The Judging and Refereeing criteria of Muay Thai in Scotland

The judging and refereeing of Muay Thai bouts in Scotland is designed to be as close to Thai judging and refereeing as possible, because this is essentially what distinguishes Muay Thai from other kickboxing styles, but also makes it a martial art bout as opposed to simply a fight. The rules and thus the scoring criteria look to encourage better technique, professional behaviour and sportsmanship while also ensuring that the two boxers compete fairly.


Scoring Techniques

There are a number of techniques that judges in Thailand consider to be the best scoring techniques. These are the primary techniques that win fights, they include:

• Knocking an opponent to the floor with a concussive blow (if the referee gives an eight count, two points are initially to be deducted from the counted boxer's score card but if the boxer fights back strongly or has previously dominated the round, a one point difference may be awarded

• Unbalancing an opponent with a kick or throwing action and immediately following withy a strong techniques

• Knocking an opponent off their feet with a strike or a kick

• Throwing an opponent to the canvas using a legal throw

• An attacking technique or combination that results in an opponent turning their back on the attacking boxer

Although judges are looking for overall effectiveness and dominance, the successful delivery of any of these techniques, without a similar or equivalent response from an opponent would result in a fighter winning that round. Maintaining physical and mental composure is essential for a fighter if they are to win a fight. This is the reason fighters in Thailand place such emphasis on stance, footwork and balance.

Judges are looking to award the fight to the strongest fighter. They are looking for evidence of the effect of techniques, mental strength, physical conditioning and technical ability. If a fighter is forced by his opponent to show weakness, or any evidence of not wanting to fight, the judges will award the fight to the opponent.

Techniques That Can Result in a Point Difference

Techniques that cause a boxer to:

• Stop advancing and where that boxer does not counter attack immediately

• Cover up and not attempt to fight back
  (e.g. a boxer covers his body with a cross arm guard to avoid being kneed and takes repeated strong knees to the arms, or covers up using an international guard without fighting back)

Although the rules suggest that all techniques have an equal chance to score, certain techniques are favoured by judges as being more effective than others. Judges generally consider:

• Strong body kicks and well times teeps (pushing kicks) that cause the loss of balance, to be more effective than leg kicks (unless the low kick knocks an opponent off their feet or causes them visible injury)

• Strong knees to be more effective than punches, unless the punch staggers or drops an opponent

• Straight knees top be more effective than circular knees

• Elbow strikes as not being particularly effective unless they cut, stagger or drop an opponent

Just because techniques make contact with a legitimate target does not mean they will score. Techniques do not result in a point difference if they:

• Are weak and not delivered with force and on balance

• Are immediately countered by an equally strong technique

• Can be walked through by an opponent
  (e.g. an advancing boxer looking to attack, walking through a combination of punches to deliver a strong kick would result in no score for the boxer delivering the punches)

Fighters will normally lose a round if they:

• Turn their back on an opponent (in Thailand, turning away from a fighter would result in losing the fight, not only the round)

• Run or dance away rather than standing and fighting

• Commit repeated fouls on their opponents

• Use spoiling techniques or avoid fighting

(e.g. dropping to the floor when the leg is grabbed or in the clinch to avoid being countered, or grabbing the ropes with the intention of getting the referee to break the clinch)

Decisions

The following are possible ways a fight can be decided.

A knock-out (KO) is awarded when an opponent is knocked down and unable to continue within the 10 second count.

A technical knock-out (TKO) is awarded when a boxer is seriously hurt or weakened OR when the referee stops the contest before 10 is counted due to the condition of the counted boxer OR when a boxer cannot continue the match after the break OR on the doctor's recommendation when the referee is unsure whether a boxer can continue due to an injury or being seriously weakened OR receiving a count 3 times in the same round and being unable to continue.

Winning due to the opponent's retirement because of injury.

Winning due to to the opponent's violation of the rules.

Winning on points.

No decision is awarded as a result of both fighters colluding to cheat or not fight properly.

No contest is awarded as a result of the ring being damaged and the match not being able to continue, or if an external event occurs during the fight, causing it to be stopped.

Equal score or draw, when both boxer's scores are equal OR both boxers receive a count of 10.

If at the end of a bout, neither fighter has done enough to establish a points difference, consider the following criteria in strict order:

1. Better leading off: this is the boxer who forced the pace and looked most enthusiastic to fight
2. Best defence: this is the boxer who showed composure when evading opponent's techniques and who blocked without showing any visible effect
3. Best technique: this is a very stylised category and very much depends on each judges preference. This can be the source of some irritation to some boxers and coaches.

Fouls

• Throwing an opponent using the hip, shoulder or leg (as used in Judo)
  
  
• Wrestling, back or arm locks, or any similar Judo or wrestling hold
  
  
• Using trips and sweeps; it is legal to kick an opponent off their feet. A kick is considered to be an action that uses the top of the foot and/or front of the shin. It is possible to hook the foot and kick, as long as top of the foot and/or shin, and not the side of the foot makes contact with the opponent's leg
  
  
• Grabbing the lower back, forcing an opponent's spine to hyper-extend
  
  
• Grabbing the ropes to kick, knee or punch an opponent
  
  
• Deliberately using the ropes to defend or counter attack
  
  
• Using the ropes as a weapon e.g. to choke or cut an opponent
  
  
• Attempting to pile-drive an opponents head into the canvas
  
  
• Catching an opponent's kick and pushing for more than two steps without attempting to deliver an attacking technique
  
  
• Not fighting. This includes a fighter turning their back on an opponent, running away or dancing backwards away from an opponent
  
  
• Biting, eye gouging, spitting or head butting
  
  
• Deliberately falling on an opponent
  
  
• Swearing or using abusive language during a match
  
  
• Knocking out or injuring an opponent after the referee has ordered the match to be stopped for any reason
  
  
• Deliberately striking the groin area. A boxer, who the referee considers to have been hit in the groin with force may request a 5 minute break before continuing the match. A boxer who is considered by the referee to be faking an injury from a groin strike would be asked to continue to fight and may receive a warning or a count.
  
  
• Any aggressive act by the boxer or seconds to the referee.

Response to Fouls

• Private warning for a single infringement
  
  
• Caution, with a point deducted for the third infringement
  
  
• If a foul results in a opponent being unable to continue through injury, the boxer who committed the foul should be disqualified