Every new sport has a moment when the casual viewer asks the same question: "OK, but what are the rules?" With robot fighting, the question matters twice as much, because the rulebook is what separates a structured sport from two expensive machines breaking each other for clicks.

This guide follows EngineAI's official V2.0.0 Detailed Competition Rules, rather than relying on reports of earlier exhibition bouts. If you landed here before reading the basics, our pillar explainer on what URKL is covers the league and its shared robot platform. For a round-by-round viewing guide, pair this with how a robot fight actually works.

Rule zero: standardized T800 hardware

The foundation of the competition is the EngineAI T800 platform. Teams cannot simply arrive with unrelated home-built chassis or a larger machine. Registered robots must pass inspection and comply with the official weight and dimensional requirements.

Each team may register up to three T800 robots per match. That does not mean three machines fight simultaneously: standard matches are one-on-one, and reserves provide replacement options under the rules. Special showcases, such as Shanghai's multi-robot finale, should not be confused with the standard championship format.

For a fan, the shared platform shifts attention toward preparation, software, movement quality and tactics. Hardware still matters enormously, but teams begin with the same fundamental body rather than an open engineering arms race.

What teams are allowed to change

URKL encourages teams to develop their own competitive solutions, but the V2 rules make approval and inspection central:

  • Appearance and hardware changes require organizer approval. Protective or cosmetic work is not an automatic free pass, and every robot must still meet the official specifications.
  • Teams develop their own control programs. Software packages must be submitted for review, and teams cannot simply use the official programs as their competition programs.
  • Several control methods are permitted. Remote control, teleoperation and autonomous policies can all be used under the inspection and supervision framework.

Before a match, teams must disable Wi-Fi on participating robots and report for inspection at least 30 minutes before the start. After the match, organizers can secure the robots for post-match software inspection.

What is forbidden

Dangerous modifications, weapons and undeclared weapons are prohibited. Using an undeclared weapon in the arena leads to immediate disqualification. This is humanoid striking competition, not BattleBots with blades or spinners.

Passivity is also regulated. Deliberately avoiding combat, disengaging to evade the contest or falling without being struck can bring escalating penalties:

  1. first offence: a warning;
  2. second offence: a five-point deduction in the current round;
  3. third offence: loss of the match.

That gives teams a reason to engage rather than protect a narrow lead by running down the clock.

Rounds and rest intervals

Under the V2.0.0 knockout-stage rules, standard matches use ROUND3:

  • three rounds;
  • five minutes per round;
  • three-minute rest intervals between rounds.

The third-place match uses ROUND5, meaning five rounds under the same round and rest durations. Each team also receives one technical timeout of up to three minutes per round, subject to the referee's confirmation and the detailed conditions below.

These are the published knockout-stage rules. They should not be retroactively applied to every earlier exhibition or special public showcase.

How strikes are scored

Valid scoring targets are the head, torso and legs. Contact with the opponent's arms scores no points, and the referee and judge jointly confirm scoring actions.

  • Valid punch: 1 point. The elbow or lower arm contacts a valid scoring area.
  • Valid kick: 2 points. The knee or lower leg contacts a valid scoring area.
  • Critical strike: 5 points. A legal kick contacts the head, defined as the neck and above. Ordinary kick points are not added to the same strike.
  • Taunt, celebration or interaction: 1 point. The action must last at least three seconds, happen while the opponent is down during a count, and is limited to once per round.

The V2 scoring table does not assign a separate three-point score to every knockdown. A knockdown matters through the count, possible technical timeout, round result and potential knockout—not through an automatic three-point addition.

Knockdowns, counts and technical timeouts

A robot is considered down when any part of its body other than the soles of its feet touches the floor. The referee immediately begins a 30-second count, and the attacking robot must retreat to a neutral corner.

If the downed robot stands unassisted and resumes a fighting stance before the count expires, competition continues. If it cannot, the match clock stops and that team's technical timeout for the round begins automatically.

The team then has three minutes to repair or adjust the robot in the arena, or introduce a registered reserve. If no robot can continue when the available options expire, the team loses by knockout. Replacement during a round is otherwise prohibited unless the referee identifies an evident malfunction; a replaced robot cannot return to the same match.

A team can also request its technical timeout with a T-shaped hand signal, but it starts only when confirmed by the referee. Requests during active engagement are not accepted. If the robot cannot return before the timeout expires, the team loses the round.

How rounds and matches are decided

The higher score wins a round. If scores are tied, the team with more critical strikes wins; otherwise, the round is a draw.

After a completed match, the team with more round wins takes the contest. If round wins are equal, the successive tiebreakers are:

  1. total score across the match;
  2. total critical strikes;
  3. unused technical-timeout time.

A knockout takes priority over those calculations. If every criterion remains tied, the match is declared a draw. Our tactical guide to how URKL fights are won turns those rules into practical lessons for viewers.

Why the version and event format matter

Rules in a young sport evolve, and the opening-night exhibition does not provide a reliable template for every later contest. EngineAI states that substantive rule revisions will be announced at least seven business days before taking effect. The linked official document remains the authoritative reference for teams.

Public showcases can also use unusual formats. Shanghai's two-against-one finale demonstrated coordination and entertainment, but it did not replace the official one-on-one knockout rules. When watching a new clip, check whether it comes from a championship match, an exhibition or a commercial tour event.

Your next reads: the pillar guide to what URKL is for the league-wide picture, how robot fighting works for the rhythm of a bout, and URKL versus BattleBots versus UFC to see how this ruleset differs from other combat formats.