URKL Competition Rules: Weight, Strikes, Autonomy and Judging

Quick Answer

As of July 2026, URKL has not published its full official rulebook. Confirmed regulations: one-versus-one bouts of five five-minute rounds on identical EngineAI T800 robots; effective strikes score one point, knockdowns three, taunts also score; teams may field up to five registered robots and call three tactical timeouts per match.

URKL has not yet released its full official rulebook. This page consolidates everything that is confirmed as of July 19, 2026, from the league's official communications and on-site reporting of the July 16 opening event. It is the reference page of our Competition Rules hub and will be updated the day the complete rulebook is published.

All bouts run on the standardized EngineAI T800 platform — see the T800 reference profile for the machine these rules govern.

Bout format

Confirmed: one-versus-one bouts of five rounds of five minutes. Each team may register up to five T800 robots for a match and may choose its control method freely. On-site referees and technical crews supervise the action, with fighter crews allowed interventions under the timeout framework below.

Weight and equipment

There is a single equipment class: every competitor fields the same full-size T800 (1.73 m, 75 kg class). The league is built on a non-destructive, platform-standardization principle — teams differentiate through software, fight algorithms and armor within limits. The exact modification envelope has not been disclosed yet.

Scoring and judging

Confirmed point values, per on-site reporting:

Effective punch or kick: 1 point
Knockdown: 3 points
Taunting gestures / poses: scored

The match winner is the robot that takes the most rounds. Tiebreakers, in order: KO records → round wins → cumulative points.

Timeouts and penalties

Each team gets three tactical timeouts per match, of at most two minutes each, with at most one per round. A timeout violation incurs a 5-point penalty.

Autonomy and control

The control method is currently unrestricted: teleoperation, autonomous behaviors or hybrid stacks are all permitted. A detailed autonomy protocol — how supervision intervenes, what failsafes exist — has not been disclosed.

What has not been disclosed

The full rulebook text and its official publication date
Allowed armor/material modifications and inspection procedure
Judging panel composition and detailed judging criteria
Medical/technical stoppage and emergency-stop protocol details

What happens next

This page updates in place when the official rulebook drops. Meanwhile: how the T800's engineering supports these rules, what the opening fight's decapitation proved about durability, and the Shenzhen ecosystem behind the league.

Frequently asked questions

Is the full URKL rulebook public?

Not as of July 19, 2026. The confirmed elements on this page come from official communications and on-site reporting of the opening event; the page will be updated when the full rulebook is released.

How is a URKL fight scored?

Effective punches and kicks score 1 point, knockdowns score 3 points, and taunting gestures also earn points. The robot winning the most rounds takes the match; ties are broken by KO records, then round wins, then cumulative points.

How many robots can a team use in one match?

Up to five registered T800 robots per match, with a free choice of control method, according to on-site reporting of the opening event.

What are the timeout rules in URKL?

Each team has three tactical timeouts per match, lasting at most two minutes each, with at most one per round. A timeout violation costs 5 points.

Are URKL robots remote controlled or autonomous?

Current regulations leave the control method unrestricted — teams may teleoperate, run autonomy stacks, or mix both. A detailed autonomy protocol has not been published.