How does a kurash bout start and stop?
I · Intermediate · The bout · 2 of 4The athletes bow with the right hand on the left of the chest, and the referee starts the bout with the call "Kurash". "Tokhta" stops it, and "Vakt" ends it when time is up. After every scored throw the referee stops the bout, gives the score and restarts it with both athletes standing.
How it works
- Tazim: the bow, from the waist, with the right hand on the left of the chest. The athletes bow before entering the safe zone, to each other before the bout and again after the result.
- Kurash: the command to begin, and to restart.
- Tokhta: stop.
- After a score: the referee stops the bout, gives the score within two or three seconds and restarts it.
- After an offence: the referee stops the bout and announces the penalty within 15 to 20 seconds. The athletes stay in place and tidy their jackets.
- Vakt: time. The referee calls it when the timekeeper signals the end.
- Bekor: cancel, used when there is no valid score or penalty, or to change one already given.
- Late arrival: an athlete who does not come to the gilam within three minutes loses by khalol.
- Leaving together: after the final bow the athletes leave at the same time.
The glossary has the tazim, the bekor, the arbitrator, the appraisal, the bout and no ground fighting.
Tricky cases
An athlete completes a throw a moment after "Tokhta". Does it score?
No. A technique after the referee has announced tokhta or vakt is a forbidden action and brings a tanbekh.
The referee gives a yonbosh and the side referees disagree. Can it be changed?
Yes. The referee shows the score to be changed, signals bekor and then shows the correct one.
An athlete does not bow. Is the bout started anyway?
No. The referee must require the bow. Refusing to do the correct tazim brings a tanbekh.
How long may an athlete keep the opponent waiting?
Three minutes. After that the opponent is given a khalol.
Why the rule exists
The same few words are used in every country, so athletes and referees need no shared language. The bow comes from the sport's tradition of respect between wrestlers, and the rules make it a duty: a referee must require a bow that is skipped, and refusing to bow properly is a penalty.
Where it differs
| Where | What changes | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Start and restart | "Kurash" | IKA Rules 28.2 |
| Stop | "Tokhta" | IKA Rules 28.3 |
| End of time | "Vakt" | IKA Rules 7.7; 28.12 |
| Cancel or correct | "Bekor" | IKA Rules 28.10 |
| Bow | "Tazim" | IKA Rules 20; 28.1 |
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, 20, 26, 28 and 30. Checked 14 October 2026. Official document: the federation's competition rules (saved as a web page only).