Things to Expect:

1. Tournament rings will be visible and specific
2. Ring assignments can be found on the TA Event App. See your instructor for the download to add to your smart device.
3. Arrive at your assigned ring 15-20 minutes early.
4. We begin with patterns. Competitors will be called one at a time to do their pattern. Competitors may do their previous pattern as long as the new rank was achieved at last testing (i.e. a purple belt who received their rank during the August testing cycle may perform Won-Hyo at the September National Tournament). Scores will be awarded by the 3 judges when competitor is finished. We score on a tenth of a point scale.
5. If the judges ask for the pattern to be redone the student has the option. The penalty is 1 point overall deducted from score.
6. The Ring Supervisor will double check scores, update the app, and proceed to one steps/free sparring if there are no ties. Ties will be settled by having the competitors redo their forms (with no penalty) and new scores assigned to “break” the tie. Ties for 1^st and 2^nd will be awarded 8s and 9s. Ties for 3^rd and 4^th will be awarded 7s and 8s.
7. Our sparring brackets are a modified double elimination format. This means that a competitor must lose twice to be fully eliminated from sparring competition. Modified means that a competitor may not “win their way” back into gold medal consideration.
8. Points are awarded by judges for either the best one-step or for legal contact to target areas during free sparring. Matches are for 1 minute.
9. In the case of a tie in sparring: points reset to 0 but warnings do not. Each tie break session is 15 seconds and will continue until a clear winner is declared based on points.
10. Medals are awarded after the ring is complete.
11. Board Breaking, although done in the taekwondo school, will receive medals at the designated Board Breaking table at the tournament.