Taekwondo tournament guide

Weight categories

World Taekwondo (WT) weight categories differ depending on the competition level. The Olympics use eight categories — four per gender — while the World Championships use sixteen. National and open events may use additional or combined categories.

Junior and cadet competitions use different categories defined by World Taekwondo. National federations sometimes run combined or open-weight categories at domestic events. Always confirm which categories apply with your national federation before publishing the event bulletin.

Weigh-in is typically held the day before competition or on the morning of the event. Competitors must make weight within their declared category. Define your tolerance policy and the procedure for late withdrawals clearly in the event bulletin.

Competition format

World Taekwondo kyorugi competitions use single elimination with repechage. Each bout consists of three rounds of two minutes with one minute of rest between rounds. If the score is tied after the third round, a golden point round — sudden death — determines the winner. The first scoring action in the golden point round ends the bout.

Scoring is point-based. A kick to the trunk protector scores 2 points; a kick to the head scores 3 points. Spinning techniques score higher: a spinning kick to the trunk scores 4 points and a spinning kick to the head scores 5 points. A straight punch to the trunk scores 1 point. Each gam-jeom penalty violation awards 1 point directly to the opponent — unlike judo where accumulated shido penalties eventually lead to disqualification, each gam-jeom immediately changes the score.

At WT major events, scoring is tracked automatically using the Protector and Scoring System (PSS) — electronic trunk protectors and head sensors that detect valid strikes. At smaller national or club events, video review or flag-based scoring may replace or supplement PSS, depending on available equipment.

Format by entry count

The bracket format for each weight category depends on the number of registered competitors. Small categories often use round robin pools to guarantee athletes at least two or three bouts. Larger categories run single elimination with repechage.

The exact rules for small categories differ between national federations and event levels. Always verify with your federation's current competition rules before setting up the draw.

Repechage in taekwondo

Repechage is a core feature of World Taekwondo kyorugi. Any competitor who was defeated by one of the two finalists — at any stage of the competition — is eligible to enter the repechage bracket. Two separate repechage brackets run, one for each finalist, and each produces a bronze medal contest.

This means every WT competition at senior level awards two bronze medals. The bronze medal contests are fought between the two semi-final losers and the winners of their respective repechage brackets.

At junior, cadet, and local club level, repechage rules vary by federation. Some use a quarter-final repechage — only athletes eliminated in the quarter-finals are eligible — while others run a single bronze contest between the two semi-final losers with no repechage at all. Confirm which system applies before publishing the schedule, as the match count difference is significant.

How long does a taekwondo tournament take?

Taekwondo bout duration is more predictable than in judo. Each bout runs three fixed two-minute rounds plus one minute of rest between rounds — approximately 8–10 minutes total per bout including changeover and PSS calibration. This predictability makes scheduling more straightforward, but electronic equipment setup and the repechage phase both add time that must be planned for.

Allow 8–10 minutes per bout slot including changeover and equipment check. On a single court running continuously, this gives roughly 6–7 bouts per hour. Two courts in parallel can handle a category of 16 competitors with full repechage in approximately 2 hours.

Build in additional time at the start of the day for PSS equipment calibration and testing — typically 20–30 minutes per court. If video review is used, account for the time each review request adds to individual bouts.

Court requirements

World Taekwondo competition requires a square contest area of 8×8 metres, surrounded by a safety zone of at least 1 metre on each side — giving a minimum overall court size of 10×10 metres per court. The contest area is typically covered with approved foam flooring (poomsae flooring may also be used for kyorugi at local level).

Each court requires a scoreboard display visible to competitors, coaches, and spectators. If PSS is in use, the scoring system display must be connected and calibrated before competition begins. A timing official and at least one referee are required per court.

At local club events, court dimensions and equipment requirements may be relaxed with the agreement of the organising federation. Check your national federation's minimum requirements for the event category you are running.

Equipment

Electronic scoring equipment is the most significant organisational difference between taekwondo and most other combat sports. A fully equipped WT competition court requires:

• Approved PSS trunk protectors — one set per competitor on court, calibrated to each athlete's weight category
• PSS head sensors (electronic headgear) — one per competitor on court
• Central scoring display connected to the PSS receiver unit
• Video instant replay system if applicable at the event level
• Regulation-approved hand guards, foot protectors, forearm guards, and groin guards for each competitor
• Court boundary indicators and mat flooring meeting WT specifications

PSS calibration must be performed before each bout. The system must be tested by a qualified technician at the start of each competition day. Equipment failure during a bout has specific handling procedures defined in WT competition rules — ensure your technical staff are familiar with these.

At smaller national or club events, PSS may be replaced by a flag-based scoring system using three corner judges. This reduces setup complexity but requires additional qualified judges per court. Confirm with your federation which scoring system is required for your event.

The draw

The draw assigns competitors to their positions in the bracket. At WT events, seeding is based on current WT ranking. Seeds are placed to ensure they cannot meet until the later rounds: the top seed and second seed are placed in opposite halves, and seeded competitors from the same country are separated where possible.

At local events without formal rankings, the draw is typically random with club or country separation applied. Competitors from the same club or national team should not meet in the first round if it can be avoided.

Complete the draw and publish it before competition begins — ideally the evening before, so coaches and competitors can see their first opponents. Changing the draw after publication should only be done to accommodate verified late withdrawals.

Officials and staffing

At WT level, each court requires a centre referee and two judges. A timing official manages the bout clock per court. A technical official handles PSS equipment and scoring displays. A chief referee supervises all courts and handles protests.

At minimum, a local club event needs: one referee per court, one timing official per court, one PSS technician (or a flag scoring team of three judges), one person managing the bracket and match callsheet, and at least one person handling weigh-in and registration. A competition secretary coordinating match calls and result recording is essential once you have more than one court running simultaneously.

If video review is available, a separate video review official is needed. Coaches are permitted one challenge per bout under WT rules — the video review official must be reachable and able to make a decision quickly to avoid adding significant time to the schedule.

Checklist for taekwondo tournament organisers

1. 1Confirm which WT or national federation rules apply, including repechage type and scoring system (PSS or flag)
2. 2Define weight categories and age groups; publish them in the event bulletin
3. 3Set and communicate the weigh-in time and tolerance policy
4. 4Confirm PSS equipment availability and assign a qualified technician for setup and calibration
5. 5Calculate expected match count and total duration using the estimator before committing to a schedule
6. 6Confirm venue court size meets minimum requirements and that flooring is approved
7. 7Decide number of active courts — this is the primary driver of total event duration
8. 8Build in 20–30 minutes per court for PSS calibration and testing at the start of the day
9. 9Set a registration deadline; finalise entries before the draw
10. 10Complete the draw and publish it, separating same-club and same-country competitors in early rounds
11. 11Brief all officials on the specific rules, scoring system, and protest procedure in use
12. 12Prepare a match callsheet showing the sequence of bouts across all courts and repechage phases
13. 13Build buffer time into the schedule for the repechage phase and any video review delays