Mixed Martial Arts Contest Rules 2017 (WA)
!2017107GG!
| WESTERN | 2789 |
| AUSTRALIAN |
| GOVERNMENT |
ISSN 1448-949X (print) ISSN 2204-4264 (online) PRINT POST APPROVED PP665002/00041
6 June 2017 GOVERNMENT GAZETTE, WA 2791 COMBAT SPORTS ACT 1987
MIXED MARTIAL ARTS CONTEST RULES 2017
CONTENTS
PART 1—EQUIPMENT
1. Safety Enclosure Type Contest Area Specifications
2. Ring Type Contest Area Specifications
3. All Contest Area Step Requirements
4. Contest Area Construction and Maintenance
5. Certified Structural Engineer Report
6. Compulsory Ringside Equipment7. Other Permitted Ringside Equipment
PART 2—DRESS CODE
8. Hand Bandages and Tape
9. Gloves
10. Mouthguards
11. Contest Attire—Contestants
12. Contest Attire—Officials
13. Other Dress Code Matters14. Foreign Substances
PART 3—CONDUCT OF THE CONTEST
15. Minimum Age to Participate in a Contest
16. Weight Divisions
17. Weigh-In
18. Round Definition
19. Scoring
20. Prioritised Criteria21. Scorecards
PART 4—OFFICIALS REQUIREMENTS AND DUTIES
22. Required Officials
23. Duties and Responsibilities of the Promoter
24. Duties and Responsibilities of the Referee
25. The Powers of the Referee
26. Duties and Responsibilities of the Judges
27. Duties and Responsibilities of the Timekeepers
28. Duties and Responsibilities of the Medical Practitioner
29. Conduct of Commission Representatives, Officials and the Medical Practitioner
30. Duties and Responsibilities of the Trainer31. Duties and Responsibilities of the Seconds
PART 5—RULES OF THE CONTEST
32. Intentional Foul
33. Fouls Committed by the Bottom Competitor
34. Fouls
35. Definition of a Grounded Opponent
36. Accidental Injury
37. Failure to Leave the Corner
38. Inspection During Rest Period
39. Double Knockout
2792 GOVERNMENT GAZETTE, WA 6 June 2017 40. Loss of Mouthguard
41. Out of the Contest Area
42. Stopping a Contest
43. Decisions
44. Disqualification
45. No-Contest
46. No-Decision
47. Restrictions Following a Knockout48. Restrictions Following a Contest
PART 6—MISCELLANEOUS
49. Prohibited Substances
50. Gender51. Sanctioning Bodies
PART 7—FIGURES AND DIAGRAMS
52. Standard Circular Layout
53. Standard Hexagonal Layout
54. Standard Octagonal Layout
55. Standard Ring Layout
56. Sample Scorecard
6 June 2017 GOVERNMENT GAZETTE, WA 2793 COMBAT SPORTS ACT 1987
MIXED MARTIAL ARTS CONTEST RULES 2017
In accordance with section 62A(1) of the Combat Sports Act 1987 the Hon. Mick Murray MLA,
Minister for Sport and Recreation, has approved the following rules for Mixed Martial Arts contests.
PART 1—EQUIPMENT
1. Safety Enclosure Type Contest Area Specifications
(1) In all competitions, the contest area shall be circular or have at least five equal sides and shall be
no less than 6m wide and no more than 9.8m wide.
(2) The floor height should be a maximum of 1.2m above the floor of the building.
(3) The contest area may have one or two entrances.
(4) The enclosure posts must be made of metal, not more than 15cm in diameter, extending from the
floor of the building to a minimum height of 1.5m above the floor ring, and must be properly padded
in a manner approved by the Commission.
(5) The floor must be padded by a layer of rubber, soft cloth, rubber mat or other suitable material
that is approved by the Commission with a minimum thickness of 2.5cm and a maximum of 3.7cm.
(6) The padding shall be completely covered by a non-slip canvas, duck or similar material tightly
stretched and laced to the platform of the contest area. Material that tends to gather in lumps or
ridges must not be used.
(7) The walls of the enclosure shall be made of a suitable chain link fence coated with vinyl or an
appropriate substance (i.e. powder coat).
(8) There must not be any obstruction on any part of the walls surrounding the contest area.(9) Any logos or images painted onto the canvas/cloth must consist of a non-slip material/paint.
2. Ring Type Contest Area Specifications
(1) In all contests, the size of the ring shall be no less than 6m x 6m and no more than 9m x 9m inside
the line of ropes. The ring lighting must be appropriate and adequate for the conduct of combat sport
contests.(2) All contest rings shall—
(a) Have a minimum floor height of 1 metre with a maximum of 1.2m from the building floor. (b)
There will be four ropes and where possible five ropes with a minimum diameter of 3cm and a maximum of 5cm, stretched and linked to the four corner posts.
(c)
The distance between the four ropes from the lower rope and to the top rope will be evenly spaced.
(d)
The ropes will be covered by a soft or cushioned material and shall be joined on each of the four sides at equal intervals by rope stays hung vertically, that are not less than 3cm and not more than 4cm wide, and that do not slide along the ropes.
(e) A minimum of five rope stays must be used on each side of the ring. (f) Turnbuckles shall be covered by suitable padding.
(g) The floor must be padded by a layer of rubber, soft cloth, rubber mat or other suitable material that is approved by the Commission with a minimum thickness of 2.5cm and a maximum of 3.7cm. (h) The padding shall be completely covered by a non-slip canvas cloth that is stretched and secured into place. (i) Any logos or images painted onto the canvas/cloth must consist of a non-slip material/paint.
3. All Contest Area Step Requirements
(1) Safety Enclosure
(a) A set of steps is required for each entrance to the height of the enclosure platform. (b) The Medical Practitioner must be seated next to one set of steps. (2) Ring Type Enclosure
(a) At least 3 sets of steps are required to the height of the ring platform. (b)
One set is to be located at each Contestant’s corner and a third shall be positioned at the neutral corner closest to the Medical Practitioner and other Officials.
