The primary concern of the referees should be the care of the boxers.
9.1. Referees’ Attire
9.1.1. Referees must wear blue or black trousers, and shirts or pullovers with WMC emblem on the left chest pocket.
9.1.2. Referees must wear light shoes without heels.
9.1.3. Referees shall not wear eyeglasses or metal ornaments.
9.1.4. The referees’ fingernails must be closely and neatly cut.
9.2. Referees’ Duties:
9.2.1. To prevent a weaker boxer from receiving undue and unnecessary punishment.
9.2.2. Control that the rules and fair play are strictly observed.
9.2.3. To interpret rules and implementing the rules or to decide or to act upon any situations not provided in the rules.
9.2.4. To closely control the bout at all times.
9.2.5. To inspect the boxer’s gloves, attire and gum shields.
9.2.6. To use three commands as follows:
“หยุด” (YUD): To order the boxers to stop
“แยก” (YAK): To order the boxers to separate from each other. After the YAK command both boxers must step back at least one step before engaging the fight again.
“ชก” (CHOK): To order the boxers to fight.
9.2.7. Referees shall show a clear and proper signal to tell the offending boxer’s fault.
9.2.8. When the referee disqualifies a boxer because of a serious rule violation or he stops the bout, he must notify the Chairman of the ring officials for his reasons.
9.2.9. Referees shall not allow boxers who intentionally violate rules, to gain advantage (e.g. grabbing ropes to kick or knee his opponent, etc.).
9.2.10. Referees shall not engage in any action which may influence the bout in any way, so that the boxers may gain or lose advantage (e.g. fast or slow counting, warning or not warning, etc.).
9.2.11. At the end of the bout, the referee must collect the score cards from the three judges and hand them to the Chairman of the ring officials for inspection.
9.2.12. At the end of the bout, the referee shall bring both boxers to the centre of the ring facing the Chairman’s table. He will then raise the winner’s hand according to the announcement.
9.2.13. Referees shall neither criticize nor give an interview about the future fight results or the past fight results without permission from the WMC Executive Board.
9.3. Referees’ Powers:
9.3.1. To terminate the contest at any stage if he considers it to be one-sided.
9.3.2. To terminate the contest upon seeing that the boxer is too seriously injured to continue the bout. He may consult the ring doctor and he must follow the doctor’s suggestion after consultation.
9.3.3. To terminate the contest upon seeing that the boxer is not in earnest to fight. In this case, either boxer or both may be disqualified.
9.3.4. To stop counting upon seeing that if he continues the count, the boxer may be in danger.
9.3.5. To stop the count when the opponent does not go to the furthest neutral corner or he comes out from the neutral corner before the count is finished.
9.3.6. To stop the fight to warn or caution the boxer who violates rules or for other reasons in order to apply justice or to enforce rules.
9.3.7. To disqualify the boxer who ignores the referee’s commands or who harms the referee or who aggressively offends the referee.
9.3.8. To dismiss from duty the second who disobeys rules. The referee may disqualify the boxer whose second disobeys the referee’s orders.
9.3.9. For the boxer who severely violates rules, the referee has the power to disqualify him or he may declare the bout of “no decision” after warning or cautioning, or even without previous cautioning or warning.
9.3.10. To warn the boxer who violates the rules, the referee must stop the fight before he clearly warns the offending boxer in order that the boxer understands the cause and objective of the warning. The referee must show a hand signal, pointing to the boxer to inform all judges that there is a warning. The referee must disqualify the boxer who has been given three warnings or declare “no decision.” If it is a serious offense, the referee may disqualify him even though there has been no previous caution or warning.
9.3.11. The referee may caution a boxer. A Caution is a procedure to notify the boxer that he must be careful and to prevent the boxer from making a mistake which is against the rules.
9.4. Counting procedure for boxers outside the ring
9.4.1. When a boxer has been attacked by his opponent’s legal weapons, and as a result, has fallen outside the ring, the referee must order his opponent to go to the furthest neutral corner. If the boxer outside the ring is too slow to get into the ring, the referee shall count immediately.
9.4.2. When a boxer, or both, falls outside the ring, the referee shall count to “ยี่สิบ” (20). If the boxer manages to get into the ring before the count of twenty, the bout will continue and the boxer loses no point.
9.4.3. The referee shall stop counting if the boxer that has fallen outside the ring is obstructed or delayed to go up into the ring by any person. The referee shall clearly warn the offender and continue the count. If the offender disobeys, the referee shall stop the bout and inform the Chairman of the ring officials.
9.4.4. When both boxers fall outside the ring, the referee shall count. If either boxer tries to delay getting in the ring, the referee shall stop counting and clearly warn the offender and continue the count. If the offender disobeys, the referee shall disqualify that boxer to lose the fight or of “no decision”.
9.4.5. If both boxers fall outside the ring, the referee is counting and a boxer is able to get back into the ring before the count of twenty, the referee shall declare that boxer the winner. However, if both boxers cannot get back into the ring before the count of twenty, the referee shall declare a draw.