Can a sanda fighter or coach stop the fight?
A · Advanced · Fouls and results · 2 of 3Yes.
How it works
- Coach's default: where there is "a great disparity in strength and ability", the coach may raise the default plate for the fighter's safety.
- Fighter's default: by raising a hand or stepping off the platform of their own accord.
- Injury or illness: confirmed by the appointed doctor. The fighter takes no further part, and the ranking reached so far stands.
- Failed weigh-in: treated the same way.
- Groundless default: missing the weigh-in, failing to answer three roll-calls before a bout, leaving the designated area after roll-call or not arriving on time.
- The cost of a groundless default: all the fighter's results in the competition are cancelled.
- In the corner: the coach may have one assistant coach or team doctor, in official attire, seated at the designated spot.
- Staying put: fighters may not leave the field of play before the result is announced, except for a medical emergency.
The glossary has the default, the bout, the absolute victory, the weight class, the sanda officials and sanda.
Tricky cases
A fighter breaks a hand in the semi-final and cannot fight the final. Do they keep a medal place?
Yes. With the doctor's confirmation it is a default, and "the ranking achieved up to that point will still be considered as valid".
A fighter oversleeps and misses the third roll-call. What is lost?
Everything. It is a groundless default, and all results attained in the competition are cancelled.
Can a fighter stop the bout without the coach?
Yes. The fighter may raise a hand or voluntarily step off the platform.
Can a coach shout instructions from anywhere round the platform?
No. The coach must remain seated at the designated spot, with at most one assistant or the team doctor.
Why the rule exists
The coach's plate is a safety valve. The person who knows the fighter best can end a mismatch without waiting for the officials. The rule on groundless defaults protects the event: an opponent, a schedule and an audience are all let down by a fighter who does not appear.
Where it differs
| Where | What changes | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Default for injury, illness or a failed weigh-in | No further bouts; ranking kept | Sanda Rules, General Regulations (slide 23) |
| Default by the coach or the fighter | Bout lost | Sanda Rules, General Regulations (slide 23) |
| Groundless default | All results cancelled | Sanda Rules, General Regulations (slide 24) |
| Taolu | Missing a roll-call is a forfeit of that event | See the taolu set |
From the rule book
International Wushu Federation, Sanda Rules and Judging Methods (2017 rules, as set out in the federation's 2023 judges' training course slides), General Regulations (default, conduct and coaches). Checked 14 October 2026. Official document: the federation's Sanda Competition Rules and Judging Methods (not saved; a training copy was used).