Various new rules have been rumoured for years, and now the big list is final. Some of these rules have already been tested at the Beijing Olympics, while others will take more time to roll out. The following are rule changes that will be in effect for the Senior National Championships this May in Vancouver.

• Competition area reduced to 8m by 8m.
• Head kick is 3 points.
• Turning kick (180 degrees or greater) to the body is 2 points.
• Combo of 2 x Kyong go or 1 Gamjeom adds one point to opposing player. Total of 4 point deduction still = loss.
• Lifting the knee to avoid a valid attack or impeding the progress of an attack is now a kyong go.
• The inactive period is 5 seconds for the “fight command”; then 10 seconds of further inactivity is now a kyong go. This is commonly practiced now.
• Wearing of a Hijab beneath the helmet and dobuk is acceptable.
• Men’s Weight Classes: -54kg, -58kg, -63kg, -68kg, -74kg, -80kg, -87kg and +87kg.
• Women’s Weight Classes: -46kg, -49kg, -53kg, -57kg, -62kg, -67kg, -73kg, +73kg.
• Players hold head gear under left arm, and put it on after bowing at the start of the match. Players take off head gear and put under left arm and bow at end of match.
• The definition of “face” is replaced by “head” including all areas above collar bone.
• Legal scoring area is defined as the coloured area of the trunk protector
• There is NO additional point if the referee counts.
• Win by 7 point gap and 12 point ceiling is removed.
• In Kyeshi, the doctor is consulted before the order to resume the match is given; or declaring loss by expiration of kyeshi time. This is commonly practiced now.
• Centre referee can have a casting vote in a “referee conference” during a match.
• Lodging of protest time is 15 minutes after match conclusion.
• Amendments to CSB composition, conflict, and procedure.

(List prepared by Master Barbara Marian, WTF Canada Referee Committee Vice Chair – Ontario. Available from Taekwondo Canada here.)

Note that “turning kick” refers to a spinning kick (instead of the commonly understood dollyo chagi – roundhouse). Presumably this is a backwards spin, where sight of the opponent is momentarily lost.

The new rules result in a 1-2-3 point system:

• 1 point: kick to body (eg. roundhouse)
• 2 points: turning kick to the body (eg. back kick)
• 3 points: head kick (eg. roundhouse, drop kick, hook kick)

Note: a spinning/turning kick to the head is also three points.

Master Barbara Marian – International Referee and Vice Chairperson for WTF Canada – shared her opinion on these rules from a referee’s perspective (her views are of an international referee, and don’t necessarily reflect the opinions of Taekwondo Canada).

According to Master Marian, many of these changes are intended to make the sport more exciting. The smaller ring and inactivity rule should lead to more frequent exchanges, and the new point system will encourage head attacks and more advanced spinning techniques. Lifting the knee to block an attack has become more common in competition sparring; players must now change tactics to avoid receiving kyong-gos. Putting the helmet on after bowing is also for the spectators: it gives them (and photographers, videographers) a good look at who’s fighting.

Why remove the point gap and ceiling rule? Although this rule is only four years old, scores will be too high with the new point system. This is especially true considering that kyong-gos will now add to the opponent’s score; a change that will both simplify scoring and prevent the stigma of losing with a negative score.

Master Marian believes that some of the changes will improve scoring fairness and transparency. Removing the extra point for an eight-count means centre refs can focus on safety without affecting the match outcome or drawing criticism. She says that while the definition of “face” has been replaced by “head”, this doesn’t compromise safety because illegal kicks directly to the back of the head were very rare, especially as a kick becomes legal if any part of the foot also touches a valid scoring area, such as the ear.

Awarding the additional point for a turning/spinning kick may need to be streamlined through a scoring system update. Currently, the centre ref will have to recognize a turning move, stop the match if it scores, award an additional point, and then resume the match.

Master Marian says most of these rules will be easily implemented by Canadian referees who receive constant training at clinics across the country. Some new WTF rules will not be used in Canada yet, such as the introduction of taping for video replays.

This article was published on Wednesday, March 18th, 2009. You can follow responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.