Rules & Regulations
NC Unified Amateur Muay Thai

Rules & Regulations

Title Quest events are sanctioned under the North Carolina Boxing & Combat Sports Commission (NCBCSC) and follow the standard Unified Rules for amateur Muay Thai competition.

01

Bout Structure

Amateur Bouts
3 Rounds
2 minutes per round
Title Bouts
5 Rounds
2 minutes per round
Rest Period
1 Minute
Between each round
  • All bouts — men's and women's — follow the same 3×2-minute round structure.
  • A fighter cannot be saved by the bell in any round, including the final round.
  • Fighters must be a minimum of 18 years old to compete.
02

Required Equipment

All equipment must be inspected and approved before the bout. The following is mandatory unless noted otherwise.

Required
Boxing Gloves
8 oz or 12 oz — size determined by weight class
Required
Headgear
Mandatory for all amateur competitors
Required
Mouthguard
Must be worn at all times during competition
Required
Groin Protection
Cup (men) · Pelvic protector (women)
Required
Hand Wraps
Applied under gloves before inspection
Required
Shorts
Muay Thai-style shorts mandatory
Required
Foot Pads
Provided by the event promoter
Optional
Shin Pads
Permitted but not required
04

Illegal Techniques

The following are not permitted and will result in a warning, point deduction, or disqualification depending on severity.

Elbows of any kind (straight, spinning, spiking)
Knees to the head
Throws, leg sweeps, foot sweeps, or pushing to off-balance an opponent
Strikes to the back of the head or spine
Strikes to the groin
Headbutts
Biting or spitting
Eye gouging or fish-hooking
Strikes to a downed opponent
Holding the ropes for leverage
Clinching without striking (stalling)
Deliberate spitting out of the mouthguard
05

Scoring

Bouts are scored by three (3) ringside judges using a 10-point must system. The winner of each round receives 10 points; the opponent receives 9 or fewer.

Round Result
Winner
Opponent
Competitive round
10
9
Knockdown scored
10
8
Point deduction (foul)
10
8 or less
Judges evaluate: Effective striking (clean, hard, accurate), aggression, ring generalship, and defense. Muay Thai technique — leg kicks, teeps, knees, and clinch work — all count toward scoring.
06

Knockdowns & Knockouts

  • A fighter is declared knocked down if any part of the body other than the feet touches the canvas, or if the fighter hangs helplessly on the ropes.
  • "Flash" knockdowns — where a fighter briefly touches down but is clearly not hurt — are not counted as official knockdowns at referee discretion.
  • Upon any knockdown, the referee automatically begins a mandatory 8-count. The downed fighter must rise and appear fit to continue before the count reaches 10.
  • If the fighter rises before 10, then goes back down without being struck, the referee resumes the count where it left off.
  • If a round ends before the count of 10, the round's end has no bearing — the fighter must still rise before 10 or be declared knocked out.
  • The standing 8-count is in effect — a referee may administer a standing count at any time they feel a fighter needs assessment.
Three Knockdown Rule: If a fighter is knocked down 3 times in a single round, OR receives 3 standing 8-counts in a single round, the bout is automatically stopped and their opponent is declared the winner. If a fighter is knocked down 4 times cumulatively across a 3-round bout, the fight is also stopped.
  • If both fighters go down simultaneously, the referee continues to count as long as one fighter remains down. If both remain down at 10, the bout is declared a technical draw.
  • If one fighter rises before 10 and the other remains down, the fighter who rose is declared the winner by knockout.
07

Fouls & Penalties

Warning

Issued for a first infraction. No points are deducted. The referee may pause the bout to issue the warning directly to the fighter and corner.

Point Deduction

If a fighter continues the same foul after receiving a warning in the same round, the referee will deduct one (1) point from that fighter's total score.

Disqualification

Repeated or flagrant fouls — including intentional illegal strikes, unsportsmanlike conduct, or deliberately spitting out the mouthguard 3 times — result in immediate disqualification and a loss by TKO.

Passive Tactics: A fighter who refuses to engage, repeatedly clinches without striking, or otherwise stalls will receive an immediate referee warning. Continued passive tactics result in point deductions.
Mouthguard Rule: If a fighter deliberately spits out their mouthguard 3 times during the entire contest, they will be disqualified and lose by technical knockout.
08

Stoppages

  • The referee or ringside physician may stop the contest at any point.
  • If the referee determines the bout is one-sided or that continuing poses a serious injury risk to either fighter, the fit fighter is declared the winner by Technical Knockout (TKO).
  • If a cut is sustained — whether from a fair blow or accidental foul — the referee will call the ringside physician into the ring for examination before deciding whether to stop the contest. Time is called during this examination.
  • If an accidental foul renders a fighter unable to continue, the bout is terminated. The outcome is determined by the judges' scorecards at the time of stoppage:
    • If the injured fighter is behind on points: Technical Draw
    • If the injured fighter is ahead on points: Technical Decision (win for the injured fighter)
    • If the stoppage occurs in the first round: Technical Draw regardless of score
09

Corners & Weigh-Ins

Corner Limits
  • Each fighter is allowed a maximum of 2 corner persons.
  • If a gym has 2 fighters on the card: max 3 corners total.
  • If a gym has 3–4 fighters on the card: max 4 corners total.
  • No exceptions.
Weigh-Ins
  • Amateur fighters weigh in on the day of the event, at the venue.
  • Weigh-ins are conducted on a digital scale provided by the NCBCSC.
  • Full weigh-in details are provided in the event itinerary distributed to all coaches and fighters prior to the event.
10

Possible Decisions

KO
Knockout
Opponent cannot rise before the count of 10.
TKO
Technical Knockout
Referee or physician stops the bout. Also awarded for disqualification.
UD
Unanimous Decision
All three judges score the bout for the same fighter.
SD
Split Decision
Two judges score for one fighter, one judge scores for the other.
MD
Majority Decision
Two judges score for the winner; one judge scores a draw.
TD
Technical Decision
Bout stopped early; winner determined by scorecards at time of stoppage.
NC
No Contest
Accidental foul in round 1, or other extenuating circumstances.
DQ
Disqualification
Flagrant or repeated fouls result in a loss for the offending fighter.

Questions about rules or sanctioning? Contact us at fighters@titlequestmuaythai.com