ringout

Ringout is a term used in combat sports and fighting video games to describe a victory condition achieved when one competitor is forced to leave the defined competition area, such as the ring ropes or the edge of a stage. The winner is determined by the opponent’s failure to remain within the permitted perimeter, rather than by a knockout or points alone. The term is often written as ring-out or ring-out, and in some contexts appears as ring-out win or edge-out.

In traditional sport contexts, ringouts are largely dependent on the specific rules of the discipline. Many modern ring-based combat sports treat leaving the ring as a loss or result in a declared winner for the opponent, though the exact procedure and consequences vary by sport and sanctioning body. Some rulesets emphasize keeping the combat within a fixed boundary and may default to a loss if a competitor steps outside or is forced outside the arena.

In video games, particularly 2D or 3D fighting games, ringouts are a common win condition. If a fighter pushes the opponent beyond the ring boundary or off the stage, the opponent is defeated regardless of health, often resulting in a dramatic moment or a specific on-screen cue. Different games implement ringouts with slight variations: some require only one boundary crossing, others count it as a KO if the opponent cannot re-enter within a grace period, and some handle simultaneous outs as draws or both players losing points.

Ringout thus describes a border-based knockout mechanism distinct from traditional in-ring KOs or judge decisions, appearing most prominently in fighting games and in certain rule sets of ring-based sports.