Who referees a sanda bout?
A · Advanced · Fouls and results · 3 of 3A platform judge stands on the platform with the fighters and controls the bout with two calls: "Kaishi" to start and "Ting" to stop. Three or five sideline judges sit round the platform and score. A head judge oversees them and can correct a misjudgement, and a jury of appeals hears protests.
How it works
- Platform judge: starts and stops the fight and gives counts, penalties and orders to attack.
- "Kaishi": start. "Ting": stop.
- Sideline judges: three or five. They score each round.
- Head judge: may correct a misjudgement or omission, and approves a stoppage for great disparity.
- Timekeeper: runs the watch between the two calls and sounds the gong.
- When the fight is stopped: a fall, a fall off the platform, a penalty, an injury, a two-second clinch, a time-out request, a dangerous situation or a problem with the lights or scoring system.
- Salutes: the palm-and-fist salute to the coaches, to each other and, after the result, to the platform judge.
- Appeals: in writing by the team leader or coach, within 15 minutes of the end of the fighter's bout, with a fee of US$200.
The glossary has the sanda officials, the ting and kaishi calls, the palm-and-fist salute, the appeal, the forcible count and the bout.
Tricky cases
Does the platform judge decide who wins a round?
No. The sideline judges' scoring decides a round. The platform judge manages the fight and its penalties.
A fighter thinks a clear kick was missed by the judges. Can they stop and protest?
No. Fighters must obey the officials' decisions and may not show discontent. A protest is made by the coach or team leader, in writing, after the bout.
Can a wrong call be corrected during the bout?
Yes. The match is stopped "when the head judge corrects a misjudgment or omission".
What do the fighters do when the result is announced?
They change places first, then salute each other, then the platform judge, then each other's coaches.
Why the rule exists
The jobs are split so that the official closest to the fighters keeps them safe and the officials sitting still keep the score. The platform judge is moving, watching for fouls and injuries. The sideline judges see the same exchange from different sides, which evens out blind spots.
Where it differs
| Where | What changes | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Sanda | One platform judge; three or five sideline judges | Sanda Rules, Competition Officials (slide 29) |
| Appeals in sanda | 15 minutes; US$200; fee returned if upheld | Sanda Rules, Jury of Appeals (slide 28) |
| Taolu | Seated panels in three groups; no official on the mat | See the taolu set |
| Appeals in taolu | The same time and fee, on three listed matters only | 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), Jury of Appeals, Competition Officials, Match Stoppage (Article 7) and the etiquette regulations. Checked 14 October 2026. Official document: the federation's Sanda Competition Rules and Judging Methods (not saved; a training copy was used).