How is a silambam fight decided?
B · Beginner · The stick fight · 4 of 4Five judges each fill in a score card out of 20 for red and blue and send it to the ring chairman. The chairman drops the highest and lowest cards and averages the other three. The announcer calls the winner as the referee raises their hand. A fighter who knocks the opponent's staff away wins outright.
How it works
- Judges: five score cards.
- Score: out of 20.
- Dropped: highest and lowest.
- Kept: three cards, averaged.
- Counted by: ring chairman.
- Announced: by the announcer.
- Hand raised: by the referee.
- Staff knocked away: outright win.
The glossary has the winning a bout, the judges (silambam), the ring chairman, the announcer, recorder and timekeeper, the rounds and time and the team championship (school games).
Tricky cases
How does a WSA fight end with no clear point win?
By decision: at least three of five referees must agree.
What can a WSA decision reward?
Superior technique and fighting spirit.
After the result, what do the fighters do?
Shake hands at the referee's signal.
Where do the marks go?
The recorder enters them in the record book.
Why the rule exists
Dropping the extreme cards stops one judge's view from deciding the result.
Where it differs
| Where | What changes | Source |
|---|---|---|
| School games | Average of three cards | L S 4 |
| WSA | Three of five referees | L W 21.4 |
| Both | Staff knocked away | L S 4.24 |
From the rule book
SGFI Silambam Rules and WSA Silambam Sports Rules: SGFI chapter 4, scoring method and officials' duties; WSA article 21.4. Checked 15 October 2026. Official documents: SGFI Silambam Rules; WSA Silambam Sports Rules (web page).