(3) All steps shall be kept clear of obstructions at all times.
2794 GOVERNMENT GAZETTE, WA 6 June 2017 4. Contest Area Construction and Maintenance
(1) Newly constructed enclosures must have a Certified Structural Engineer Report prior to being
used.
(2) Enclosures must be checked for wear and tear every three years and an updated CertifiedStructural Engineer Report obtained.
5. A Certified Structural Engineer Report
(1) A Certified Structural Engineer Report must include—
(a) Level of metal fatigue.
(b) Damage sustained to supporting boards.(c) All wear and tear.
(d) The load capacity—load capacities must be greater than 850kg or equal to 12 people. (2) A contest area shall not be used by a Promoter for a contest or contests unless the area has been
inspected by the Commission to ensure compliance with the specifications above.
6. Compulsory Ringside Requirements
In all contests, the following is required ringside—
(a) Oxygen supply unit.
(b) Stretcher.(c) Spare set of gloves for each Contestant.
(d) A bell in good working order.
(e) Two stopwatches.
(f) Tables and chairs for officials.
(g) Judges score sheet.
(h) Whistle and clacker.
(i) A bin in the neutral/Doctors corner for gloves and refuse.
(j) Stools for each corner.
7. Other Permitted Ringside Requirements
(1) Drinking bottles, buckets and spray bottles.
(2) Towels.
(3) One set of round indicators, signs or boards.
(4) Blunt edged scissors.(5) Extra tape for taping gloves.
PART 2—DRESS CODE
8. Hand Bandages and Tape
(1) Hand bandages are mandatory.(2) The bandages and tape shall conform to the following specifications and conditions—
(a) Hand bandages must be—
(i) Crepe, gauze or a soft cloth type material.
(ii) Not be more than five (5) metres long and five (5) centimetres wide for each hand.
(iii) Placed on both of the Contestant’s hands.
(b) There is to be no hard build-up of any material over the knuckles. (3) Adhesive tape
(a) Must be used to secure the bandages on each hand of the Contestant. (b)
Must be no more than two and a half (2.5) metres long and two and a half (2.5) centimetres wide for each hand.
(c)
May be applied to the back of each of the Contestant’s hands but shall not be applied to cover the Contestant’s knuckles. Tape cannot reach beyond or cover the knuckles when the fist is closed.
(d) Applied directly on the skin is permitted.
(e)
Thin strips of adhesive tape may be placed between the fingers to aid in keeping the bandage in place.
(4) Bandaging and Taping of Contestant’s Hands—
(a)
Shall be conducted in the dressing rooms. Contestants arriving at a contest venue with their hands already wrapped will be asked to remove the hand wraps and have them re-wrapped at the venue.
(b) Shall be in the presence of a Commission representative or the Referee when necessary. (c) Shall be inspected upon completion by the Commission representative or the Referee. (d) Shall be signed or stamped by the Commission representative or the Referee upon inspection.
6 June 2017 GOVERNMENT GAZETTE, WA 2795
(e)
Bandages or tape shall not be affixed in any way that the Commission representative or Referee consider detrimental to an opponent.
(f)
Hold the wrapped fist in two hands, using your thumb, feel and identify each knuckle. If the indentation in between knuckles can be felt and there isn’t any tape over the knuckles or excessive buildup the wraps may be approved.
9. Gloves
(1) All Contestants shall wear gloves which are six ounces and are approved by the Commission.
(2) Gloves shall be new or near new, with Velcro and without any misshapen or lumpy padding, worn
or cracked leather or in any way imperfect. If gloves are in any way imperfect, they shall be changed
before the contest begins.
(3) Breaking, roughing or twisting of the gloves is not permitted.
(4) In the case of any problem with the gloves themselves, the Referee may temporarily halt the
match until the problem is corrected.
(5) Promoters shall provide an extra set of gloves (two pairs) at ringside in case gloves are broken or
damaged during a contest.
(6) Gloves shall not be put on until the Commission representative or the Referee has stamped or
initialled the bandages.
(7) A Contestant shall be fitted with gloves immediately prior to the contest under the supervision of
the Commission representative or Referee when necessary.
(8) Velcro gloves must also be securely covered by adhesive tape at the wrist. The tape must not go
past the wrist.
(9) The promoter must supply the gloves and must ensure that there are adequate sizes for allContestants.
10. Mouthguards
In all competitions, mouthguards shall conform to the following standards and practices—
(a) A Contestant shall wear a professionally fitted mouthguard during a contest. (b)
The Contestant’s mouthguard shall be examined by the Referee prior to the contest and shall be worn in the mouth by the Contestant at the start of each round.
11. Contest Attire—Contestants
In all competitions, the following dress standards shall be adhered to by Contestants—
(a)
A Contestant must be clean and present a tidy appearance. This includes not wearing any attire that displays obscene language or profanity.
(b) Gloves as specified.
(c)
Each Contestant shall wear mixed martial arts shorts (board shorts), biking shorts (vale tudo shorts), kick-boxing shorts or other shorts approved by the Commission.
(d)
To ensure the Contestant’s safety, a groin protector must be worn and if using ties, tied only at the back. Metal groin guards are preferred.
(e) Male Contestants must fight naked to the waist.
(f) Female Contestants must wear a top approved by the Commission. (g) Shoes and any type of padding on the feet are prohibited during competition. (h) A Contestants facial hair must not interfere with the safety of Contestants. (i) A Contestant’s hair shall be neat and if long, tied back so as to not interfere with the vision or safety of either Contestant.
(j) Breast protectors may be worn by female competitors which must be— (i) Of a personal size, made of a soft material, and have no hard clips or such that could harm the wearer or opponent, and
(ii) Firm enough not to shift during a contest.
