Olympiques : Comment comptabiliser les points au Taekwondo Olympique

Olympics: How to Score Points in Olympic Taekwondo

January 13, 2025 Pascal Cadorette

Watching Taekwondo at the Olympics and having trouble understanding how points are scored? The game can move extremely quickly and it can quickly become difficult to follow the progress of a bout.

So, with this complete guide, you will be able to understand, down to the smallest details, how the point system works in Olympic Taekwondo. In this article, you will find how the point system works as well as the penalty system to better understand how a fight takes place.

Taekwondo is a Korean martial art that combines striking and acrobatic kicking techniques. As you will quickly realize, it is a very particular style of karate, very focused on kicks. During the Olympic Games, fighters compete on a tatami mat and score points by performing precise techniques. Referees use a complex scoring system to determine the winners and losers of each fight.

There are kicks that are worth different points, such as body kicks, head kicks, and spinning kicks. By understanding how the scoring system works, you will be able to easily follow the fights and appreciate the athletes' performances.

Olympic Taekwondo is governed by the World Taekwondo Federation (WTF) and follows strict rules to ensure fair and safe play. Combatants wear protective gear, including headgear, chest guards, shin guards and forearm guards, to minimize the risk of injury.

Olympic Taekwondo takes place in 3 rounds of 2 minutes each. Since it is a combat sport, the objective of the fight is to hit your opponent to score points and win the rounds. Each fighter wears an electronic chest protector that records the strikes that the karateka receives. So, we understand that the strikes must be strong enough for the chest protector to record them.

To score points, there are several types of strikes and several strike zones. Body and head strikes are valued and earn different points:

Strike zone: Kicks and punches must be delivered to the permitted areas of the opponent's body. Striking zones include the chest, stomach, face and head. Blows delivered outside of these areas are not counted.
Points: Points are awarded based on the accuracy, power and technique of the shots. Different types of shots are worth different points.
Penalties: Fighters may receive penalties for actions such as intentional falling, attacking below the belt, attacking after the pause signal, or unsportsmanlike behavior. Penalties may result in point deductions or even disqualification.

Duration of fights: Olympic Taekwondo bouts typically last 3 rounds of 2 minutes each, with a one-minute break between each round. In the event of a tie at the end of regulation time, an additional period called "Golden Point" is contested to determine the winner.

The karateka who gets the most points after 3 rounds is declared the winner!

The Olympic Taekwondo scoring system is based on the precise and powerful blows delivered by the fighters to the different areas and parts of the body. A kick does not have the same value as a punch.

Points are awarded based on the area hit and the type of hit made.

Here is the chart of points awarded for each type of shot:

Valid punch to the torso: 1 point
Valid kick to the torso: 2 points
Valid spinning kick to the torso: 4 points
Valid kick to the head: 3 points
Valid spinning kick to the head: 5 points
One point awarded for each penalty (called gam-jeom) inflicted on the opponent

Points are counted in real time by electronic sensors embedded in the guards worn by the fighters. Referees check the points scored by the fighters and also use slow-motion cameras to confirm the decisions.

At the end of the fight, the fighter who scored the most points is declared the winner. In the event of a tie, criteria such as the number of hits scored, warnings received and dominance during the fight are taken into account to determine the winner.

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