Module 3 - Referee and Judging

Introduction

This handbook is the course material for Module 3 of the Instructor's Course. All Referees and Judges at Australian Hapkido Association tournaments must have successfully completed this module. 

Tournament Rules

Refer to the AHA Interclub Challenge Rules for the complete rules for AHA tournaments.

Tournament Categories

There are four tournament categories:

1. sparring

2. self-defence

3. cat-roll

4. patterns and drills

Only Yellow Belts and above may compete. Cat-roll competition is open to green belt and up only.

General Rules

1. Competitors must be current members of the Australian Hapkido Association.

2. Competitors must be covered by the Australian Hapkido Association's Sports Injury Insurance.

3. Competitors under 18 must have the consent of their parents or guardian.

4. Entry forms cannot be accepted unless signed and accompanied by the entry fee.

5. Competitors must wear a Hapkido uniform.

6. Watches, jewellery and footwear are not permitted in the competition areas.

7. Nails must be trimmed to avoid injury.

Head Injury Assessment

This section is in keeping with the Concussion in Sport Policy of the NSW Office of Sport.

All events – if a competitor has been involved in an incident that has the potential to cause a concussion, that event will be immediately halted and the clock (if any) stopped until the competitor has been fully assessed by the first aid officer on duty. A competitor who has been involved in an incident that has the potential to cause a concussion may only return to his/her event (and any other event/s he/she may be entered in) if cleared to do so by the first aid officer on duty. ONLY THE FIRST AID OFFICER ON DUTY HAS THE AUTHORITY TO ALLOW A COMPETITOR WHO HAS BEEN INVOLVED IN AN INCIDENT THAT HAS THE POTENTIAL TO CAUSE A CONCUSSION TO RETURN TO THE COMPETITION.

Incidents that have the potential to cause a concussion include – but are not limited to:

1. head clashes between competitors, or

2. throws or falls that cause a competitor’s head to strike the floor or other hard surface, or

3. a blow to a competitor’s head from another competitor’s body part (e.g. fist, elbow, knee, foot etc), or

4. a blow to a competitor’s head from a weapon or prop wielded by another competitor (e.g. chukto, danbon, etc).

Sparring

Sparring Grade Divisions

There are 4 grade divisions for sparring:

1. Novice (Yellow Belt to Green Tip)

2.  Junior (Green Belt to Blue Belt)

3. Senior (Red Tip to Black Tip)

4. Black Belt

Sparring Weight Divisions

These weight divisions are estimates only. The actual weight divisions will be decided the day before the tournament and depend on the actual weight distribution of the competitors:

1. Peewees (<27kg)

2. Under 15 (<55kg)

3. Under 18

4. Lightweight (<65kg)

5. Middleweight (65-75kg)

6. Heavyweight (>76kg)

Protective Gear

1. All competitors must wear approved protective headgear.

2. Gloves may not be worn.

3. Shin Guards and Breast Protectors are optional.

4. All male competitors must wear a groin guard.

Contact

Contact is not required to score, however light, controlled contact is permitted. No contact is permitted to the groin or knees.

Judging

1. Three judges (at opposite corners) view the bout.

2. One referee is in the ring and control the contest.

3. At the end of the bout the judges will turn away from the ring and raise the flag that of the colour of the competitor they think won the bout, the centre referee can act as a judge to break ties.

4. The referee in the ring awards the bout to the competitor with the most decisions in their favour. In the event of a draw a further round is fought.

Sparring Penalties

1. Warnings will be given by the referee to any competitor who:

   • makes excessive or illegal contact

   • steps entirely out of the ring

   • continues to fight after the referee's command to break

   • utters undesirable comments

2. On the first warning the referee will warn the offender not to repeat the infringement.

3. On the second warning the referee will award the opponent a point and warn the offender that if the infringement is repeated, they will be disqualified.

