Introduction

In the past, there was no standard regulation using in the fighting fish ring. Players need to know the regulations before attend the fighting ring. The problem of fighting fish game is, who will be the loser if both fighters do not give up the fight nor run away. In this situation a middle man or a judge has a role to play. However, a judge himself as a human has many problems. There were many biases from players toward the judge on the judgments he makes. The criteria using by judge may vary from one ring to another. Fighting fish rings in Thailand have learned the problems and developed new regulations that satisfied to both side players.  The fighting fish regulation has been developed and using over the past 2 years, since then after applied the new regulations, there were less issues among players. This regulation accepted as a standard  regulation using in major fighting rings in Thailand. Fighting fish rings in other countries are most welcome to apply this regulation suited to your present practice.

Essential equipment:

• Fighting jar

• Digital clock

• Police fish (the police fish that show aggressiveness and earnestly hit tested fighter).

• Attached fishes (police fishes that show aggressiveness toward the adjacent jar all the time).

• Card board open or close by the setup time.

• Scoop.

• One examine jar with half water in the jar.

Regulation

Starting and closing fighting ring time:

• Open ring 8.30 am close the ring 5.30 pm

• Fight before 12.00 end the game at 3.30 pm

• Fight after 12.00 end the game 5.30 pm

General rule in fighting fish ring:

• Whoever opens the cap of the fighting jar means surrendered the fight.

• Each player has a chance of change fighting jar with new water within 10 minutes after fight.

• Changing place of fighting jar is under the judge's consideration alone.

• After putting a fighter in the fighting jar, a player should never tough the jar.

Wining and losing:

• Owner of the fighter surrenders by open the cap of fighting jar.

• One fighter runs away and the owner surrender.

• Police fish examination and judge declares the testing result.

• If both fighters run away, police fishes attachment applied.

Wining and losing by police fish examination:

• Single examine.

• Police fishes attachment/Single examine.

• Run away examination.

Drawing position:

• When both players agree to draw in every stage of the game.

• When both players use police fishes attachment two times and both fighters open gill each time.

• When both players use police fish to examine two times and both fighters open gills each time.

• When both fighters fight to an end of the fighting time and both fighters open gills approaching the police fish during the test.

The criteria of pass examination by the police fish:

A fighter must open 2 side of gills fully approach police fish. Open gills half, one side of gill or not approaching direct to police fish do not considered pass examination.

A situation that players can call judge to examine the fighters:

• Both players have equal right to call judge for police fishes attachment examination. 

• A player may call the judge to watch his fighter whether his fish can claim an opponent single examine or not.

• A player may call the judge to check his fighter whether his fish can claim an opponent single examine run away fighter or not.

Single examine:

To claim a single examine the caller fighter must open gills approaching to an opponent fighter fully.

•  A time frame of judge check a caller fighter is 1 minute.

• If an opponent fighter express an action willing to fight. Then the caller claim is null.

• If a caller fighter open gills approaching an opponent fighter without reaction to fight, then a judge takes that opponent fighter to single examine with  a police fish.

•  A caller may call the judge to check opponent fighter continuously two times. If he fails, interval 5 minutes for his next calls. But this does not apply to other player.

• Each player has two chances to call for single examination. If opponent fighter open gills towards police fish fully before five hits, then both fighters fight again in the new jar. 

Single examinantion in action:

•  A judge spoon a fighter to a testing jar.

• Spoon a police fighter to the testing jar.

•  A judge watches only from above.

•  A police fighter hit fighter 5 times.

• If a fighter do not open gills approaching the police fish within his 5 times hit then he considered a loser.

• If a fighter open gills approaching the police fighter within 5 times hit then he passing the examination.

• Both fighters fight again in new jar when he passes an examination.

• Each player has a common right to call the judge single examination 2 times.

Police fishes attachment:

Both players have a common right to call the judge to use police fishes attachment. A player may call the judge to use police fish to examine both fighters to make short cut winning the game. When both fighters are completely stopped fighting and stay in the normal manner, a judge will look a moment 1 or 2 second if both fighters do not hit one another then he will take the fighters to attach with police fishes.

Examine the fighter by police fishes attachment method:

• The judge inserts a fighter jar between police fishes jar with card board attached.

• The judge adjusts the same water level 3 jars.

• Set up digital clock 2 minutes or 120 seconds.

• Detached card boards both side at once.

• The judge watches the open gill of the fighters from above only.

• If one fighter opens gills and approaches to the police fish and the judge declare “open gill” then shift this fighter to another jar and check other fighter.

• If the other fighter does not open the gills and approach to the police fish, the judge spoon it to single examination.

Time of police fishes attachment:

Each player can call for police fishes attachment 2 times. If a fighters open gills and approaching police fish two times of the attachment then that player has no right to call police fishes to check again. But the right still remains for the player that did not call.

An action after the police fishes attachment:

• If both do not open the gills then continue the game of fighting the same jar.

• If both open the gills approaching the police fishes then continue to fight the new jar (new water).

Run away examination:

A player may call the judge to check an opponent fighter that run away. If the judge sees a fighter running away, he will takes a fighter to single examination. If a fighter shows it's willingness to fight with police fish then the game is drawn.

Fine:

• The police fish caller fined to his opponent when he does not win the game.

• Fine applies to the player let the fighter die.

What to do if fighters still fight to an end of the game:

If both fighters still  fighting to an end of fighting time, the judge will take each fighter to examine with police fish by single examine.

• One who open gills = win

• Both open gills = draw

• Both do not open gills = draw

The desirable characteristic of a judge:

The judge is a key man in the fighting ring. The main factor to run fighting fish ring successfully is depend very much on the fairness of judge. So a fighting ring judge should be:

• Must not fight the fish in the ring.

• Must not put direct bet or side bet in the ring.

• Must be fair and no taking side to any party in the fighting ring.

• Must not express personal opinion during doing duty.