What are the penalties in kurash?
I · Intermediate · Scores and penalties · 3 of 4Penalties climb in three steps: tanbekh, then dakki, then girrom, which is disqualification. Each one also gives the opponent a score. A tanbekh gives the opponent a chala, a dakki gives a yonbosh and a girrom gives a khalol, which ends the bout. Serious offences such as a head dive go straight to girrom.
How it works
- Tanbekh: for a first minor violation. The referee points at the athlete with a forefinger.
- Dakki: for a medium violation, or for an athlete who already has a tanbekh.
- Girrom: for an athlete who already has a dakki, or for a serious offence.
- Each gives a score: chala for a tanbekh, yonbosh for a dakki, khalol for a girrom.
- Straight to girrom: misbehaviour towards the referee, the opponent or the public, a head dive, drinking during the bout, wearing a hard object, a non-standard jacket and injuring the opponent by one's own fault.
- Majority needed: every girrom must be the decision of at least two of the three referees.
- How it is given: the referee stops the bout, announces the penalty and restarts.
The glossary has the tanbekh, the dakki, the girrom, the chala, the yonbosh and the khalol.
Tricky cases
An athlete with one tanbekh commits another minor offence. What is given?
A dakki. It is announced to an athlete who has already received a tanbekh, and the opponent gets a yonbosh.
An athlete is given a dakki while the opponent already has a yonbosh from a throw. What happens?
The opponent wins by khalol. A yonbosh from a throw together with the opponent's dakki is listed as a khalol.
Can the referee on the mat disqualify an athlete alone?
No. All girrom cases must have the decision of the majority of the three referees.
Is drinking water between exchanges allowed?
No. Drinking liquid during the fight is listed under girrom.
Why the rule exists
Turning each penalty into a score for the opponent means every offence shows on the scoreboard and can decide the bout. The three steps give an athlete two chances to stop before being put out. Acts that can injure skip the steps.
Where it differs
| Where | What changes | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Tanbekh | First minor violation; opponent gets a chala | IKA Rules 28.7; 28.6 |
| Dakki | Medium violation or second offence; opponent gets a yonbosh | IKA Rules 30.2; 28.5 |
| Girrom | After a dakki or for a serious offence; opponent gets a khalol | IKA Rules 30.3; 28.4 |
| Head dive | Girrom at once | IKA Rules 30.3 |
From the rule book
International Kurash Association, International rules of organization and holding of Kurash competitions (web page, adopted 1998, categories for 2026), sections 7, 28 and 30. Checked 14 October 2026. Official document: the federation's competition rules (saved as a web page only).