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TBA-SA Muay Thai Rules
Amateur & Professional
(As approved by the TBA-SA Board of Directors, 2007)

LEVELS:
Juniors--Ages 8-16.  17 yr olds will have the option of fighting in junior or adult divisions.
Amateur--Ages 17+.  Fighters cannot be paid to fight.
Fighters that have fought no more than 2 professional fights in another combative sport (MMA, NHB, or Boxing) will be allowed to fight amateur Muay Thai.  Fight records must include all fighting experience and fighters matched accordingly.  No monetary award will be paid!  
Professional--Ages 18+ Fighters will receive monetary payment to fight.

LEGAL STRIKES:
 Punching Strikes:
All Levels: All punches of boxing are allowed to the body and to the head.  This would include the jab, cross, hook, uppercut, overhand, and spinning backfist.  This applies to Junior, Amateur and Professional bouts.

Elbow Strikes:
Juniors—Only elbows to the body.  No elbows to the heard or spiking downward elbows.
Amateur—(fighters with 4 fights or less) Only elbows to the body.  No elbows to the heard or spiking downward elbows.
Amateur—(fighters with 5 fights or more) Elbows to the body AND to the head are allowed if BOTH fighters agree.  TBA-SA approved elbow pads must be worn by both fighters.  Both fighters and coaches must agree to wearing the pads.  No spiking downward elbows.
*Amateur Elimination Tournaments--Elbows to the head will NOT be allowed, regardless of experience.
Professional--Elbows to both the body and the head are allowed.  This includes spiking elbows and spinning elbows.  No elbows to the back of the head or the spine.

Knee Strikes:
Junior & Amateur--Knees are allowed to the body and legs.  No knees to the head.
Professional--Knees are allowed to the legs, body, and head.

 Kicking Strikes:
Junior & Amateur--All types of kicks are allowed to the head and body. These kicks must impact with the bottom or top or side of foot or the shin.  Only round kicks are allowed to the legs. These are allowed to the inside and outside of the legs, both above and below the knee.  There will be no straightline kicks to the legs.  No "checking" the opponent’s roundkick, by teeping the kicking leg.
Professional--All types of kicks are allowed to the head and body. These kicks must impact with the bottom or top or side of foot or the shin.  Only round kicks are allowed to the legs.  These are allowed to the inside and outside of the legs, both above and below the knee.  There will be no straightline kicks to the legs, however, "checking" the opponent's kicking leg with a teep is allowed.

Clinching:
Clinching is allowed for all fighters: Juniors, Amateurs and Professionals.  All strikes (as applicable to amateur and professional) may be used. The amateur fighter may NOT pull the head down, as knees to the head are not allowed.  Professional fighters MAY pull the head down to apply a knee strike. 

Throws:
Throws from the clinch range are allowed.  These must be done with the arms, knees, and legs to off balance the opponent and "dump" or "throw".  No Judo throws or hip tosses are allowed. No picking up the opponent to body slam, as in the MMA competitions.  No "tripping" allowed.  A fighter is NOT allowed to intentionally fall on top of the opponent to cause injury. 

ILLEGAL STRIKES

  • NO striking the back of the head

  • NO striking the spine

  • NO striking the groin

  • NO striking the front and sides of the knees

  • NO foot stomps

  • NO sweeps "foot to foot"

  • NO hip throws or Judo throws

  • NO picking up opponent and slamming to the canvas

  • NO headbutts

  • NO hammerfist strikes

  • NO straighline kicks below the waist

  • NO "plowing".  Must strike for every step taken, if holding a caught leg.

Note: All of the above are considered "fouls".  If referee determines foul is intentional, a point will be deducted.  If referee determines the foul is unintentional, a warning will be given for first occurrence.  Subsequent fouls will receive a point deduction.  The downed opponent has up to 5 minutes to recover (at the discretion of the referee).  Referee reserves the right to end fight after subsequent fouls if he/she feels it is in the best interest of the fighters.

"No Contest” Decisions
If an opponent is fouled in the first round and, as a result, cannot continue, AND the referee rules the foul as accidental, the bout will be ruled a ‘no contest’.  If the bout has completed the first round, and the fouled opponent cannot continue, then the decision will go to the score cards to determine a winner.  This of course, will also be determined by whether or not the ring referee dictates the foul was "accidental" or "intentional".  An intentional foul will award the win to the downed fighter.  An accidental foul will award the win to the fighter winning completed rounds on the judge’s cards.

