As of this year, the head gear rules for sparring at the Rotterdam Taekwon-Do Cup have changed. Following our affiliation with a different ITF organization, head protection is no longer mandatory for all age categories under the current federation rules.

To keep our tournament as safe as possible, we have decided on the following:

• Youth and Pre-Juniors: head gear remains mandatory.
• Juniors, Seniors and Veterans: head gear is no longer mandatory, but we strongly recommend wearing it during sparring matches.

Even with controlled contact, the head remains a vulnerable area, and head gear helps reduce the risk of injury during competition.

We want every competitor to leave the tournament feeling as good as they arrived — safety always comes first at the Rotterdam Taekwon-Do Cup.

We ask all coaches, clubs and competitors to take this recommendation seriously and bring head gear to the tournament, regardless of age category.

If you have any questions about the sparring rules, feel free to reach out to us.