(k)
Contestants that present with skin conditions must be cleared by the Medical Practitioner that the condition is not contagious. Where additional clothing is required i.e. rashguard, skins or spats, both Contestants must agree to wear the same attire.
(l)
Single elastic bandages (ankle straps) are allowed to be worn on the ankles to prevent sprains, however insertion of any sort of padding is prohibited.
(m)
The use of white petroleum jelly or any similar substance by the Contestant anywhere other than the face is not allowed.
(n)
In the case of any problem with the gloves themselves, the Referee may temporarily halt the match until the problem is corrected.
(o) No metallic materials, decoration or jewellery is to be worn. 12. Contest Attire—Officials
In all competitions, the following dress standards shall be adhered to by the contest officials—
(a)
A Referee shall be neatly dressed in black dress pants, official shirt and black shoes without a heel.
(b)
The Referee may wear a belt with a standard type belt buckle. Large or ornament type belt buckles will not be allowed.
2796 GOVERNMENT GAZETTE, WA 6 June 2017
(c)
The Referee shall not wear glasses, watch, necklace, rings or any other object which may injure a Contestant.
(d) Referees may wear surgical gloves when officiating in the ring. (e)
Judges and Timekeepers shall be neatly dressed in black dress pants, official shirt and dress shoes and a blazer if applicable.
13. Other Dress Code Matters
In any contest—
(a) Excessive application of Vaseline is not permitted and is at the discretion of the Referee. (b) Excessive external use of water is not permitted and is at the discretion of the Referee. 14. Foreign Substances
and their gloves to ensure no foreign substances have been applied to either the body of the Contestants or their gloves, and must take steps to ensure that there are no foreign substances held by the Seconds.
PART 3—CONDUCT OF THE CONTEST
15. Minimum Age to Participate in a Contest
Contestants are to be over the age of 18 for all Mixed Martial Arts contests that are run according to
CSC rules or the rules of a recognised sanctioning body.16. Weight Divisions following weight classifications will apply—
Table
Weight Division (Class) Min. Weight Over Max. Weight Not
(kg) Exceeding (kg)
Strawweight or Mini Flyweight No Lower Limit 47.73 Junior Flyweight 47.73 48.99 Flyweight 48.99 50.80 Junior Bantamweight 50.80 52.16 Bantamweight 52.16 53.52 Junior Featherweight 53.52 55.34 Featherweight 55.34 57.15 Junior Lightweight 57.15 58.97 Lightweight 58.97 61.23 Junior Welterweight 61.23 63.50 Welterweight 63.50 66.68 Junior Middleweight 66.68 69.85 Middleweight 69.85 72.57 Super Middleweight 72.57 76.20 Light Heavyweight 76.20 79.83 Cruiserweight 79.83 90.70 Heavyweight 90.70 100.00 Super Heavyweight 100.00 No Upper Limit 17. Weigh-in
(1) The weigh-in should take place no earlier than 24 hours prior to the promotion taking place, and
no later than three hours prior to the contest.
(2) The Contestant shall be weighed with minimum clothes.
(3) If the Contestant is overweight at the time of the weigh-in, he/she may re-attempt to weigh-in
again, however the Contestant must make the agreed weight within two hours of the advertised start
time of the weigh-in.
(4) Prior to the contest, all Contestants must be examined and certified fit by a licensed Medical
Practitioner.
(5) Contestants must present their Western Australian Combat Sports Commission ContestantRecord Book to both the Medical Practitioner and the Commission representative for authentication.
18. Round Definition
(1) A non-championship mixed martial arts contest shall consist of—
(a) No more than three (3) rounds.
(b) Each round of no more than five (5) minutes duration. (2) A championship mixed martial arts contest shall consist of—
(a) No more than five (5) rounds.
(b) Each round no more than five (5) minutes in duration.
6 June 2017 GOVERNMENT GAZETTE, WA 2797 (3) The time shall be stopped in case of interruptions for cautioning, warning, correction of the Contestant’s attire, or other similar causes, and shall be excluded from the competing time of that round.
19. Scoring
(1) All bouts will be evaluated and scored by a minimum of three (3) Judges who will be seated in a
central position on different sides of the contest area.
(2) The scoring shall be by the ‘Ten Point Must’ system, where the winner of a round must be awarded
ten points while the loser receives anywhere from nine to seven, depending upon the decisiveness by
which the round was won. In the rare instance that there is an even round, a score of 10-10 is given.
(3) There will be no score recorded in an unfinished round, unless a determination is to be made in
the instance of an accidental foul.
(4) If a point or points are deducted before a round is completed, these points will be taken off the
tally at the end of the bout. It is noted by the Judge in the relevant section of the scorecard, but only
deducted by the official recorder.
(5) The following objective scoring criteria shall be utilized by the Judges when scoring a round—Table
Score Criteria 10 – 10 When both Contestants appear to be fighting evenly and neither Contestant shows a
clear dominance in a round.10 – 9 When a Contestant wins by a close margin, landing the greater number of effective
strikes and/or grappling and other manoeuvres.10 – 8 When a Contestant wins by a large margin, landing the greater number of effective
strikes and/or grappling and other manoeuvres.10 – 7 When a Contestant totally dominates by striking and/or grappling in a round. (6) Judges shall use a sliding scale and recognise the length of time the fighters are either standing or
on the ground, as follows—
(a) If the Contestants spent the majority of a round on the canvas, then— (i) Effective grappling is weighed first; and
(ii) Effective striking is then weighed.
(b) If the Contestants spent a majority of a round standing, then— (i) Effective striking is weighed first; and
(ii) Effective grappling is then weighed.
(c)
If a round ends with a relatively even amount of standing and canvas fighting, striking and grappling are weighed equally.
(7) Effective Striking/Grappling shall be considered the first priority of round assessments. be needed when ALL other criteria are 100% even for both competitors. This will be an extremely rare occurrence.