SAFETY EQUIPMENT:
Juniors must wear headgear, shin guard, handwraps, mouth guard and groin protection (female groin protection is optional).  Chest guards are optional, if one coach requests chest guard, both fighters must wear it.

Amateur--Fighters with 4 fights or less must wear headgear, shin guard, handwraps, mouth guard and groin protection (female groin protection is optional). 
Amateur--Fighters with 5 fights or more may fight without headgear, ONLY if both fighters and coaches agree.  Both fighters will wear similar gear.  Not one with headgear and the other without.

Amateur--Fighters with 8 fights or more may fight without head gear and shin guards, ONLY if both fighters and coaches agree.  NOTE: if fighters agree to NO shin guards, then NO headgear will be allowed either.

*Amateur Elimination Tournaments--ALL Juniors and Amateurs will be required to wear all safety equipment: headgear, shin guard (regardless of experience), mouth guard, and groin protection (female groin protection is optional).

 Head Gear-- Headgear may have cheek protection but cannot have nose or chin protection.  Photos of approved headgear are available on TBASanctioning.org

 Shin Guard-- Shin guards may be cloth, leather, or neoprene, and can pull on or fasten with Velcro or buckles.   Any metal clasps must be covered with tape.

 Elbow pads-- In amateur bouts where both fighters/coaches agree to elbows to head, the elbow pads must still be worn regardless of fight experience. 

Handwraps-- Junior and Amateur fighters may use training hand wraps or gauze and tape.  Professional fighters must use gauze and tape.  Tape must be one finger’s width back from knuckles.  All fighters must have wraps checked and signed by TBA-SA Representative before putting on fight gloves.

 Gloves-- Gloves must be TBA-SA approved gloves.  All gloves will be provided by promoter. No fighter may use their own.  All Junior and Amateur will use white knuckle red and blue safety gloves. 10 oz. will be used for all weight divisions. 
*Amateur Elimination Tournament--ALL Juniors and Amateurs will wear 10 oz. except Light Heavy Wt. divisions and up, they will wear 12 oz gloves.
 Professional--fighters will wear mouth guard, handwraps, and groin protection (female groin protection is optional).  No other padding will be allowed. Gloves must be red and blue 10 oz., TBA-SA approved, fight gloves and will be provided by promoter.  No fighter may use their own.

RING RULES:
Standing 8 Count:
This will be in effect for all bouts, both amateur and professional.  All fighters must engage. If you are not fighting back/defending yourself, the ring referee will stop the action and administer an 8 count to ensure your safety.  This will also be scored like a knockdown on the judges scorecards.
3 KnockDown Rule:
If a fighter is knocked down 3 times in any single round (provided the referee has given the 10 count), the fight will be stopped and pronounced a TKO.
Flash KnockDown:
The "flash" knockdown is in effect in all bouts, both amateur and professional.  If a fighter is knocked down, but gets back up immediately with no signs of damage, at the discretion of the ring referee, it may be declared a flash knock down and no 10 count will be administered.  This will also NOT count as a knock down on the judges scorecards. Again, this rule is at the discretion of the referee.  Sometimes a fighter is Knocked OUT on impact (and eyes roll back in head) and then wake up upon their head bouncing off the canvas and get right back up.  The referee may see this and still give the count to ensure the fighters is able to continue.

 LENGTH OF ROUNDS:
Juniors--Three 2 minute rounds. One minute rest.  Younger fighters may have three 90 second rounds if both coaches agree.  Title fights will be three 2 minute rounds.
Amateur--All non-title bouts will be Three 2-minute rounds. One minute rest.
*Amateur Elimination Tournament--ALL Juniors and Amateurs fights  will be Three 2-minute rounds. One minute rest.
All Regional, U.S., North American, and World title bouts (non-tournament) will be Five 2-minute rounds. One minute rest.
Professional--Non-title bouts may be Three 3-minute rounds, Four 3-minute rounds, or Five 3-minute rounds (promoter fighter negotiation).  All will have One minute rest.
All title bouts will be Five 3-minute rounds. One minute rest.