An instance of combat can be a standalone confrontation or part of a wider conflict, and its scale can range from a fight between individuals to a war between organized groups.
Combat may comply with, or be in violation of, local or international laws regarding conflict.
Examples of rules include the Geneva Conventions (covering the treatment of people in war), medieval chivalry, the Marquess of Queensberry Rules (covering boxing), and the individual rulesets of various combat sports.
A military combat situation is known either as a battle or a war, depending on the size of the fighting and which geographical areas in which it occurs.
[1] Warfare falls under the law of war, which govern its purposes and conduct, and protect the rights of combatants and non-combatants.