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Like with any martial art, rules are very important and in Olympic-level taekwondo they are many and very detailed. Here are some basics, but for the more in-depth guide, check British Taekwondo’s site here.

Firstly, each match is played in an 8m x 8m mat and each bout is made up of three non-stop rounds of two minutes each – with tonnes of action! A fourth round is added in the event of a tie. Hits are only counted with impact of the foot below the ankle and hand attacks are only counted with the front of the first two knuckles. Attacks on the head can only be made with the feet and never with the hands. Points are awards for hits with force and an athlete can receive anywhere from one to four points (the highest being awarded for a spinning back kick to the head). The sport also many penalties for misconduct, holding, pushing and the like than can result in the deduction of points. As in other combat sports, a knockout leads to an automatic win. 

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The rules of taekwondo explained by a top referee