How a sabong fight works
Every sabong fight follows the same order, from matching the birds to the referee's call. Local rules differ from cockpit to cockpit; this is the common pattern, and the one 3dSabong.com's fights follow.
1. Matching
Gamecocks are matched by weight, so neither bird has a size advantage. At a derby, entries are paired in the ulutan (matching); in 3dSabong.com every pair is matched within a few tens of grams. Each bird's weight is shown on the name bars of the broadcast.
2. Meron, Wala and the call
The two corners are Meron (red) and Wala (blue). In a real cockpit the kristo works the crowd before the fight and calls how evenly the two sides are matched, with calls such as parehas (even) or tres-dos (three-to-two).
3. Showing and last call
The handlers bring the birds out and hold them close enough to see and peck at each other, which raises their fighting spirit and shows the crowd how each bird carries itself. In 3dSabong.com this is the Open stage (about 55 seconds) followed by Last call (about 80 seconds), with both birds pacing in their cages.
4. The release
On the referee's signal the birds are released (bitaw) at the same moment. From here the handlers stay out of the fight.
5. The fight and the referee
The referee, the sentenciador, watches the fight and alone decides how it ends:
- A bird is down and cannot fight on. The other bird wins. The referee gives a fallen bird time before calling it.
- Peck test. If the fight stalls, the birds are picked up and set face to face. A bird that will not peck when its opponent does has lost.
- Takbo. A bird that turns and runs is given a chance to face its opponent again. If it runs again, or will not peck, it loses.
- Tabla. If neither bird can or will go on, or the time limit runs out with both still fighting, the fight is a draw.
6. The result
The result is announced as Meron wins, Wala wins or Tabla. In 3dSabong.com it is shown on screen and on the board under the player, added to the day's trends, and recorded with its seed so anyone can check it.
The day's card
A cockpit runs fight after fight; each is numbered on the day's card. 3dSabong.com's card starts again at fight 1 at midnight, Philippine time, and runs around the clock. Every fight is listed on the results page.