How does the best-of-three system work in taekwondo?
B · Beginner · The contest and the score · 4 of 6Each of the three rounds is its own small contest, and the athlete who wins two rounds wins the match. There is no golden round. A round tied on points is decided by superiority, starting with who scored more points from turning kicks. Five gam-jeom in one round lose that round.
How it works
- The match score: "the sum of the number of round won of the three rounds".
- Round winners: the referee declares the winner of each round.
- A tied round, first test: "Most points scored by turning or spinning kick."
- Second test: more scores of the higher-value kind, in the order head, trunk, punch, gam-jeom.
- Third test: more hits registered by the electronic system.
- Last test: the officials decide.
- Five gam-jeom: an athlete given five in a round loses that round.
- Ten gam-jeom: still loses the whole contest, counted across the rounds.
- A big lead: a round is stopped when one athlete leads it by a set margin. The rule book gives 15 points in one place and 12 in another.
- Not in the last two matches: that margin is not applied in senior semi-finals and finals.
The glossary has the best of three entry, the round, the superiority entry, the turning kick, gam-jeom and the win by point gap entry.
Tricky cases
Blue wins round one 12-2 and red wins rounds two and three 3-2 and 4-3. Who wins?
Red, two rounds to one. Total points do not matter in this system.
A round ends 6-6. Blue scored with a turning kick to the trunk and red did not use one. Who takes the round?
Blue, on the first superiority test.
An athlete is given five gam-jeom in round one. Is the match over?
No. They lose round one and the contest goes on. Ten gam-jeom in total would end it.
What lead ends a round early?
The rule book is not consistent: one explanation says fifteen points and another says twelve.
Why the rule exists
Under a running total, an athlete who built a large lead early could spend the rest of the match avoiding contact. Starting every round at zero makes each one worth fighting for and keeps a contest alive until two rounds are won.
Where it differs
| Where | What changes | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Best of three | Rounds won decide the match | WT Article 12.4.1; 16 Explanation 2 |
| Tied round | Turning-kick points, then higher-value scores, then registered hits | WT Article 15.5 |
| Five gam-jeom in a round | Round lost | WT Article 14.7.1 |
| Round point gap | 15 points (Explanation 3) or 12 points (Explanation 8) | WT Article 16 |
From the rule book
World Taekwondo, Competition Rules & Interpretation (in force 1 June 2026), Articles 7.1.2, 14.7, 15.5 and 16. Checked 14 October 2026. Official document: WT Competition Rules & Interpretation, 1 June 2026 (PDF).