What attacks are illegal in taekwondo?
A · Advanced · Penalties · 2 of 5Kicking below the waist, hitting the head with the hand or arm, butting, attacking with the knee, attacking an opponent who is down and attacking after the referee has called "Kal-yeo". Each is a gam-jeom. If the foul leaves the opponent unable to continue after a minute, the athlete who committed it loses the contest.
How it works
- Below the waist: any attack on any part below the waist.
- Caused by the receiver: no penalty when the low contact is caused by the receiver during an exchange.
- Hand to the head: with the fist, wrist, arm or elbow.
- The receiver's carelessness: unavoidable contact caused by the opponent lowering the head too far or turning carelessly is not punished.
- Butting and the knee: intentional butting or kneeing at close range.
- A fallen opponent: penalised when intentional, "regardless of the degree of impact".
- After the break: an attack after "Kal-yeo" that makes contact with the opponent's body.
- Started in time: if the attacking motion began before "Kal-yeo", it is not penalised.
- On replay: "Kal-yeo" is timed from the referee's arm being fully extended, and the attack from the foot being fully off the floor.
- A miss with malice: an attack after the break that does not land but looks deliberate and malicious may still be penalised.
- If the opponent cannot go on: the athlete who caused the injury by a prohibited act is declared the loser.
The glossary has the prohibited acts entry, gam-jeom, the permitted techniques and areas entry, the referee's commands, the knock down entry and the instant video replay.
Tricky cases
An athlete ducks into a punch aimed at the trunk and is hit in the face. Is it a gam-jeom?
Not if the contact was unavoidable and caused by the opponent "excessively lowering the head".
A kick is already on its way when the referee calls "Kal-yeo" and it lands. Is it penalised?
No. An attack that started before the call is not penalised.
An athlete knocks the opponent out with a punch to the head. Who wins?
The opponent, if they cannot continue after one minute. An athlete who causes the injury by a prohibited act is declared the loser.
A kick after the break misses completely. Is there a penalty?
Only if the referee judges that it appeared deliberate and malicious.
Why the rule exists
The rule book explains the ban on attacking a fallen opponent in two lines: the athlete on the floor is defenceless, and a blow lands harder on someone in that position. The same thinking covers the head, which may be kicked but not punched, and the legs an athlete stands on.
Where it differs
| Where | What changes | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Any contest | Each act is a gam-jeom | WT Article 14.4.1.6 to 14.4.1.10 |
| Opponent cannot continue | The athlete who fouled loses | WT Article 19.1.4 |
| A foul followed by an attack after the break | A second gam-jeom may be given | WT Article 14.4.1.13 (g) |
| Coach's video replay | Available for attacks after "Kal-yeo" and on a fallen opponent | WT Article 21.1 (i) |
From the rule book
World Taekwondo, Competition Rules & Interpretation (in force 1 June 2026), Article 14.4.1 with Explanation 1 (vi) to (x), and Article 19.1.4. Checked 14 October 2026. Official document: WT Competition Rules & Interpretation, 1 June 2026 (PDF).