(8) Effective Aggressiveness is a ‘Plan B’ and should not be considered unless the judge does not see
20. Prioritised Criteria
(1) Effective Striking/Grappling
Legal blows that have immediate or cumulative impact with the potential to contribute towards the
end of the match with the immediate weighing in more heavily than the cumulative impact.
Successful execution of takedowns, submission attempts, reversals and the achievement of
advantageous positions that produce immediate or cumulative impact with the potential to contribute
to the end of the match, with, again, the immediate weighing more heavily than the cumulative
impact.(2) Effective Aggression
(a)
Aggressively making attempts to finish the fight. The key term is ‘effective’. Chasing after an opponent with no effective result or impact should not render in the judges’ assessments.
(b)
Effective aggressiveness is only to be assessed if effective striking/grappling is 100% equal for both competitors.
(3) Contest Area Control “Ring Generalship” control shall only to be assessed if effective striking/grappling and effective aggressiveness is 100% equal for both competitors. This will be assessed very rarely.
21. Scorecards
(1) All scorecard and sheets shall be handed to the Commission on completion of the contest and shall
not be shown to any other person.
(2) When a points decision is awarded, the individual scores must be announced, however Judges
must only be identified using generic terms such as Judge 1, Judge 2 etc.
(3) Scorecards and recorder sheets, duly signed and witnessed will be kept by the Commission.
2798 GOVERNMENT GAZETTE, WA 6 June 2017 (4) When individual round cards are being used, the Judge must not keep secondary cards or tallies of
points.
(5) The auxiliary Referee, outside the enclosure shall collect all scorecards from each of the Judges at
the end of each round and contest and hand to the Official Recorder.(6) Only official Combat Sports Commission scorecards and tally sheets shall be used.
PART 4—OFFICIALS REQUIREMENTS AND DUTIES
22. Required Officials
Every contest shall have the following registered ringside officials—
(a)
Two Referees, one who shall be the Head Official in the contest and shall maintain supervision and control over the contest while it is in progress.
(b)
Three Judges, will evaluate and score each round and be seated on different sides of the enclosure in a central position.
(c) A Timekeeper who will keep the time of the rounds and rest periods. (d)
The mandatory Medical Practitioner who as per Part VII, Section 49 of the Combat Sports Act 1987, shall be present at ringside.
23. Duties and Responsibilities of the Promoter
The responsibilities of the Promoter include, but are not limited to, the following—
(a)
The Promoter must ensure they are currently registered with the Combat Sports Commission in Western Australia (WA) and be aware of all conditions attached to this registration.
(b)
A promotion permit has been issued by the Commission in relation to the scheduled contests and all conditions placed on this permit are adhered to.
(c) Ensure that all weigh-in conditions are adhered to.
(d) Promotion personnel, Officials, Trainers, Managers etc. are present at the weigh-in and/or contests and are registered with the Commission as required. (e) The contest area has been set-up and approved by the Commission prior to the contest, including the provision of a Certified Structural Engineer’s Certificate as requested. (f) Contestants are reasonably matched, are registered with the Commission or another approved authority, and have current Australian serology and Certificate of Fitness. (g) The nearest hospital is notified of the date, time and location of the event, no less than five days prior to the event. (h) A stretcher and oxygen delivery system are present ringside for all contests. (i) Ensure that all promotion personnel follow the instructions of the Promoter and the ringside Commission representative in accordance to the rules of the contest, Permit Conditions and Code of Conduct.
24. Duties and Responsibilities of the Referee
The duties of the Referee are as follows—
(a) The Referee’s prime concern is the welfare of the Contestants, and the enforcement of all rules. (b) The Referee must maintain control of the contest at all stages, including before and after the bout. (c) The Referee must, at all times, prevent a weaker opponent from receiving undue and unnecessary punishment. (d) Prior to the start of the contest and preferably at the weigh in give each Contestant the same specific instructions. (e) Confirm with both Trainers and Contestants, at the time of the contest, that they understand any modification to the rules i.e. no elbows, no knees to the head. (f) The four basic commands a Referee is to use are “stop”, “fight”, “break” and “time” and they should be expressed clearly and with authority on all occasions. (g) Referees, in conjunction with Commission representatives, must ensure taping and bandaging of Contestant’s hands comply with the rules. He/she must then stamp or initial the bandages for inspection on all occasions. (h) After the checking of the bandages and gloves, the Referee must ensure that the Velcro has been securely covered by adhesive tape. If during a contest the Velcro comes loose, the Referee must call “stop” and order the Velcro be secured and re-taped. He/she must signal that the clock is to stop and signal to restart it when the round resumes. (i) Before instructing the Contestants at centre ring, the Referee must ensure that both Contestants are wearing a protector, mouth piece, appropriate shorts and have no foreign objects or substances on their bodies or gloves and, at the discretion of the Referee, do not have too much Vaseline on their faces.
(j)
Before each contest and round, the Referee shall ensure the contest area and equipment is correctly set up, the canvas is free of any foreign matter or excess water and shall ensure that corner stools are not in the contest area.
6 June 2017 GOVERNMENT GAZETTE, WA 2799
(k)
The Referee shall ensure the enclosure walls are taut and the enclosure posts are adequately padded and the gate has been securely closed or that the ropes are properly taught and that the tapes between the ropes, corner buckles and padding are secure.
(l)
Before the first round, the Referee shall seek a signal from each Judge to ensure they are ready, that the Medical Practitioner is ringside and then signal the Timekeeper to sound the bell.
(m)
When a Referee cautions a Contestant, they must make a clear signal as to the purpose of the caution and the nature of the infraction.
(n)
Apart from cautions “in running” a Referee shall always give the order to “stop” before warning Contestants. The order to “fight” should only be given after the command “stop.”
(o)
When a Referee orders Contestants to “Stop” they will turn to the Timekeeper and call “Time.” The Timekeeper will stop the clock and restart it when the Referee orders them to “Fight.”
