Board Bulletins

This page contains information and analysis on a variety of topics. It is intended to help club management committees understand the data underpinning your student sport federation’s policies and regulations.

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Weigh-in regulations

Weigh-in requirements for martial arts and combat sports

Weigh-in rules exist to protect the safety of competitors in a weight mediated combat sport. For this reason, you will find extremely similar rules are applied by all IOC recognised combat sports and major multinational bodies regarding the operation of weigh-ins.
The competition rules, including weigh-in rules, are published in advance on the BSTF Taekwondo competition rules and regulations page
The competition rules require that all adult competitors weigh-in wearing only underwear (men: underpants, women: underpants and bra) to ensure an accurate reading. The most accurate body-weight measurement possible is required to confirm each athlete meets the minimum and does not exceed the maximum weight permitted for their division of entry. If an athlete fails to make weight for their division of entry they have the option to change their division of entry, to the one matching their bodyweight, at the weigh-in and accreditation session.
The same weigh-in rules are stipulated in World Taekwondo’s rule set (article 9.3)
The same weigh-in rules are stipulated in International Judo Federation’s rule set (section 6.3)
The same weigh-in rules are stipulated in World Karate Federation’s rule set (appendix 13)
As listed in the weigh-in rules, clothing worn for medical or religious reasons may be worn but will be examined by the weigh-in operators to confirm this has no material impact on the competitor’s weight
As listed in the weigh-in rules, to protect the privacy of the competitors, weigh-ins are conducted in closed spaces, and supervisors and assistants shall be of the same sex as the competitors. Additionally, a privacy screen is available.
As listed in the weigh-in rules, competitors may request the weigh-in room be emptied of all personnel except themselves and the weigh-in operators before completing their weigh-in.
As listed in the weigh-in rules, competitors must not remove their clothing until they are in the weigh-in room. Sports clothing, boxing style dressing gowns or similar may be worn while waiting for weigh-in but shall be removed before stepping on the scales.
As listed in the weigh-in rules, athletes may attempt to make weight an unlimited number of times during the registration period(s), but must re-join the queue for the weigh-in room each time.
As listed in the weigh-in rules, all accreditation and weigh-in desks operated by members of the same sex. BSTF personnel must work in pairs or greater, and are not permitted to operate weigh-in desks alone.
BSTF’s event safeguarding lead oversees the operation of weigh-in and accreditation desks. Any safeguarding concerns may be reported to the advertised event safeguarding lead, or via the BSTF safeguarding report form.
A weigh-in desk may be temporarily closed, with the event safeguarding lead confirming all participants are fully clothed, if an official or technician is required to attend e.g., an equipment malfunction.
BSTF uses advanced scales which are significantly more precise than domestic scales. A calibration weight is used to calibrate these scales. A maximum -/+50 g variance allowance for players being under/ over their weight division at the weigh-in which is strictly applied.
Given the potential dangers associated with varying methods of reducing body mass in all instances student athletes should seek professional guidance from either a registered dietician or SENr registered sport nutritionist where possible. Coaches and athletes are encouraged to attend our Strength and Conditioning for Taekwondo Athletes Course which includes an athlete nutrition and weight-making module, where guidance is provided by our course leader Dr Carl Langan-Evans, a researcher in the field of safe and effective body mass loss for combat sport athletes.
BSTF recommends that coaches and athletes adopt an evidence based approach, monitoring their athletes’ weight over time and plan for competition well in advance. Penalty fees for weight division changes are in place at BSTF Taekwondo Championships events to encourage forward planning and discourage inaccurate weight division entries.
BSTF recommends that club committees and contracted coaches improve weight monitoring and selection such that no division changes at weigh-in need occur
At present levels of weight division changes, it takes around two hours to process division changes and re-calculate the competition draw at any given BSTF Autumn, Winter or Spring Championships. Therefore, it is essential to put in place a disincentive to inaccurate weight division entries, to protect our tournament participants from associated delays and overruns.

Fees for weight division changes

How weight division changes impact events

Administering weight division changes at huge tournaments like our BSTF National Championships Series competitions takes a significant amount of time: Each division switch must be input sequentially, pre-draw data re-reviewed, the draw re-calculated, and finally all divisions re-assigned across all of the courts to create an efficient scheduling and match interleaving based on the new division populations.
Because of the popularity of the BSTF National Championships Series, an average of 4% of athletes requiring a category change represents a high absolute number of changes that must be processed
If this proportion were to increase to 8% it would lead to significantly delayed start times for the sparring event, and later finish times for all athletes and clubs
Based on extensive experience, spanning 1986 to the present day, it has been proven vital to have in place an appropriate penalty for athletes failing to make weight, in order to discourage unrealistic or imprecise weight division entries by athletes
While the fastest solution would be to allow no division changes and disqualify athletes failing to make weight, BSTF allow weight division changes (with a change of category fee) so as to not disappoint novice athletes who may not have been educated about weight monitoring, or athletes who had used a inaccurate bathroom type scale, or other mishaps we want to provide allowances for at this level
BSTF must balance a financial penalty which is sufficiently high to discourage unrealistic or imprecise weight entries, while being sufficiently low to not prevent an athlete who made a mistake in their entry from taking part
BSTF strive for the day that no weight division changes are recorded at weigh-in and accreditation – we ideally do not want to charge athletes a fee, but the only alternatives would be to disqualify athletes failing to make weight or reduce entry caps (unappealingly, this would require reductions regardless of available court numbers, because of the sequential nature of division change processing), either of which would mean fewer competitors, less competition and overall negatively impact the event
A scale tolerance of +/- 50 g is already permitted at BSTF weight-in and accreditation, based on the tolerances of our professional grade scales
Athletes entering any weight mediated combat sport events should monitor their weight over time leading up to an event and enter the correct weight division
We highly encourage university club committees/ students’ and athletic unions/ and sports departments to assist athletes by maintaining high quality scales available for club members to use at any time
*There is no fee to change weight division if you contact us before entry closing date to request a change — please monitor your weight and contact us if you need to switch weight division