ITFNZ Taekwon-Do National Tournament 2001
Notes for Umpires, Officials, Coaches and Managers
Mark Banicevich, Tournament Arbiter
This document provides additional information about regulations at this year's National tournament. In most cases, these notes supplement and add clarity to the ITFNZ Taekwon-Do Tournament rules. In a few cases, they explicitly modify those rules.
These regulations have been drafted to increase the level of safety and save time at the tournament. This document is comprised as follows:
GeneralPower test and special technique
There will be a meeting of umpires and officials on Friday night before the tournament. All umpires and officials should be present at this meeting.
Hepatitis B and other diseases are receiving increasing attention in all areas of first aid. Hepatitis B, in particular, can survive on a surface three days after contaminated blood is spilled. ITFNZ Taekwon-Do will be taking a hard line on all blood. If blood is spilled during a contest, the centre umpire or jury will stop the contest immediately and call time out. The jury and centre umpire will not touch the injured person.
All persons handling blood must wear disposable protective latex gloves. Each region will be responsible for supplying its own latex gloves. The Tournament Organiser will provide gloves for ring marshals. Protective latex gloves will be used once only, then disposed. (Disposable latex gloves are available from any safety store, such as Protector Safety, or many pharmacies, and cost around $15 for 100.)
The ring marshal will be responsible for cleaning blood from the competitive area with bleach or an appropriate cleaning fluid. The contest will not continue until spilled blood is cleaned.
In sparring competition, it is preferred that all seconds have a first aid certificate and they must carry with them protective latex gloves. If a competitor is injured, the second will be the first person to provide aid, followed by the competition first aid providers (eg, St John's Ambulance) or doctor if necessary.
All umpires will be dressed in the official ITFNZ Taekwon-Do umpire uniform. This consists of plain white shoes, navy blue pants (females may wear a navy blue skirt), white long sleeved shirt, and ITFNZ Taekwon-Do tie (ITF umpires may wear an ITF tie; umpires may wear a plain navy blue tie if they do not have an ITFNZ Taekwon-Do tie). Umpires may also wear a navy blue dress jacket.
An umpire must be clearly impartial, so he or she may not cheer for any competitor while dressed in this fashion. He or she may politely applaud competitors, but must do so without bias towards any person or region. If an umpire wishes to support a particular person or region (as a supporter or as a second), he or she must remove his or her tie, and wear a jersey or jacket other than the official navy blue dress jacket.
While an umpire is seated, he or she should sit upright with his or her feet on the floor and knees together, bent at about 90 degrees. Umpires should not cross their legs or slouch.
Umpires will not wear a tracksuit, or any other form of unofficial clothing while in their role as umpire. Dobok may only be worn with express permission of the Tournament Organiser or Tournament Arbiter.
Ring marshals, time keepers and other officials will wear plain black pants, white shoes, and the approved tournament top.
During competition, competitors must wear the approved ITFNZ Taekwon-Do dobok. Female competitors may wear a plain white t-shirt or vest beneath the dobok top. A competitor may not wear a watch or any form of jewellery. Competitors may not wear bandannas or any other clothing accessory during competition. Long hair may be tied back with a plain soft elastic band. Hair clips may be used in any event except free sparring.
Access to the competition area will be limited to competitors, coaches and seconds. There is only one way into and out of the competition area. Only eight competitors will be near a ring at any one time: two competing, two having equipment checked by the first ring marshal, and four being assembled by the second ring marshal (see ring marshals below).
All draws will be prepared in advance of the tournament. All contests will be numbered by ring and order of competition. All draws and their contest numbers will be displayed from the start of the competition. All rings will display their current contest number, so no competitor should be unsure of when and where they are due to compete.
Each ring will have two ring marshals. One ring marshal is responsible for ensuring that the next two sparrers have all of the required equipment and are ready to compete. He or she will wipe out headgear with an appropriate cleaning fluid after each use. The first ring marshal will also be responsible for cleaning blood from the ring (see blood above).
The other ring marshal is responsible for locating competitors for the following two contests. If the marshal has trouble locating a particular competitor, he or she will go to the announcer's desk and ask for the competitor to be called there. He or she will wait at the announcer's desk until the competitor shows or until a reasonable time has expired.
Equipment and disqualification of competitors
Any competitor who enters the ring and fails an equipment check will be immediately disqualified. The competitor will not be given the opportunity to correct the problem. All ring marshals will be trained to check equipment before competitors enter the ring, so there is no excuse for poor or missing equipment. The only exception to this rule is if the item in question is supplied by ITFNZ Taekwon-Do (head gear or ribbon).
The required equipment (ITFNZ Tournaments section 14) is approved gloves, foot pads, mouth guard and groin guard (males) (supplied by the competitor), and approved head gear and red or blue ribbon (supplied by ITFNZ Taekwon-Do). In addition, the competitor may wear approved soft forearm and shin protectors, and female students may wear approved chest protectors.
There are a number of points to note for protective equipment. A competitor's finger and toe nails must be clean and neatly trimmed. If a competitor has dress nails, they will not have sharp edges and they will be fully enclosed by protective equipment or first aid tape.
