Rule 18: Fouls

A. Cautions, Warning, and Disqualifications: the boxer who does not obey the instructions of the referee, acts against the competition rules, boxes in any unsportsmanlike manner, or commits fouls, can at the discretion of the referee, be cautioned, warned or disqualified without warning.

A referee may, without stopping a contest, caution a boxer at some safe opportunity. If he intends to warn a boxer, he shall stop the contest, and will demonstrate the infringement. He will then point to the boxer and to each of the 5 judges. A referee having once administered a warning for a particular foul cannot issue a caution for the same type of offense.

Three (3) cautions of the same type of foul will mandatory require a warning to be issued.

Only 3 warnings may be given to the same boxer in one contest.

The third warning brings automatic disqualification.


B. Types of fouls. If the boxer intentionally commit the following fouls;

1) Biting, head-butting, spitting at an opponent, pressing on opponent’s eyes with the thumb

2) Intentionally spitting out gum shield

3) Throwing, bending the back of opponent with Judo or Wresting techniques.

4) Fall over while the opponent is lining on the floor.

5) Attacking the opponent who is down or who is in the act of rising

6) Attacking while holding the ropes or making any unfair use of the ropes.

7) Locking of the opponent’s arm or head

8) Completely passive defense by means of double cover and intentionally falling to avoid a hit

9) Useless, aggressive, or offensive utterance during the round

10) Not stepping back when ordered to “Yak”

11) Attempting to hit the opponent immediately after the referee has ordered “Yak” and before taking a step back.

12) Assaulting or behaving in aggressive manner towards the referee at any time

13) Kneeing at groin of the opponent, if the boxer is unintentionally hit by Muaythai skill and unable to continue the fight, the referee will pause the fight for 5 minutes to allow the hit boxer to take a rest. If boxer refuses to resume the fight after 5 minutes rest he (she) will be declared as “loser:

14) Holding the opponent’s leg and pushing forward more than 2 steps without attacking with any one of the Muaythai skills.

15) Intentionally falling down to avoid being hit while his leg is held by the opponent.

16) When both boxers fall out of the ring, it is a foul if one boxer tries to obstruct the other getting back into the ring.

17) Using any kind of forbidden substance acknowledged by the International Olympic Committee (IOC)


C. Seconds: each boxer can be held responsible for his seconds’ actions.


D. Referee consults Judges: if a referee has any reason to believe that a foul has been committed which he himself has not seen, he may consult the judges.