Kumite Competition Area Guidelines

### Kumite Competition Area

• The competition area is a square matted area with sides of 8 meters.
• The outer 1-meter area of the competition area is marked with a different colored mat to indicate the boundary.
• There is an additional 2-meter matted safety area on all sides of the competition area.
• This safety area can be reduced to 1.5 meters if the sports hall does not have enough space.
• No advertisements, signs, walls, pillars, etc. are allowed within 1 meter of the safety area's outer perimeter.
• Monitors or displays placed between competition areas must be placed far enough to allow a safety area of 1.5 meters between the areas on all sides.
• The monitors must be placed a minimum of 1.5 meters from the outside of the red warning areas.

Disqualification

• A competitor is disqualified from a category by KIKEN
• Disqualification from one category does not affect participation in other categories
• The referee announces disqualification by pointing towards the side of the missing competitor or team, announcing “AKA/AO KIKEN”, followed by “AKA/AO no KACHI”

Starting, Suspending and Ending of Matches

• The referee and judges must follow APPENDIX 2 for terms and gestures
• Each round starts with a bowing ceremony, first to the audience (SHOMEN NI REI), and then to each other (OTAGAI NI REI)
• The referee calls "SHOBU HAJIME!" to start the bout
• The competitors must bow properly to each other at the start and end of the bout
• The referee stops the bout by calling "YAME"
• The referee restarts the bout by calling "TSUZUKETE HAJIME"
• The referee announces the winner by raising a hand on the side of the winner and declaring "AO (AKA) NO KACHI"
• The referee has authority over all members of the competitors' entourage

Coaching and Guidance

• Only the coach designated for a specific bout may coach and guide the competitor
• Other coaches and members of the delegation are not allowed to interfere
• Coaching must not interfere with proceedings
• The coach may speak to the competitor when the match is stopped
• The coach must not comment on judgements
• The competitor can signal to the coach for a video review

Warnings & Penalties

• There are two types of informal warnings:
  • TSUZUKETE: To urge the competitors to commence activity
  • WAKARETE: To break-up a clinch
• If a competitor receives HANSOKU in a Round-robin bout, their score for that bout is set to zero while the opponent's score is the higher of 4 points or points earned by techniques
• If a competitor receives KIKEN or SHIKKAKU in a Round-robin competition, all previous bouts are voided unless it is the last scheduled bout for the disqualified competitor.

Injuries and Accidents in Competition

• An injured competitor who wins a bout through disqualification due to injury is not allowed to fight again without permission from the tournament doctor.
• Permission for a competitor who suffered loss of consciousness or symptoms of concussion is not allowed
• An injured competitor, permitted to continue, may win a second bout by disqualification due to injury, but is immediately withdrawn from further Kumite competition
• When a competitor is injured, the referee halts the bout and calls the doctor by raising his hand and verbally calling out “doctor”
• The injured competitor should be directed off the mat for examination and treatment
• A competitor who is injured during a bout and requires medical treatment will be allowed three minutes for it.
• The Tatami Manager is responsible for instructing the timekeeper of starting the 3-minute count
• If treatment is not completed within three minutes, the referee will decide if the competitor is unfit to fight or whether an extension of treatment time shall be given.
• If a competitor falls, is thrown, or knocked down, and does not fully regain his or her feet within ten seconds, they are considered unfit to continue fighting.

Ties and HANTEI

• Individual elimination bouts cannot be declared a tie
• In Round-robin and Team bouts, HIKIWAKE will be given unless it is an extra bout to decide a match outcome
• HANTEI is applied to a bout in Team competition only for an additional bout to break a tie
• When deciding a tie, the referee moves to the perimeter and calls “HANTEI”, followed by a whistle.
• Judges signal their opinions and the referee declares the winner.

SENSHU

• If a competitor awarded SENSHU is given a warning for avoiding combat by JOGAI, running away, clinching, grabbing, wrestling, pushing or standing chest to chest when there is less than 15 seconds left of the bout, the competitor automatically forfeits the advantage.
• If SENSHU is withdrawn when it is less than 15 seconds left of the bout, no further SENSHU can be awarded.
• If a successful video request determines that the opponent also scored, and a score is not unopposed, the same procedure is used to nullify SENSHU.