4. On the third warning the referee will disqualify the offender and award the bout to the opponent.

5. For extreme cases the offender can be immediately disqualified.

Sparring Eliminations

Time permitting, and depending on numbers in your division, each competitor will have to lose twice to be eliminated. So if you lose a fight you still have a chance to get second. Note if you lose a bout, do not leave the competition area.

Duration of bouts

1. For the preliminary rounds each bout consists of 2 rounds of 2 min with a 30 sec interval.

2. Pee-wee divisions will be 1 round of 1 min 30 seconds.

3. Under 12 divisions are 2 rounds of 1 min 30 seconds.

4. Once a competitor is called to a ring they must remain next to the ring until their bout.

5. A competitor can be disqualified if they are not ready for their bout.

Self-defence

The self-defence category consists of a group of up to three competitors performing a 45 second self-defence routine.

Six judges view the routine and award a score between 0 and 10. The highest and lowest scores are ignored and the remaining four scores are added to give a total for that routine.

Self-defence Grade divisions

There are 3 Self-Defence divisions:

1. Juniors (Yellow to Blue Tip)

2. Seniors (Blue to Black Tip)

3. Black Belts

There are also under 16 Divisions for all Self-Defence Grade divisions.

The highest grade in the team determines the division in which the team will compete. For example a Yellow Belt with a Red Belt would compete in the Senior Division.

The routine must include a defence against a punch and a defence against a kick. Weapons can only be used in the Senior Division and may only include relevant to each belt.

Cat-roll

1. The Cat-roll category consists of jumping safely over an obstacle, performing a cat-roll and finishing in L-stance facing the way you came.

2. At each round the obstacle is made longer until the maximum for that category is reached.

3. Competitors are eliminated if their technique is incorrect or unsafe.

4. Once the maximum is reached, the judges either select 1st , 2nd and 3rd or lengthen the obstacle to test the competitors more.

Cat-roll grade divisions

There are 3 divisions in Cat-roll:

1. Junior Belt (green belt to blue belt)

2. Senior Belt (blue belt to black tip).

3. Black Belt

Cat-roll age divisions

1. Peewees 

2. Under 14's

3. Men 

4. Women 

Patterns and Drills

Judging

Competitors will demonstrate the relevant pattern individually and will be awarded points by a panel of judges (at least 5) the high and low score is struck out and the remaining scores are totaled and the competitor with the highest scores will be awarded 1st, 2nd and 3rd.

Competitors must demonstrate the pattern they demonstrated to gain their last grading.

General Disputes

1. If an instructor believes their student has been disadvantaged by a referee's or judge's decision, the instructor should approach the Tournament Director immediately. The Tournament Director will listen to all parties involved and make a final decision which must be abided to by all parties.

2. If a student's instructor is not present at the tournament, the student may approach the Tournament Director personally.

3. Any disputes should be addressed to the Tournament Director as quickly as possible to allow corrective action to be taken if required.

How to be a Referee

Dress & Footwear

Referees must wear their Hapkido uniform. Sandshoes are permitted. Uniforms must be clean.

Referee’s role

The role of the referee is to run the bout and prevent the competitors from injuring each other. You are not involved in deciding the winner (this is the judge's role) and do not have to indicate any points.

The referee must issue all instructions loudly and with confidence. You are running the show and the competitors need to know you are the boss. By the same token you don't have to be aggressive or rude to show you have control.

Judge's Role

The judge must watch the match very carefully and then decide which competitor has won. At the end of the bout the judges will declare the winner using the red and blue flags. If any of the judges wishes to talk with the other judges, they can stand up and call the judges together. All judges' decisions have the same weight. If the judges are unable to reach agreement on an issue, the Tournament Director must be consulted.

Timekeeper's Role

The timekeeper's role is to time the bouts and indicate to the referee that the bout (or a round) is complete by striking the bell. If the referee interrupts the bout, the timekeeper must immediately stop the time and then start timing when the bout resumes.

