending joints; striking while holding the ropes; striking a downed or rising opponent; striking while a body part other than the feet touches the floor; passive defence; and holding the opponent's leg and pushing forward more than two (2) steps without striking.

Striking the groin or the cervical spine (C1-C7 / back of the neck) is a foul. If an Athlete is unintentionally struck there and cannot continue, the Referee may count the Athlete or pause the contest for up to 3 minutes to recover; if the Athlete refuses to resume after 3 minutes the opponent wins. Other fouls include striking after the round ends, failing to obey "YOOT" (Stop) or "YAEK" (Break) and step back, striking before "CHOCK", offensive utterances, assaulting an official, applying water other than by spray bottle, and using any WADA/IFMA-prohibited substance.

Permitted techniques vary by division as a safety measure. Masters 40+ and 45+: no restrictions (full Muaythai). Masters 35+: no elbow or knee strikes to the head. Elite and all youth divisions (U24 down to U8): no strikes to the head at all. Using a restricted technique is a foul. Under-12 head contact is strictly prohibited. In Semi Contact (Muaythai Technical), all strikes must be controlled light contact; full-power strikes are a foul, and injuring or knocking down an opponent results in the offender's disqualification.

No Athlete competes without a completed IFMA Medical Declaration signed by a doctor, confirming fitness with no injury, infection or disability. Athletes attend an official Weigh-In and medical examination; the Doctor certifies fitness before the weigh-in. Female Athletes aged 18+ sign a Declaration of Non-Pregnancy (a parent/guardian co-signs for minors). Athletes who fail the medical or the weigh-in cannot compete and the opponent is awarded a Walk-Over.

After a head-strike Knockout or RSC, mandatory rest applies: one KOH/RSCH = at least 30 days; two within 90 days = 90 days from the second; three within 12 months = 12 months from the third. Before returning the Athlete must be certified fit by a neurologist, ideally with an EEG and, if needed, a CCT scan. Every head-strike KO/RSCH is recorded in the medical record and the IFMA event system (RSportz) and the national federation is informed. These measures also apply to head injuries in training.

Each Athlete has a corner team of Seconds (coaches) who may attend to the Athlete only during the rest between rounds and may surrender on the Athlete's behalf; an Athlete is responsible for their Seconds' conduct. Video Instant Replay may be used only when an incident has brought the contest to an end, under the official IFMA VAR Protocols and subject to the Technical Delegate's approval for each Championship. The Doctor sits ringside with unimpeded access and must examine the Athletes from the final contest of each session.