Any Voluntary religious headwear can be worn.

The karate-Gi jacket must be more than three-quarters thigh length.

The Karate-Gi trousers must cover at least two-thirds of the shin.

The karate-Gi jacket sleeve must be no longer than the bend of the wrist.

If a contestant’s karate-Gi jacket sleeves are too long and a suitable replacement cannot be found in time the Referee can allow him to turn them up on the inside.

Competitors may wear 1 or 2 discreet rubber band or ponytail retainer in their hair. Ribbons, beads, and other decorations are prohibited.

Earrings are allowed if they are covered with tape.

Metallic teeth (dental) braces may be worn at the contestant’s own risk if approved by the Referee and the Official Doctor.

Contestants must bow properly to each other at the start and end of the bout.

The coach may change the team fighting order during a round.

If a contestant is injured in an individual match the coach can enter a replacement if he notifies the Organising Commission first.

Each Judge must be equipped with a red and a blue flag or electronic signal device.

If two teams have the same number of victories and points, a deciding bout will be held.

The Match Supervisor (KANSA) will be equipped with only a whistle.

Disqualification by KIKEN means that the contestants are disqualified from that category.

Heels of more than 4 cm may not be worn with the uniform.

Senior Male bouts are three minutes, and Women, Cadets, and Juniors, two minutes.

Kumite team members may wear any type of Karate Gi.

Different type of stripes may be used for team members.

A competitor does not need to change the jacket if ties are torn off during the match.

Competitors may wear any white Karate Gi.

A fast combination of CHUDAN Geri and TSUKI each of which score in their own right will be given IPPON.

In Senior matches a light “glove touch” to the throat need no result in a warning or penalty provided there is no actual injury.

A kick in the groin will not result in a penalty provided the offender did not do it intentionally.

Starting 2023, for Competitors under 14 years of age, the WKF approved protective helmet is allowed and compulsory from 1.1.2024.

If SENSHU is withdrawn when it is less than 15 seconds left of the bout, no further SENSHU can be awarded to either competitor.

Should a competitor that has been awarded SENSHU receives a warning for avoiding combat when there is less than 15 seconds left of the bout – the competitor will automatically forfeit this advantage.

Voluntary religiously headwear must be approved by the WKF.

The WKF Competition Supervisor, or the Organizing Commission, can allow Coaches to instead of the track suit top to use any t-shirt.

HANSOKU-CHUI is given when the contestant’s potential for winning has been seriously reduced by the opponent’s foul.

An “exchange” is the period preceding when the bout is halted, and the clock stopped.

The weight tolerance admitted for male and female 0.5 kg.

HANSOKU is imposed for serious rules infractions.

SHIKKAKU can only be imposed after a warning has been given.

If a contestant acts maliciously, SHIKKAKU and not HANSOKU is the correct penalty.

If a contestant acts maliciously, HANSOKU is the correct penalty.

A competitor can be given SHIKKAKU if the behaviour of the coach or non-combatant members of the contestant’s delegation is considered to harm the prestige and honour of Karate-do.

The same tolerance applies to both the upper and lower limits of a weight class.

For individual competition, the Round-robin system followed by quarterfinals, semi-finals and final is applied.

There are five criteria to be met in determining a score.

A male team must present minimum five competitors for the initial round.

Male teams comprise five to seven members with five competing in a round.

A female team must present minimum two competitors for the initial round.

The maximum 32 Competitors per category are divided in 8 groups of 4 Competitors in the Round-robin system.

If the coach continues to interfere after first warning, the Referee will stop the bout, approach the coach again and ask him/her to leave the tatami.

If AKA scores just as AO steps outside of the match area, both the score and warning or penalty can be given.

If a contestant has been physically propelled from the area, Jogai will be given.

In Premier League competition the losers to the finalists in the quarter- and semi-finals compete for the bronze medals.

In cases where there is a tie between two or more Competitors in a group, having the same number of total points, the first criteria to consider is the highest World Ranking at the date of the competition.

It is possible for a Competitor to be disqualified from a bout (HANSOKU) and continue the competition.

A contestant who scores and exits the area before the Referee calls YAME will not receive JOGAI.

Contestants cannot be given penalties after the time-up bell has signalled the end of a bout.

In Junior competition any technique to the face, head or neck, which causes injury will be warned or penalised unless it is the recipient’s own fault.

In Cadet and Junior competition Jodan kicks are allowed to make the lightest touch (“skin touch”) provided there is no injury.

In Senior competition a light touch is allowed for JODAN punches, and a greater tolerance is allowed for JODAN kicks.

An already qualified Competitor cannot be disqualified for misconduct (SHIKKAKU) at the end of the Round-robin.

If a variation of the competition format other than described in these rules is to be applied for a particular tournament, this has to be clearly announced in the tournament bulletin.

A bad behaviour from a coach does not cause a SHIKKAKU to his/her competitor and the competitor does not need to be expelled from the match/bout.

When the Judges see a score, they will immediately signal with joy sticks.

The referee panel is composed of 1 Tatami Manager, 3 Tatami Manager Assistants.

The Referee Panel for each match shall consist of one Referee, four Judges and one Match Supervisor.

If after the bout has started a contestant is found not to be wearing a gum-shield the contestant will be disqualified.

The Referee will give all commands and make all announcements.

Duration of the Kumite bout is: 1.5 minutes for under14 years and younger.