(p)
When a Contestant has been knocked down and the Referee considers the contest over, he should immediately call the Medical Practitioner to the ring to attend the “downed” Contestant.
(q)
The Referee must always ensure that no other persons are in the contest area or on the contest area apron while the round is in progress; he/she must immediately stop the contest until they are removed. He/she shall not permit anyone to swing on or slap the enclosure walls, ropes or distract Contestants.
(r)
When a Referee considers a Contestant should lose points for a foul, he/she must call “stop” and order the other Contestant to the neutral corner.
(s)
With the offending Contestant at his/her side signal the Judges, their point’s deduction order. The round will resume when the Referee orders “fight”.
(t)
If any incident occurs, be it covered by rules or is unusual or irregular; and such incident warrants the stoppage of the contest; and the Referee’s view of the incident is unsighted or partly obscured, he/she may order time out and confer with the Judges and supervisor before giving his decision.
(u)
A Referee should terminate a contest at any stage if he/she believes the Contestants are not competing in earnest. He/she may disqualify one or both Contestants or declare a “no- contest”. He/she must make a written report to the Commission as soon as possible.
(v) In all contests the Referee or auxiliary Referee shall collect scorecards from Judges at the end of each round and hand them to the recorder.
(w) Indicate the winner by raising a Contestant’s hand after the announcement has been made. (x) If during a round a Referee or Judge is injured, becomes ill or is unable to continue, the Timekeeper shall sound the bell and stop the round. The supervisor shall appoint another Referee or Judge to officiate. If it is a Judge, then the replacement Judge will use the incapacitated Judge’s scorecard for the remainder of the contest. The interrupted round must be started again.
(y)
Inform the official recorder of the reason for disqualifying a Contestant, or stopping a bout to enable the official recorder to keep an accurate record and to inform the announcer if appropriate.
(z)
A Referee shall not wager on the result of a contest in which he/she officiates or publicly predict the result of a contest in which he/she will officiate. They must not align themselves with any Contestant and he/she must always be totally impartial.
(aa) A Referee must maintain a current Certificate of Fitness.
(bb) A Referee may perform the duties of a Judge or Timekeeper without registering in this class
of officials.
25. The Powers of the Referee Include the right to—
(1) Terminate a contest at any stage if they consider it too one-sided.
(2) Terminate a contest at any stage if one of the Contestants has received an injury on account of
which the Referee decides the Contestant should not continue.
(3) Terminate the contest at any stage if they consider the Contestants are not fighting in earnest, in
which case the Referee may disqualify one or both Contestants.
(4) Caution a Contestant, or stop the contest and administer a warning to a Contestant, against fouls
or for any other reason in the interest of fair play, or to ensure compliance with the rules.
(5) Disqualify a Contestant who fails to comply immediately with the Referee’s orders, or behaves
towards them in an offensive or aggressive manner at any time.
(6) Disqualify a Contestant’s Trainer who has infringed the rules and the Contestant if the Trainer
does not comply with the Referee’s orders.
(7) With or without previous warning, disqualify a Contestant for committing a foul.
(8) Make a decision arising from any circumstances or conditions not mentioned in the rules in so far
as they are applicable or relevant to the actual contest, or to decide and take action on any
circumstance of the contest which is not covered by a rule, but may be overridden by the Medical
Practitioner when considerations of health or safety are involved.
(9) The Referee has the right to allow a rest period of not more than 5 minutes after a groin strike.
2800 GOVERNMENT GAZETTE, WA 6 June 2017 (10) The Referee will determine if the foul was accidental or intentional and will determine the
outcome to be either a loss or a no contest.
(11) The Referee shall give the Contestant a caution if the Contestant feigns a foul. If the Contestantrepeats the action and the Referee has given them two cautions, the Referee shall deduct a point.
26. Duties and Responsibilities of the Judges
The duties of the Judges are as follows—
(a) To sit ringside in their appointed positions.
(b) Each Judge shall independently and impartially Judge the merits of the Contestants and score according to the rules. (c) Keep score throughout each round to determine the dominance one Contestant has over the other Contestant to determine the score. (d) Award to each competitor the appropriate number of points, and enter these on the official scorecard immediately after the end of each round before signing the card and handing it to the auxiliary Referee. (e) Apply the scoring system for a contest as is declared by the Referee, such as points deducted. (f) The Judges shall not speak to a Contestant, to another Judge or to anyone else except the Referee during the contest, but may if necessary at the end of a round bring to the notice of the Referee any incident which the Referee may appear to have missed, such as misconduct of a Second, loose ropes or unlatched doors etc. (g) A Judge shall not allow anyone to see their scorecards. (h) A Judge shall not leave their seat until the verdict has been announced to the public. (i) Judges are required to follow the instructions of the Referee in control of the contest.
(j) Judges must not keep Secondary cards or tallies of points during a contest. (k) A Judge may perform the duties of a Timekeeper without registering in this class of officials. 27. Duties and Responsibilities of the Timekeeper
The duties of the Timekeeper are as follows—
(a)
A Timekeeper shall use two stopwatches. One for the round time and the Second for rest periods.
(b) For all contests one Timekeeper should be used.
(c)
The intervals between rounds shall be one minute’s duration. The Timekeeper will announce “Seconds out” in a loud clear voice ten Seconds before the minute is up and sound a warning whistle, indicating the Seconds must leave the ring and all foreign objects must be removed from the enclosure.
(d)
When a Referee orders Contestants to “stop”, the Referee will then face the Timekeeper and call “Time.” The Timekeeper shall stop the clock and only restart it when the Referee orders to “Fight.”
(e) The Timekeeper shall at all times ensure the Referee has heard the bell. (f)
If a Referee or Judge is injured or becomes ill during a contest and is unable to continue, the Timekeeper shall ring the bell to terminate the round. On the replacement of that official, the round shall recommence as a full round.
(g)
The Timekeeper must sound the bell at the precise moment and he shall not lengthen or shorten the periods of contests or intervals.
