Section 5: Rules of Play
Match Length
- 3 rounds × 3 minutes (60-second rest between rounds)
- Championship fights: 5 rounds × 3 minutes
Eight Limbs of Muay Thai
- Punches (closed fist)
- Kicks (legs, body, head)
- Knee strikes (clinch + flying)
- Elbow strikes (clinch range)
Clinch
- Clinch fighting permitted — fundamental to Muay Thai
- Knees + elbows in clinch are legal and heavily scored
- Sweeps from clinch (without slamming) are legal
Permitted Sweeps
- Foot sweeps + reaps to bring opponent down (with feet only, no judo throws)
- Holding+slamming explicitly prohibited
Knockdowns + Knockouts
- Standing 10-count for knockdowns
- 3-knockdown rule per round: 3 knockdowns = TKO
- KO + TKO via stoppage = total victory