Muay Thai

Overview

A striking sport in which punches, kicks, knees and elbows all score. This page covers amateur competition under the International Federation of Muaythai Associations (IFMA), and only that. Other organisations publish their own rules.

Checked against the IFMA Rules & Regulations for International Competition, revised 11 May 2026 (v3.057). Rule numbers below refer to it.

1. The contest

An Elite bout is 3 rounds of 3 minutes with a 1-minute rest between them (Rule 7). Masters and younger divisions have shorter rounds (Rule 7). Time the referee stops for warnings, cautions or fixing equipment isn't counted in the round.

2. Scoring

A Muaythai skill is a punch, kick, knee or elbow applied with force and intent. One score is given for each one that lands on a scoring target without being blocked or guarded against, and without breaking the rules (Rule 29.1).

• Scoring target: any part of the body except the groin and the back of the neck (the cervical spine).
• Not scoring targets: gloves, forearms, feet and shins, unless the strike is powerful enough to affect the person, such as a kick that unbalances a blocking opponent.

Two scoring systems are approved, and the event's Technical Delegate picks which one (Rule 29):

• Round-by-round, ten-point must. The winner of each round gets 10 points and the loser proportionately less: 9 for a small margin, 8 for a large one, 7 for total domination. Even rounds are 10–10. More scoring skills wins the round; if they're equal, more forceful skills do.
• Strike-by-strike. Judges press a button for each scoring strike, and a strike counts when a majority press within a second of the first.

A warning costs a point in the ten-point-must system (5 points to the opponent under strike-by-strike) (Rule 29.2.5).

A winner is always named except in exhibition bouts. If the scores are level, the judges apply the scoring steps to the whole contest (Rule 29.3).

3. Fouls

The referee can caution, warn or disqualify (Rule 31.1).

• Three of the same caution become a warning, and three warnings mean disqualification.
• A major or dangerous foul can be disqualified at once.

Among the forbidden acts (Rule 31.2): biting, head-butting, spitting; thumbs in the eyes; striking the groin or the back of the neck; locking or hyperextending a joint; lifting an opponent by the body; hooking the opponent's leg with your calf, ankle or heel; striking a fallen opponent or one getting up; striking while holding the ropes; completely passive defence; and striking after the round has ended.

Restricted strikes: in the Elite division there are none. The youngest divisions are restricted: no strikes to the head for U12 and below, and no elbows or knees to the head for U14 (Rule 31.3).

Commonly argued

• Elbows and knees are legal for adults, including to the head.
• The back of the neck and groin aren't scoring targets, and hitting them is a foul.
• Blocked strikes don't score.
• Throwing an opponent without striking doesn't score (Rule 29.2.2).
• Three warnings is disqualification.
• These are IFMA's rules. Other organisations write their own.