(h)
A Timekeeper may not perform the duties of a Referee or Judge without registering in this class of officials.
28. Duties and Responsibilities of the Medical Practitioner
(1) The duties of a Medical Practitioner at any contest shall be to—
(a) Perform a Pre and Post Contest Medical on each Contestant. (b) Sit at the immediate ringside during a contest.
(c)
Provide all necessary medical equipment other than that provided by the Promoter i.e. oxygen supply unit and stretcher.
(d)
Terminate any contest where in his or her opinion, a Contestant is exhausted or injured to such an extent as to be unable to defend themselves or avoid further injury. The Medical Practitioner will then blow a foghorn to obtain the Referee’s attention, indicating that they wish to have the contest stopped. For this purpose, the Medical Practitioner may override any decision of the Referee to continue the contest.
(2) It is the Medical Practitioner’s duty to inform the Referee officiating to terminate the contest if
they are of the opinion that—
(a)
The Contestant should not continue to participate in the contest because of the Contestant’s medical condition or because the Contestant is receiving undue punishment and is unable to adequately defend themselves.
29. Conduct of Commission Representatives, Officials and the Medical Practitioner
(1) Commission representatives, Officials and the Medical Practitioner shall not wager on the result
of a contest or publicly predict the result of a contest.
6 June 2017 GOVERNMENT GAZETTE, WA 2801 (2) Commission representatives, Officials and the Medical Practitioner or any registered participants, must not consume alcohol on the day of a promotion and up to the time that their duties are completed.
30. Duties and Responsibilities of the Trainer
The prime objective of Trainers is the safety, health and welfare of their Contestants and they shall—
(a) Do all possible to properly prepare them for any contest. (b) Ensure they do their best not to overmatch them.
(c)
Be present when the Contestant is examined by the Medical Practitioner post-contest if the Contestant has sustained a knockout, heavy punishment or injury.
(d)
Ensure that any injuries are properly attended to and any instructions from the Medical Practitioner are strictly followed.
(e)
Be clean and neatly dressed and act in a sportsman like manner. At the call of ‘Seconds out’ or the sounding of the whistle, Trainers must immediately vacate the enclosure and ensure the stool and all other objects are removed before the bell sounds to start the round.
(f) During the round, Trainers must be seated at least half a metre away from the contest area. (g)
During a contest, Trainers shall not swing off or slap on the enclosure walls or use any tactics to distract the Referee or distract the opponent.
(h)
All Trainers must be registered with the Commission or another approved authority and may act as a second.
31. Duties and Responsibilities of the Seconds
(1) Every Contestant is permitted no more than three (3) Seconds including the Trainer in their
corner.
(2) Two Seconds may enter the contest area during the rest period between rounds.(3) A Second shall—
(a) Assist the Contestant as advised by the Trainer.
(b) Assist the Trainer in the preparation of the Contestants. (c) During the round, Seconds must be seated at least half a metre away from the contest area. (d)
At the call of ‘Seconds out’ or the sounding of the whistle, immediately vacate the enclosure and remove the stool and all other objects before the bell sounds to start the round.
(4) The Seconds shall only use the following equipment—
(a) Vaseline.
(b) Sterile cotton wool or cotton wads.(c) Sterile gauze.
(d) Cotton bud sticks.
(e) Blunt-edged surgical scissors.
(f) Icebag.
(g) Adhesive tape.
(h) Water buckets and drinking receptacles.
(i) Solution of adrenalin 1/1000.
(5) No stimulant shall be used other than cold water sprinkled on the body or used as a mouthwash.
(6) Seconds shall not apply Vaseline to any part of the Contestant’s body other than the face.(7) Seconds are not to use on a Contestant—
(a) Iron chloride solution.
(b) Monsel’s solution.(c) Ammoniated liniment.
(d) Alcohol or alcohol mixture.
(e) Smelling salts.
(8) Where the Trainer considers the Contestant is in danger of being seriously injured, a towel may be thrown into the contest area, or other similar action taken to indicate a desire to terminate the fight, whereupon the Referee shall terminate the contest.
(9) A Second shall not—
(a)
Act as a Manager or Trainer unless that second holds an appropriate certificate of registration.
(b) Attempt in any way to procure a contest for the Contestant. PART 5—RULES OF THE CONTEST
32. Intentional Foul
terminate the contest by disqualifying the offending Contestant and awarding the decision to the incapacitated contestant.
(1) If in the opinion of the Referee a Contestant commits an intentional foul during a contest and that
2802 GOVERNMENT GAZETTE, WA 6 June 2017 (2) The offending Contestant must remain standing in the neutral corner for the duration of the rest
period.
33. Fouls Committed by the Bottom Competitor
If a bottom Contestant commits a foul, unless the top Contestant is injured, the fight shall continue,
so as to not jeopardise the top Contestant’s superior positioning at the time.(a) The Referee shall verbally notify the bottom Contestant of the foul.
(b)
When the round is over, the Referee shall assess the foul and notify both corners’ seconds, the Judges and the Recorder.
(c) The Referee may terminate the bout based on the severity of the foul. 34. Fouls
(1) The following practices are considered to be fouls and it is within the discretion of the Referee as towhether the offending Contestant is warned, disqualified or loses points in that particular round—
(a) Engaging in any dangerous or unsportsmanlike behaviour that causes injury to an opponent.
(b)
Being offensive or insulting to, interfering with the Referee or any other official by the Contestant or their corner.
(c) Using provocative or abusive language in the contest area. (d) The Contestant or their corner disobeying the Referees commands. (e)
Timidity, including but without limitation, avoiding contact with an opponent, intentionally or consistently dropping the mouth guard or faking an injury.
(f) Deliberately leaving the contest area.
(g) Attacking an opponent on or during the break.
(h) Attacking an opponent who is under the care of the Referee. (i) Attacking an opponent after the bell has sounded to end the round.
