You must be licensed to be a timekeeper for the International Kickboxing Federation. To receive the license, you must prove to the IKF that you have either taken an IKF certification course or you have been approved by an IKF official due to your extensive background in kickboxing. Timing for kickboxing requires attention to detail and focus. The timekeeper must keep his eyes on the timer and the fight at all times. The timekeeper's two main duties are: keeping track of the time for each bout and assisting the referee if a fighter goes down during the bout.
Step 1
Know the specifics of the fight before you get there. If it is an amateur nontitle fight, then there will be three, two-minute rounds with a one-minute break between rounds. Amateur state title fights have four, two-minute rounds with a one-minute break, and national title fights will have five, two-minute rounds with a one-minute break. Pro fights will always be two-minute rounds; however, the number of rounds can range from five to 12 depending on the types of fights. MuayThai can have one-, one-and-a-half- or two-minute breaks between rounds depending on what the fighters agree to.
Step 2
Set up the necessary equipment. Place the whistle, stop watches and hammer or slap paddle on the table where you will be doing the time keeping. The IKF bell must be hung no higher than the floor level of the ring. The setup of recording equipment is the timekeeper's responsibility. Most bouts, however, will not require the use of sound and recording equipment.
Step 3
Watch the fight. One of the duties of the timekeeper is to aid the referee if a fighter is knocked down. As soon as a fighter hits the floor, intentionally or not, the timekeeper must raise her hand and begin the count with her fingers. The referee will look to the timekeeper for the count and will pick up the count from that point on.
Step 4
Keep track of the time. The timekeeper's other responsibility is to time the fight's rounds and breaks. Use the whistle when 10 seconds of a break remain. Use the hammer or slap paddle when there is 10 seconds left in the round. Hit the canvas three times loudly to denote the amount of time remaining.
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