Assistant's Role

The assistant's role is to ensure that the competitors for the next bout are ready (complete with headgear) so there is minimal delay between bouts. They must also collect the red and blue ribbons, and approved Headgear from the competitors after the bout.

Starting the Bout

Check the Competitors

Before the start of the bout the referee should check the following items on both competitors. During this check the competitors should be standing at their respective lines in the ring.

1. Protective Equipment. Check that each competitor's headgear is correctly fitted and that male competitors are wearing groin guards. Shin guards and breast protectors are optional but gloves and boots are not permitted.

2. Nails. Make sure fingernails and toenails are trimmed and do not present a danger to the other competitor.

3. Jewelry & Watches. No jewelry or watches are permitted because they could cause an injury. This includes, earings, bangles, necklaces and rings.

4. Blue and Red Ribbons. Each competitor should be wearing a blue or red ribbon on their belt (usually at the side or at the rear) to help the judges indicate the winner at the end of the bout. If the headgear is clearly marked red or blue then ribbons are not required.

Competitors Bow to the Flags

1. "Facing the flags" [Both Hands up, Palm Forward]

2. "Charyot"

3. "Kyungnet" [Hands tip forwards]

Competitors Bow to each other

1. "Face each other" [Both Hands up, Rear of Hands towards competitors]

2. "Charyot"

3. "Kyungnet" [Hands tip inwards]

Competitors step back ready to start (Kyup)

1. "Ready" [Right leg back into walking stance, arms apart]

2. "Shizak" [Right hand swings down and step back]

When to Interrupt the Bout

You should interrupt the bout if:

1. you hear the timekeeper’s bell

2. an infringement has occurred and you need to issue a warning

3. the bout goes to the ground and has turned into a wrestling match

4. one of the competitors has attempted a low spinning heel kick

5. one of the competitors has been injured

6. one of the competitors is unable to protect themselves

How to Interrupt the Bout

Shout "Stop" and physically prevent the bout from continuing by barging in between the competitors or pulling one of the competitors away. Don't just stand there, move in and make your presence felt and your instruction noticed.

How to Resume the Bout

Bring your hands together at waist level and shout "continue".

Interval Between Rounds

If the bout has an interval between the rounds, then after stopping the bout, tell the competitors to sit down at their respective lines facing the flags. They don't have to bow. (Only at the end of the bout). They can remain standing if they want to. When it is time to start, tell them to stand up and face each other. Then:

1. "Ready" [Right leg back into walking stance, arms apart]

2. "Shizak" [Right hand swings down and step back]

Ending the Bout

After stopping the bout, tell the competitors to go to their respective lines. Then:

Competitors Bow to each other

1. "Face each other" [Both Hands up, Rear of Hands towards competitors]

2. "Charyot"

3. "Kyungnet" [Hands tip inwards]

Competitors Bow to the Flags

1. "Facing the flags" [Both Hands up, Palm Forward]

2. "Charyot"

3. "Kyungnet" [Hands tip forwards]

Judges raise their flags to indicate the winner

1. Ask the judges to indicate the winner by saying "Judges’ decision please".

2. Look at all of the judges and decide who is the winner. This must be done very carefully. Take your time and check the ribbon (or headgear). Also check the officials at the desk are paying attention.

3. In the event of a clear winner, grab the hand of both competitors, raise the winner's hand and then gently tug them towards each other so they can shake each other's hands.

4. Finally, look at each of the judges in case they made an error with the colour of their flag and want to issue a different result.

5. Send the winner to the scoring table to ensure the correct result is recorded.

Oh No! Its a draw!

1. In the event of a draw, shout "Draw!, one more round to decide the winner" and start a new round immediately (no interval).

2. At the end of the additional round bring all judges to the centre of the ring by shouting "Judges to the centre please".

3. The judges must select a winner. If there is a tie, the referee has the tipping vote.

4. Return the judges to their corners.

5. Grab the hand of both competitors, raise the winner's hand and then gently tug them towards each other so they can shake each other's hands.