(j) Applying any foreign substance to the hair or body to gain an advantage.
(k) Using forbidden substances as specified by WADA.
(l) Swinging off ropes or slapping the enclosure walls or canvas by the Trainers or Seconds. (m)
Grabbing the ropes or using the ropes of the contest area as a weapon, including but not limited to, pressing the throat against the ropes or trapping an opponent using the ropes.
(n)
Hitting an opponent who is partially out of the ring and is prevented by the ropes from assuming a defensive posture.
(o)
A Second or Trainer entering the contest area during the contest. This mandates a disqualification.
(p) Biting.
(q) Eye Poking, gouging or jabbing the opponent’s eye.
(r) Spitting at an opponent.
(s) Sticking out the tongue or making faces.
(t) Head butting.
(u) Holding the fence with the fingers or toes through the wire. (v) Striking at the groin area in any way.
(w) Hitting with an open glove or the palm of the hand. (x) Deliberately attacking the spine, back of the head, back of the neck or kidneys (except for heel hooks from guard).
(y) Throat strikes of any kind.
(z) Spiking (Suplex) an opponent to the canvas on his head or neck.
(aa) Kneeing or Kicking the head of a grounded opponent. (bb) Hair pulling.
(cc) Fish hooking.
(dd) Putting a finger into any orifice or any cut of an opponent. (ee) Small joint manipulation.
(ff) Striking downward using the point of the elbow (12-6). (gg) Clawing, pinching or twisting the flesh including grabbing the trachea. (hh) Stomping, anywhere other than the foot of a standing opponent. (ii) Holding the shorts or gloves or strapping of an opponent. (jj) Extending open fingers towards the eyes or face of the opponent.
(2) Contestant’s corner men must not slap the canvas or swing from the ropes during a contest or act
in an unseemly manner. Breaches may lead to their Contestant losing points or being disqualified.(3) Referee to disqualify or penalise continuing fouls—
(a)
If in the case of a foul, the offending Contestant disregards the Referee’s warnings and persists with such tactics, the Referee must deduct a point away from or disqualify the offending Contestant.
6 June 2017 GOVERNMENT GAZETTE, WA 2803
(b)
The Referee may penalise any Contestant who fouls that Contestant’s opponent during a contest whether the fouls are intentional or not.
(c)
The Referee must deduct points from the offending Contestant and notify the Judges immediately following the foul or infringement. A Contestant cannot be penalised in a later round for a previous foul or infringement.
35. Definition of a Grounded Opponent
A fighter is considered ground when—
(a) The feet and both hands are touching the floor. (b) Anything other than the souls of the feet are touching the floor. (c) A fighter is NOT grounded if they have their feet and only one hand touching the floor. 36. Accidental Injury
(1) If a Contestant cannot continue because of an accidental (i.e. rolled ankle, dislocation) the Referee
shall award the contest to the Contestant who can continue.
(2) If an accidental clash of heads renders one or both Contestants temporarily unable to continue,
they shall be given a short period of time to recover, at the Referee’s discretion, if no cuts exist as aresult of the accidental clash.
37. Failure to Leave Corner
(1) If the Trainer advises the Referee that his/her Contestant cannot continue, the Contestant will
lose by TKO.
(2) If the Contestant refuses to leave the corner and there is no advice, then he/she refuses to compete
and he/she will lose by TKO.
(3) If the Contestant leaves the corner before the count ends, the Referee may order a deduction, if
he/she considers the opponent has been significantly inconvenienced, before ordering the contest tocontinue.
38. Inspection during Rest Period
(1) Unless it is beyond doubt that an injured or distressed Contestant is not in a fit condition to
continue the Referee will allow him/her the full minute’s rest between rounds before checking his/her
condition.
(2) The Timekeeper shall sound the bell at the appropriate time for the next round but shall not start
the clock until the Referee orders “fight”.
(3) The Referee may order the contest to be terminated on his/her own discretion or at the discretion
of the doctor and then give the Judges his/her ruling on what type of decision relates to the specificcircumstances.
39. Double Knockout Situations
(1) The referee shall stop a contest at any stage if the referee determines that both contestants are in
such a condition that to continue might subject them to serious injury.
(2) If a contest is stopped pursuant to this subsection, the decision shall be deemed to be a technicaldraw.
40. Loss of Mouthguard
(1) Should a Contestant lose their mouthguard, the round will be stopped until the mouthguard has
been cleaned and replaced.
(2) If in a grounded position the Referee shall call “Time” and “Freeze position.” The Referee shall
have the mouthguard rinsed by the Second and replaced in the contestants mouth before resuming
action.
(3) Should the mouthguard be lost in an exchange, the Referee shall wait until the cessation of the
exchange to order its replacement.
(4) In the event that a mouthguard is intentionally expelled, the Referee may at his/her discretion
penalise the offending Contestant with point’s deduction or for continual occurrences, deduct furtherpoints or disqualify the offending Contestant.
41. Out of the contest area
(1) A Contestant who has been knocked out of the ring and onto the floor as a result of a legal blow
may not be helped back in by his/her corner men. The Referee shall allow the Contestant twenty (20)
seconds to re-enter the ring and stand unaided. Should the Contestant fail to re-enter the ring on his
own before the allotted time, the Referee shall wave both arms to indicate that he has been knocked
out.
(2) A Contestant who has been knocked out of the ring but remains on the apron as a result of a legal
blow may not be helped back in by his/her corner men. The Referee shall allow the Contestant ten
(10) seconds to re-enter the ring and stand unaided. Should the Contestant fail to re-enter the ring on
his own before the allotted time, the Referee shall wave both arms to indicate that he has been
knocked out.
(3) In the event that both fighters are on the verge of falling out of the contest area, the Referee will
alert them and ask them not to move.
(4) The fighters must immediately stop their movements and will then be repositioned back to the
centre of the contest area, exactly in the position they were in.
