Levels of Taekwondo Competition
Tournament Sanctioning & Taekwondo Union Membership
Scoring for Poomse (Forms) Competition
Olympic Sparring Rules & Scoring
U.S. Team Selection
LEVELS OF TAEKWONDO COMPETITION
State/Local Level Competition:
In-House Tournament (developmental)
Intra-Club Tournament (invitational/developmental)
Open Championship Tournament (regional/non-qualifier)
State Collegiate Championship Tournament
State Championships/Olympics (Jr./Sr. Qualifier Tournaments for National Level Competition)
National Level Competition:
Junior Nationals/Olympics (Qualifier Tournament for Jr. National Team)
National Collegiate Championship Tournament
Senior National Championships (Qualifier Tournament for National Team Trials)
U.S. Open Championships Tournament
U.S. National Team Trials (Sr.)
International Level Competiton:
International Exchange Program
International Goodwill Matches
World Games
World Cup
Open Taekwondo Championships (Regional)
World Taekwondo Championships (Jr./Sr.)
Olympic Games
TOURNAMENT SANCTIONING
Sanctioning Organizations (leagues) provide standardized rules and procedures for competition, as well as secondary medical and liability insurance for events and practices.
The two primary Organizations (Unions) providing sanctioning for Taekwondo events in the U.S. are the United States of America Taekwondo (USAT) and the Amateur Athletic Union (AAU). Membership is required for participation eligibility in all Sanctioned events.
>>more about Taekwondo unions
Cost of Membership in the U.S.A.T. runs $35 per year for competitors of all ages, with the membership year being January 1st through December 31st.
Cost of Membership in the A.A.U. runs $12 per year for youths 19 and under, and $22 per year for adults 20 & over. Membership year runs from September 1st through August 31st.
SCORING FOR POOMSE (FORMS) COMPETITION
The Referee and Judges shall award a score, on a scale of five to ten, ten being the highest, to contestant by displaying the score card. Anyone under Blackbelt may begin a pattern a second time with a two-tenths(.2) deduction from the total score (not each individual Judge's score).
Competition will be divided by Age, Belt rank, and Gender (at 7 years of age and older).
United States Taekwondo (USAT)
(Eligible Poomse are internationally recognized Palgwe, Taeguek, and WTF Blackbelt Forms only.)
Judges and Referees will award scores on the basis of the following merits:
1. Correct and orderly execution of each movement.
2. Degree of proficiency will be judged on the basis of:
a. Beginning and ending the poomse at the same spot.
b. Executing powerful and speedy techniques by tensing and relaxing muscles at the proper moment.
c. Mental concentration.
d. Focused eye and head movements.
e. Acurate targets.
f. Inhaling and exhaling at the proper moment.
g. Balance.
h. Rhythm.
i. Synchronization of entire body movements.
j. Taekwondoistic attitude.
Amateur Athletic Union Taekwondo (AAU)
(Eligible Poomse are all WTF, ITF, ATA, MDK/TSD Forms.)
Merit will be awarded on the basis of beauty, grace, rhythm, focus, power, and technique.
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