6. Send the winner to the scoring table to ensure the correct result is recorded.

Warnings

Don't let competitors get away with excessive contact. This can very easily lead to injury. For extreme cases the offender can be immediately disqualified.

Warnings should be given by the referee to any competitor who:

• makes excessive or illegal contact

• steps entirely out of the ring

• continues to fight after the referee's command to break.

• utters undesirable comments

First Warning

Explain the warning (loudly so everyone can hear) and tell the offender not to repeat the infringement.

Second Warning

Explain the warning (loudly so everyone can hear). Warn the offender that if the infringement is repeated, they will be disqualified.

Third and Final Warning

Explain the warning (loudly so everyone can hear), bring all the judges to the centre of the ring and discuss the case. If a majority of the judges agree then disqualify the offender and award the bout to the opponent. The referee cannot disqualify a competitor without consulting the judges.

Disputes by Competitors or Coaches

If a competitor or coach approaches you with a dispute you should get another referee to replace you while you go and resolve the issue with the Tournament Director. Don't leave it until the end of the day because if a complaint is genuine it will be too late to correct the error.

Korean Vocabulary

It is important to present a consistent image to the competitors. Therefore the dialogue presented above should be used and Korean terms should be used. These have been kept to a minimum (Charyot, Kyungnet and Shizak) so there should be no excuse for not using them.

How to be a Judge

Sparring

When it is time for you to indicate the winner, do it without hesitation. Do not wait to see what the others have decided. Your decision should be completely independent of the decisions by the other judges. If you are feeling tired, ask for a relief judge to help rather then make a bad decision.

What to look for

1. Credit is given to techniques with excellent timing, distance and control.

2. Extra credit is given to throws and skilful low-spinning heel kicks.

3. Timing. If a technique is too early or too late it will not score.

4. Distance. If a technique is too far away from its target it will not score. If a technique is jammed by the opponent moving in, it will not score either.

5. Control. No excessive force must be used. During a throw the opponent's weight must be supported on the way down. A technique uses excessive force if a competitor's head or body moves (jolts). Spinning Hook Kick and Axe Kick must be done with the sole of the foot. Using the heel is prohibited for safety reasons.

6. Effectiveness. The technique must be aimed at a vulnerable target. The attacker must have their weight behind the technique.

7. It is useful to imagine a see-saw with a competitor at each end. Each point scored tips the see-saw more in the competitor's favour and each mistake tips it against the competitor's favour.

Cat-Roll

You will be sitting near the landing area. Watch carefully and indicate a disqualification by raising a red flag. There will be three judges in total. If two out of three judges raise their red flag, then an official will strike the bell indicating a disqualification.

What to look for

1. landing too heavily

2. not facing the way you came in L-stance after landing

3. landing dangerously or out of control

4. insufficient height during the jump

Self-Defence

At the end of their performance, you will have to award a point between 1 and 10. There will be 5 or more judges in total watching each performance. The highest and lowest scores are ignored, and the remaining four scores are added to give a score. Scores are out of 10 with tenths of a point being used (reduces the number of ties).

4 Needs work

5 Average

6 Good

7 Very Good

8 Fantastic

9 Unbelievable

10 Impossible

Good points

• smooth flow

• good use of the opponent's force

• minimum effort

• effectiveness and practicality

• high levels of skill

• exact timing

• safety for each other

• a simple story line can help.

Bad points

• hesitation

• unnecessary use of strength

• impractical solutions

• unrealistic attacks

• potentially dangerous techniques

Patterns

You will have to watch several competitors perform their patterns at the same time and decide which competitor performed the best. Pay particular attention to:

• direction of eyes (are they looking at what they are doing?)

• understanding (does it look like they understand the techniques?)

• focus (does it look like they are actually fighting multiple attackers?)

• technique (do they perform the techniques precisely and with correct tension and relaxation?)

• Kyup (should be loud and confident, as if they have just conquered their enemy)

• etiquette (before and after the performance)