Competition Poomsae
Poomsae forms a key component of training and is an important aspect of grading exams, but it can also be performed competitively. Rules and competitions vary between styles and governing bodies, but poomsae competitions are usually available at club, national and international levels. The information on this page will give you an overview of the most common setups and scoring guidelines found in competitive poomsae, but please remember this may not be accurate for your particular style or association. If in doubt, please consult your instructor and find more information from the relevant governing body for Taekwondo in your style.
Depending on the competition you might choose your own pattern to perform, use the one for your current grade or one of the judges choosing. As well as individual patterns, some competitions will include categories for creative patterns, poomsae with a weapon, or synchronised patterns where you will perform with a partner or small team.
Format
Cut Off System
This format uses preliminary rounds as well as a semi-final and final round to decide who has won. Preliminary rounds are only used with a lot of competitors and the top 50% from each round will progress to the next round. Advancement is based on the highest points scored. Different patterns may be required in each round.
Elimination
The opponent is decided randomly or by seeding. Both competitors enter the ring together with one blue and the other red. Each performs a pattern and judges will decide the winner. The other competitor is eliminated immediately. The winners will then be randomly matched again and this continues until the final.
Round Robin
Each competitor competes against every other competitor and two will perform at once. The overall winner is decided based on the judge’s score.
Scoring
The scoring information shown in the table is to give a basic idea of how patterns are scored in competitions. It’s important to note that rules and scoring guidelines are regularly updated and that club level competitions are more likely to use a simplified version than high-level competitions would.
Recognised pattern shows the total score possible for performing a preset pattern (taegeuk patterns, Koryo etc.). This score is then broken down into 4.0 for accuracy, and 6.0 for presentation. The presentation score is broken down into 3 sub-sections which are each scored out of 2.0. This method of scoring may vary considerably between clubs, organisations and levels of competition, but is a good starting point to understanding competitive poomsae.