2804 GOVERNMENT GAZETTE, WA 6 June 2017 (5) They will then resume the fight at the Referee’s call.
(6) Contestants may only use their feet to lever themselves off the ropes but not hold the ropes withtheir feet. Holding the ropes with the hands in any way is not permitted.
42. Stopping a Contest
The Referee must stop a contest when—
(a)
In his/her opinion a Contestant is exhausted or injured to such an extent as to be unable to adequately defend themselves or to continue.
(b) A Contestant is rendered unconscious due to strikes or chokes. (c)
A Contestant taps out by physically using his/her open hand or foot (when both hands are trapped) to indicate that he/she no longer wishes to continue; or when a Contestant verbally announces to the Referee that he/she does not wish to continue or makes audible sounds such as screams indicating pain or discomfort.
(d) The Trainer ‘throws in the towel.’
(e)
The Referee is the only person empowered to stop a contest. However, he/she shall accept the direction from the Medical Practitioner to end a contest, as stated in Section 49 of the Western Australian Combat Sports Act 1987.
43. Decisions
(1) At the end of a contest, after the scorecards have been assessed or a decision by the Referee made,the result shall be announced as one of the following—
(a) Knockout by—
(i) When the Referee stops the contest (TKO);
(ii) When the Medical Practitioner stops the contest (TKO);
(iii) When the Trainer throws in the towel (TKO);
(iv) When an injury as a result of a legal manoeuvre is severe enough to terminate a bout (TKO); or
(v) When a Contestant is rendered unconscious due to strikes or chokes (KO).
(b) Submission when—
(i) A contestant “taps out” via physical or verbal submission (TKO).
(c) Decision via scorecards, including—
(i) Unanimous decision—when all three (3) Judges score the contest for the same Contestant;
(ii) Split decision—when two (2) Judges score the contest for one Contestant and one (1) Judge scores for the opponent;
(iii) Majority decision—when two (2) Judges score the contest for the same Contestant and one (1) Judge scores a draw.
(d) Draws, including—
(i) Unanimous draw: when all three (3) Judges score the contest a draw;
(ii) Majority Draw: when two (2) Judges score the contest a draw; or
(iii) Split Draw: when all three (3) Judges score differently.
(e) Disqualification.
(f) Forfeit.
(g) Technical draw.
(h) Technical decision.
(i) No decision.
(j) No contest.
(2) The decision given in a contest by a Referee and/or Judge shall always be final, unless—
(a)
A proven mathematical error is found in the scorecards, in which case the new decision shall be announced immediately after verification by the person representing the Combat Sports Commission.
44. Disqualification
(1) Should a Contestant be disqualified, the Referee shall report details to the Commission
Representative who shall take any action deemed necessary.
(2) The Referee has the discretion to intervene in the case of unfair acts not covered in these rules andregulations and—
(a) Caution the Contestant.
(b) Order a one point or two point deduction.(c) Disqualify the offending Contestant.
(3) It is the Referee’s responsibility to decide if a foul was accidental or deliberate.
(4) If his/her view of the foul was unsighted or partly obscured he/she may confer with the Judges and
supervisor prior to his/her decision but he/she shall have the final decision.
6 June 2017 GOVERNMENT GAZETTE, WA 2805 45. No-Contest
(1) The Referee gives a no-contest verdict when in his/her opinion, the two Contestants are not doing
their best, when both repeatedly ignore the rules or disobey them after several warnings, or when acontest in the opinion of the Referee, is not being conducted honestly by both Contestants.
(2) If a no-contest decision is given, the Referee shall make a written report to the Commission on the
matter.
46. No-Decision
(1) A no-decision verdict may be given if a contest is stopped in unusual circumstances, such as a ringcollapsing or a long power failure.
(2) The Referee should consider the circumstances prior to making a decision and if in any doubt may
consult with the Commission Representative.
47. Restrictions Following a Knockout
knocked out—
(a) The Contestant must not participate in a contest for a period of at least 30 days. (b)
For the second consecutive time, the Contestant must not participate in a contest for a period of at least 60 days.
(c)
For the third consecutive time, the Contestant must not participate in a contest for a period of 90 days or for such longer period as the Medical Practitioner determines as referred to in Section 49 of the Act.
48. Restrictions Following a Contest
(1) Where a Contestant has participated in a contest, the Contestant shall not compete again forseven days.
(2) Where a Medical Practitioner has endorsed a Contestant’s certificate of registration with a specific
date, the Contestant shall not compete before that date.
PART 6—MISCELLANEOUS
49. Prohibited Substances
(1) Prohibited substances are those defined by the Australian Sports Anti-Doping Authority (ASADA).
(2) It is the responsibility of the Contestant and their Trainer to check and ensure that the Contestant
is not taking any medication or substance that is prohibited.(3) Any Contestant testing positive for prohibited substances shall be dealt with by the Combat Sports Commission at a special meeting. If a Contestant is found guilty of taking a prohibited substance, the Commission has the power to suspend the contestant.
50. Gender
There shall be no male versus female contests of any description.
51. Sanctioning Bodies
the rule set is approved by the Minister for Sport and Recreation and is substantially similar to this rule set.
2806 GOVERNMENT GAZETTE, WA 6 June 2017
PART 7—FIGURES AND DIAGRAMS
52. Standard Circular Layout
53. Standard Hexagonal Layout
6 June 2017 GOVERNMENT GAZETTE, WA 2807 54. Standard Octagonal Layout
55. Standard ring layout
2808 GOVERNMENT GAZETTE, WA 6 June 2017 56. Sample Scorecard
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PERTH, TUESDAY, 6 JUNE 2017 No. 107 SPECIAL PUBLISHED BY AUTHORITY KEVIN J. McRAE, GOVERNMENT PRINTER AT 12.30 PM
© STATE OF WESTERN AUSTRALIA
COMBAT SPORTS ACT 1987
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MIXED MARTIAL ARTS
CONTEST RULES 2017
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