

Conditions for Victory
There are two ways to win a round in KOF and in most fighting games.
Round Settings
Round 1
The first round in a standard KOF match begins with:
- 60 seconds on the timer.
- Both characters at full health and no Super or Drive Meter.
The first round is the only time where both players start off with equal life and (zero) meter which can be taken into account for strategic team order selection.
Rounds 2-5
At the end of each round both players' meter transfers over directly and the losing player can store one additional Super Meter stock. The winning player's current character health carries over to the next round after receiving a variable health bonus.
- The winning player may immediately be at a life and meter disadvantage in the following round. The previously losing player can control the flow of the round with the life lead and thus force the other player to gain back the advantage.
Life Bonus
The amount of health that the winning player receives is based on how much time remained on the clock at the end of the round. A faster victory yields a heftier life boost while a timeout results in the least health being awarded: