General Rules

• head protection,
• mouth-guard,
• gloves for contact sports (10 Oz 145lbs and under  12Oz. 145.1 and up),
• groin protection,
• shin guards
• Foot protection.

Uniforms are the same for seniors and juniors, long pants, tank tops optional for men (must be tucked into pants) Sport tops for women

Fighter Uniform and Equipment Low Kick

• head protection,
• mouth-guard
• gloves for contact sports (10 Oz 145lbs.and under 12Oz. 145.1lbs and up)
•  groin protection,
• shin guards with instep protection ( Full contact Foot guards are optional)

Uniforms are the same for seniors and juniors –shorts for men & women. Tank Tops optional for men (must be tucked in shorts) sport tops for women

Fighter Uniform and Equipment K-1

• head protection
• mouth-guard
• gloves for contact sports (10 Oz 145lbs. and under 12Oz. 145.1 and up)
•  groin protection
• shin guards with instep protection

Uniforms are the same for seniors and juniors –shorts for men & women. Tank Tops optional for men (must be tucked in shorts) sport tops for women

Hand Wraps

• Hands can either be wrapped with cloth hand wraps or tape and gauze

When using tape and gauze, there is a limit of two rolls of gauze per hand and taping can not cover the knuckles (Packing).  Rule of thumb would be to start taping two fingers back from knuckles.  Tape is allowed to go through the knuckles and around rest of hand.  When using hand wraps a single piece of tape should be placed around Velcro portion of wrist.
Mouth-Guard

• Mouth guard protection is mandatory for all levels of competition.  Mouth guards must be made of a pliable plastic and molded to fit securely in the mouth of competitor.

Groin Protection

• Groin protection is mandatory for all male competitors and optional for female competitors.

Shin Guard

• Shin guards are required for all disciplines of amateur Kickboxing and should be fitted with an instep protection for K-1 and Low-Kick styles.  Shin guards must be constructed of foam rubber or plastic and fitted via neoprene or Velcro straps.

Foot Protection

• Foot protection is required for full contact rules only yet can be worn in K-1 or Low Kick styles.  Foot protection can be of synthetic foam rubber or a compact soft material covered by leather or imitation leather.  All foot protection for full contact competition must cover the entire top and back of foot.  No part of the heel can be exposed.

Rounds

• Amateur fights have 3-2 minute rounds with a minute break between each round in all USAKA tournaments and events.  Outside a tournament a single amateur fight can have up to 5-2 minute rounds with a minute break between each round. If using more than 3 rounds, it must be due to an agreement between the fighters.

Match

• A coach along with two additional seconds is allowed to assist any one fighter during a bout.
• One second is allowed to enter the ring during the break while one is allowed to stand outside the ring on the ring platform while the third must at all times be on the floor.
• All corner personnel must at all times conduct themselves professionally and act in accordance to the USAKA code of conduct.
• Any coach or a second who violates the rules may receive a warning or be disqualified by the Referee for bad behavior and not limited to deduction of points and/or disqualification of the fighter.
• No Coach or second at anytime can slap or pound the ring floor and must stay below the ring platform during the bout.

Male Weight Classes                                             Female Weight Classes

• Lt. Bantam       -112.2                                             Bantam           -105.6
• Bantam            112.3-118.8                                    Feather            105.7-114.4
• Feather           118.9-125.4                                    Lt. Weight        114.5-123.2
• Lt. Weight        125.5-132                                       Middle              123.3-132
• Lt. Welter         132.1-139.7                                    Lt. Heavy         132.1-143
• Welter              139.8-147.4                                    Heavy              143.1-154
• Lt. Middle         147.5-156.2                                    Superheavy     154+
• Middle              156.3-165
• Lt. Heavy         165.1-178.2
• Cruiser             178.3-189.2
• Heavy              189.3-200.2
• Superheavy     200.3+

Age Categories

• Youth Ages         8-15
• Juniors                  16-17
• Seniors                 18-40

Legitimating: During all tournaments Proof of age via a passport or birth certificate is required!

Weigh-in:

• All weigh-ins will take place the day before or the day of the event yet no later than 3 hours prior to event start time.
• All competitors must weigh in at the agreed upon weight class.  1 Pound will be given to each fighter for the scale.
• No fight will take place if the weight difference is 5 pounds or more.
• All scales must be digital or of a Hospital model.
• Promoters should make every effort to have both fighters present at the scale at the same time yet is not required.

Competition Area

A Boxing ring of international standard size including ordinary canvas 
4 ropes 
Pads in all corners (1 red, 1 blue, 2 white) 
Straps between the ropes 
At least 2 stairs 
2 chairs 
2 stools for fighters between the rounds 
2 water buckets 
A table and chairs for the officials 
Bell
Stopwatches
Minimum Ring Size of 20 X 20
Officials

Referee
The Referee must:

• Check the safety equipment and clothes of the fighters
• Make sure that a weakened Kickboxer does not suffer unjust and unnecessary blows.
• Make sure that the rules of fair play are strictly observed.
• Supervise the whole bout.

Referee must use three commands…

• STOP when he orders Kickboxer to stop fighting.
• BREAK to break a body to body position, after which each boxer must draw back without kicking. or punching before continuing the fight.
• FIGHT when he orders the fight to continue.

The Referee has the power to:

• Stop a fight at any moment if he finds it too one-sided.
• Stop a fight at any moment if one of the Kickboxer has received an unauthorized blow or is

Wounded, or if he considers a fighter unable to continue.

• Stop a fight at any moment if he finds the fighters behaving "unsportsman-like". In such a case, he may disqualify one Kickboxer.
• Warn a Kickboxer or stop the bout and give a minus point or warning to a Kickboxer for an offense.
• Disqualify a coach or a second who has broken the regulations or a Kickboxer himself if the coach or the second fails to obey to his orders.
• Disqualify, with or without a warning, a fighter who has committed an offense.
• In the case of a KO, suspend the count if a Kickboxer deliberately refuses to withdraw to a neutral corner, or is reluctant to do so.
• Interpret the rules as long as they are applicable or compatible with the fight taking place, or, at a special moment, decide on a move which does not appear in the rules.

If a Kickboxer breaks the rules but does not necessarily deserve a disqualification, the Referee must Stop the fight and give a warning to the Kickboxer of a foul. Before the warning, the Referee must order the Kickboxer to stop fighting. The warning must be given clearly, so that the Kickboxer understands the reason and cause of the penalty. The Referee must hand signal to each Judge that a particular warning has been given and clearly show which Kickboxer has been punished. After having given the warning, the Referee orders the Kickboxer to fight. If a fighter has been given 3 official warnings within the same bout, he is disqualified.