Foundations

General Championship Rules

Eligibility, dobohk and dress code, conduct, disqualification and ejection.

Key takeaways

There are no exceptions to the general rules unless an individual Championship specifies otherwise.
Dress code, conduct, and safety violations can result in elimination from competition or judging duties.
Disqualification and ejection decisions are final — there is no appeal and no instant replay.
Each ring needs at least one arbitrator, medical personnel, a center judge, corner judges, a scorekeeper, and a timekeeper.

Eligibility and dress code

Competition is open to all registered WTSDA members, with one notable exception: Sam Dans who have accepted an invitation to at least one Master's Clinic give up their eligibility to compete in every area of the competition — including minor roles like board holding in Creativity.

Judges and competitors must wear traditional, official WTSDA dobohk — clean, with all WTSDA patches, trim, and a belt matching the individual's rank. The only exception is Creativity competitors, who may wear a themed costume.
Nails must be cut short, and nothing may be worn that could endanger another competitor. Prescription glasses are allowed.
No jewelry or piercings of any kind.
Competitors supply their own competition materials: safety gear, weapons, boards, etc.

Dress code violations are not a warning-first rule

A violation of the dress code results in elimination from competition and/or judging duties — there's no grace period built into the rule.

Conduct and etiquette

All WTSDA members salute the flags every time they enter or leave the championship floor.
Everyone conducts themselves with courtesy and respect; no inappropriate comments toward performers.
Proper discipline and attitude are expected at all times, and advanced-rank members are expected to look after junior-ranking members.
Everyone on the floor — competing or spectating — follows the commands of the head table.
Only competitors and officials may enter the competition area.

The head table at a WTSDA World Championship, staffed and set up in front of the competing nations' flags. — For any Championship to run smoothly, it is important for everyone to follow the commands of the head table.

Judges must hold the line, too

Judges remain on duty in their assigned ring even if competitors from their own studio are competing — highly respectful, fair decisions are expected regardless. Unless the head table reassigns you, you stay in the same ring across all categories of competition until dismissed.

No complaints, no appeals, no instant replay

Competitors cannot appeal decisions during the championship — decisions of officials are final. If a competitor's instructor has a question, it goes to the head table, which investigates and decides on any corrective action. Videotape replay is never used to arbitrate a judge's or arbitrator's decision.

Disqualification and ejection

Disqualifying a competitor from the ring requires a unanimous vote among the judges, who then notify the arbitrator and championship director — the final decision rests with the championship director, arbitrator, and judging team together. Disqualification is typically scoped to the individual event, but severe misconduct can disqualify a competitor from every event they're registered for.

Ejection is a step further: it's used when officials believe a competitor's behavior is egregious enough that their continued presence would be disruptive. An ejected competitor cannot compete in any remaining registered events, is disqualified from the event where the behavior occurred, and is disqualified from cup consideration. Ejection, like disqualification, is final.

Participants: May not appeal ring decisions under any circumstance.
Instructors, parents, and spectators: Coaching from the sidelines is not allowed, and provocative sideline behavior is not tolerated. Concerns about rule application go to the head table, which assigns an arbitrator to review.
Judges: Intentional prejudice, careless rule application, or lack of attentiveness is cause for immediate dismissal from duty — and stays on record, affecting future judging opportunities.

The ring and its officials

The competition ring is 20' x 20' by default, though this can be adjusted for the floor — down to a minimum of 15' x 15'. Each ring is squared off, with two center lines marked at least 4 feet apart to mark competitors' starting positions for dae ryun.

Diagram showing where the center judge, corner judges, scorekeeper, and timekeeper stand around the ring for hyung competition versus dae ryun competition. — Positioning of ring staff for the hyung and dae ryun competitions. Competitors are seated to the sides of the ring, space permitting.

Minimum officials required per ring
Role	Requirement
Arbitrator	At least one per competition
Medical personnel	At least one per competition
Facilitator	Optional — used for championships with a creativity division
Center judge	One per ring
Corner judges	Two for Gup divisions, four for Dan divisions
Scorekeeper	One per ring
Timekeeper	One per ring (the scorekeeper may double as timekeeper if needed)

A center judge and row of corner judges seated ringside as a competitor bows before them. — Proper protocol is required from all.