Protective equipment will be of a proper fit. For example, if toes are visible poking out from under foot protectors, the competitor will be disqualified.
Split or torn protective equipment is not acceptable. Such equipment may be repaired with a soft tape (eg, not duct tape) that has no sharp folds or edges.
Glasses may not be worn. Contact lenses may be worn at the risk of the competitor.
Groin guards must be worn inside the dobok trousers.
Long hair may be tied back with a piece of plain soft elastic only, no hair clips or other bands.
Coaches and managers, please stress the following terminology to your teams:
Fights are uncontrolled attempts to hurt the opponent. We compete in controlled contests of skill and technique.
It is preferred that seconds hold a current first aid certificate and they must have clean latex gloves for use in the event of injury (see blood above).
Each competitor may only have one second during a contest. The second must remain seated during the bout. The second may talk to the competitor, but may not shout or be disruptive to the contest in any way. If time is stopped during the contest, the second may not talk to the competitor (with the exception of communication required for first aid purposes).
If a second would like the referee to call a time out (such as for detached equipment or first aid), he or she should stand quietly, and make the time out signal. This is a signal for the referee; time will not stop until the referee gives this signal.
In the event of a competitor's equipment becoming dislodged during a contest and the centre umpire calling time out, the competitor will go to his or her second for assistance to re-attach the item. They must not talk during this time.
If a second does not behave appropriately, the centre umpire may send him or her away from the ring. In this event, the second should find a replacement. In the meantime, the bout will continue without a second for that competitor.
The role of the jury is specified in ITFNZ Tournaments section 5.6. The notes that follow should be read together with the rules. The role of the jury is to:
To interrupt a contest, the juror should stand and signal time out (by forming a "T" with his or her hands) and calling 'Jung ji'. The centre umpire should break the contest with 'haechyo'.
To call the centre umpire, the juror should, while standing, hold his or her right arm out before him or her, palm up, and bring the palm toward his or her face. Talk with the centre umpire as required.
To call the corner judges, hold both arms out before him or her toward the far corner umpires, palm up, and bring the palms toward his or her face. Talk with the corner umpires as required. To call a single corner umpire, signal that umpire in the same fashion, but using only one hand, pointed toward that umpire.
Each region is allowed two competitors per patterns division.
Patterns will be scored out of 17 points, according to ITFNZ Tournaments section 8.4. Patterns will not be scored out of 10 points, as stated in ITFNZ Tournaments section 8.5.3.
Team patterns will be scored out of 22 points. The additional 5 points are for "presentation, team work and choreography". Teams will perform one pattern only, an optional pattern that is equal to or lower than the grade of every member of the team.
The juror will issue commands. Competitors will complete their optional pattern first. Competitors shall announce the name of their optional pattern clearly as they move into ready position.
The juror will draw and announce the compulsory pattern.
Three judges will score each pattern, and add the scores of each competitor. The judges will stand and give their score sheet to the juror.
The juror will announce the winner. The winner will have the decision of two or more judges in their favour, or the decision of one judge while the other two judges declare a draw.
Power test and special technique
The competitor, in the following order:
Power competition will use wooden boards. Special technique competition will not use boards. It will use a moveable apparatus, such that hitting the target will constitute a touch, and hitting the target so that it flips further than 90 degrees will constitute a break.
Contrary to ITFNZ Tournaments section 9.3 (special technique), competitors will have only one measure and one attempt at each of three heights for the special technique competition. Competitors will have only 30 seconds to complete their measure and attempt.
In the power competition, competitors begin each technique by setting the height of the target without touching the boards. Then he or she will have one measure and one attempt. Once the height of the boards has been set, the competitor will have 30 seconds to complete his or her measure and attempt.
The competitor must start and finish their attempt in niunja so palmok daebi makgi.
Any form of checking height or distance of a target will constitute a measure. This may be performing the technique or a jump in any way without touching the target, or standing next to or under the target. If the competitor does not declare the measure beforehand, it will be deemed to be an attempt.
A second measure will constitute an attempt. Touching the boards will constitute an attempt.
The following will constitute a failed attempt:
Power test and special technique are each presided over by two judges, one juror and one recorder.
In the power competition, one judge ensures that at least one foot remains on the ground throughout the attempt. This judge must kneel or lie with his or her head on the floor, watching to ensure he or she does not see light pass between the entire foot and the floor.
The second judge ensures the contestant's attempt is with the correct technique and the correct attacking tool.
The juror examines the boards before and after the break, ensures the competitor performs the sequence of events correctly, ensures the competitor retains balance, consults with the judges to ensure the attempt did not breach their areas of inspection, and announces the result of the attempt.
In the special technique competition, one judge sets the height of the target or distance of the obstacles, and ensures none of the obstacles is toppled or broken during the attempt (overhead kick).
The second judge ensures the contestant's attempt is with the correct technique and the correct attacking tool.
The juror examines the boards before and after the attempt, ensures the competitor performs the sequence of events correctly, ensures the competitor retains balance, consults with the judges to ensure the attempt did not breach their areas of inspection, and announces the result of the attempt.