Who officiates a Muay Thai contest?
A · Advanced · The contest · 1 of 5A referee controls the contest in the ring and does not score; three or five judges from other countries score it, and a jury of at least three oversees each bout. Each athlete has one or two seconds, who stay off the ring during rounds and may throw in the towel. The referee's commands are in Thai.
How it works
- Referee: controls the fight; care of the athletes comes first.
- Commands: "Yoot" (stop), "Yaek" (break), "Chock" (fight).
- Judges: three or five, from neutral countries.
- Jury: at least three; can overrule referee and judges.
- Seconds: one or two; only one in the ring in the rest.
- Water: sprayed from a bottle, not by mouth or towel.
- Retiring: a second throws in the towel.
- Contests: one a day, unless IFMA allows more.
The glossary has the referee (Muay Thai), the referee commands (Muay Thai), the judges (Muay Thai), the jury (Muay Thai), the second (Muay Thai) and the contests per day.
Tricky cases
Can a second shout advice during a count?
No. Seconds may not advise during a count, warning or time out.
Can the referee disqualify an athlete for their second's actions?
Yes.
May the towel be thrown during a count?
No.
Can an athlete drink from the opponent's bottle?
No.
Why the rule exists
Neutral judges from other countries guard against national bias. Thai commands keep the sport's language at every level.
Where it differs
| Where | What changes | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Olympic-tier events | Five judges | 21.6.1 |
| Championships | Three or five judges | 21.6.1 |
| Round robin | No two-hour rest rule | 16.4.1 |
From the rule book
IFMA, Rules & Regulations for International Competition, version 3.057, rules 16.4, 17, 21.4 to 21.8, 25.3.2, 26, 27 and 30.11.1. Checked 14 October 2026. Official document: the IFMA Rules & Regulations, version 3.057.