LEAGUE FORMAT

1. There are 8 competitors per weight division

2. Each division is split into 2 Groups of 4 (Group A, Group B)

3. Competitors are guaranteed 3 matches per season in the round robin stage

4. Competitors receive 3 points for a win by KO, 2 points for a win by decision, 1 point for a draw, zero points for a loss. At the end of the round robin stage, in the event of a tie, the tiebreaker shall awarded based on the head to head result of the tied competitors. If those competitors have fought to a draw in their head to head match, the tiebreaker shall be the total number of points accumulated per fight from the judges scorecard.

5. At the completion of the round robin stage, the top 2 competitors in each group advance to the semi-final elimination stage with GROUP A #1 vs GROUP B #2, and GROUP B #1 vs GROUP A #2.*

6. The competitors who advance to the final playoff round, will compete for the World MuayThai Council World Title & MPL World Championship in their respective weight class.*

7. The bottom 4 competitors which accumulate the least amount of points at the end of the round robin stage (in each division) will face regulation at season's end, and the MPL will draft 4 new competitors per weight division for the following season.

* There Shall be no draws in the elimination stage

SCORING

A Muay Thai fight is like a long distance race; it is judged as a whole.  The amount by which each fighter has won each round is added up at the end and compared to determine the winner of the fight.

Fighters score points by using effective Muay Thai techniques with punches, kicks, knees & elbows, as well as mental strength, physical condition and technical ability.

The scoring factors, in order of importance, are:

1. The fighter that lands the most clean kicks and knees on their opponent’s body

2. The fighter who uses punches and leg kicks that show real effect on the opponent

3. The fighter who does the most damage to their opponent (ie. exhaustion and/or cuts)

4. If the skill level is the same, the fighter who attacks more

5. The fighter with better offensive, defensive, evasion and/or counter-attacking skills

6. The fighter who commits the fewest fouls

7. The fighter who wins a round in dominant fashion will earn 10 points for that round from the judges. The fighter who loses the round will earn 9 points. The fighter who gets knocked down in a round will lose 2 points, and thus receive 8 points for the round. Additional knock downs deduct further points. The fighter with the highest total points at the end of the match is awarded the victory, unless knocked out.

* There Shall be no draws in the elimination stage

THE RING

Item 1: THE RING.

The ring shall be constructed as follows:

1.1. Size: A square with each side the following dimension: Small size 20-feet (6.10 metres); Large size-24-feet (7.30 metres), to be measured within the ropes.

1.2. Floor And Corner: Must be well constructed with no obstructions and with a minimum extension outside the ring of at least 3 feet (91 cm). The minimum floor height should be 4 feet (1.22 metres) with a maximum of 5 feet (1.48 metres) from the building floor. The corner posts should have a diameter of between four (10.00 cm) to five inches (12.70cm) with a height of 58 inches (1.47 metres) from the ring floor. All four posts must be properly cushioned.

1.3. Ring Floor: The floor must be padded by either cushioning, rubber, soft cloth, rubber mat, or similar material with a minimum thickness of 1 inch (2.50 cm) and a maximum of 1.5 inch (3.7 cm). The padding should be completely covered by a canvas cloth.

1.4. Ropes: Consisting of four ropes with a minimum diameter of 1.20 inches (3 cms) and a maximum of 2 inches (5 cms), stretched and linked to the four corner posts. The distance from the ring floor to the lower rope will be 18 inches (46 cm), to the 2nd rope 30 inches (76 cm), to the 3rd rope 42 inches (107 cm) and the top rope 54 inches (137 cm) respectively. The rope will be covered by a soft or cushioned material . Each rope will be joined together by two strong cords of 1.20-1.60 inches (3-4 cms) diameter and are at equal distance from each other.

1.5. Ring Steps: At least three (3) sets are required. The width of each step should be at least 3.50 feet (1.07 metres). One set is located at each corner and a third shall be positioned centrally for the doctor and other officials.

1.6. Plastic Bin: To be located at the fighter's corner for the disposal of tissues, bandages or any other garbage.