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The USMF has adopted the Unified Rules for Mixed Martial Arts of
the New Jersey Athletic Control Board.
The Nevada Athletic Commission has adopted the same rules.
We continue to seek the sanctioning and approval of the Mississippi
Athletic Commission and to ratify rules for the State of Mississippi,
but until such time we will abide by the following.
Note: In January 2003 the USMF ratified two exceptions to
the New Jersey Athletic Control Boards unified Rules for Mixed
Martial Arts. Both changes were meant to enhance fighter safety
standards. These change are marked by asterisks below
Change 1 Adoption of a Super Heavyweight Division beginning
at 235 pounds. Change 2. A fighter's corner can submit for
him by throwing in the towel.
(a) Mixed martial artists shall be divided into the following
classes:
1.Flyweight under 125.9 pounds;
2.Bantamweight 126 lbs. - 134.9 pounds;
3.Featherweight 135 lbs. - 144.9 pounds;
4.Lightweight 145 lbs. - 154.9 pounds;
5.Welterweight 155 lbs. - 169.9 pounds;
6.Middleweight 170 lbs. - 184.9 pounds;
7.Light Heavyweight 185 lbs. - 204.9 pounds;
8.Heavyweight 204 lbs. - 234.9 pounds;
9.Super Heavyweight over 235 pounds.
(a) The fighting area canvas shall be no smaller than 18
feet by 18 feet and no larger than 32 feet by 32 feet. The
fighting area canvas shall be padded in a manner as approved
by the Commissioner, with at least one-inch layer of foam
padding. Padding shall extend beyond the fighting area and
over the edge of the platform. No vinyl or other plastic rubberized
covering shall be permitted.
(b) The fighting area canvas shall not be more than four
feet above the floor of the building and shall have suitable
steps or ramp for use by the participants. Posts shall be
made of metal not more than six inches in diameter, extending
from the floor of the building to a minimum height of 58 inches
above the fighting area canvas and shall be properly padded
in a manner approved by the Commissioner.
(c) The fighting area canvas area shall be enclosed by a
fence made of such material as will not allow a fighter to
fall out or break through it onto the floor or spectators,
including, but not limited to, vinyl coated chain link fencing.
All metal parts shall be covered and padded in a manner approved
by the Commissioner and shall not be abrasive to the contestants.
(d) The fence shall provide two separate entries onto the
fighting area canvas.
(a) A ring stool of a type approved by the Commissioner shall
be available for each contestant.
(b) An appropriate number of stools or chairs, of a type
approved by the Commissioner, shall be available for each
contestant's seconds. Such stools or chairs shall be located
near each contestant's corner.
(c) All stools and chairs used must be thoroughly cleaned
or replaced after the conclusion of each bout.
For each bout, the fighter's corner shall provide a clean
water bucket and a clean plastic water bottle in each corner.
(a) In all weight classes, the bandages on each contestant's
hand shall be restricted to soft gauze cloth not more than
13 yards in length and two inches in width, held in place
by not more than 10 feet of surgeon's tape, one inch in width,
for each hand.
(b) Surgeon's adhesive tape shall be placed directly on each
hand for protection near the wrist. The tape may cross the
back of the hand twice and extend to cover and protect the
knuckles when the hand is clenched to make a fist.
(c) The bandages shall be evenly distributed across the hand.
(d) Bandages and tape shall be placed on the contestant's
hands in the dressing room in the presence of the inspector
and in the presence of the manager or chief second of his
or her opponent.
(e) Under no circumstances are gloves to be placed on the
hands of a contestant until the approval of the inspector
is received.
(a) All contestants are required to wear a mouthpiece during
competition. The mouthpiece shall be subject to examination
and approval by the attending physician.
(b) The round cannot begin without the mouthpiece in place.
(c) If the mouthpiece is involuntarily dislodged during competition,
the referee shall call time, clean the mouthpiece and reinsert
the mouthpiece at the first opportune moment, without interfering
with the immediate action.
(a) Male mixed martial artists shall wear a groin protector
of their own selection, of a type approved by the Commissioner.
(b) Female mixed martial artists are prohibited from wearing
groin protectors.
(c) Female mixed martial artists shall wear a chest protector
during competition. The chest protector shall be subject to
approval of the Commissioner.
(a) The gloves shall be new for all main events and in good
condition or they must be replaced.
(b) All contestants shall wear four, five or six ounce gloves,
supplied by the promoter and approved by the commission. No
contestant shall supply his or her own gloves for participation.
(a) Each contestant shall wear mixed martial arts shorts,
biking shorts, or kick-boxing shorts.
(b) Gi's or shirts are prohibited during competition.
(c) Shoes are prohibited during competition.
(a) All contestants shall be cleanly shaven immediately prior
to competition, except that a contestant may wear a closely
cropped mustache.
(b) Hair shall be trimmed or tied back in such a manner as
not to interfere with the vision of either contestant or cover
any part of a contestant's face.
(c) Jewelry or piercing accessories are prohibited during
competition.
(a) Each non-championship mixed martial arts contest shall
be three rounds, of five minutes duration, with a one minute
rest period between each round.
(b) Each championship mixed martial arts contest shall be
five rounds, of five minutes duration, with a one minute rest
period between each round.
The referee and ringside physician are the sole arbiters
of a bout and are the only individuals authorized to enter
the fighting area at any time during competition and authorized
to stop a contest.
(a) All bouts will be evaluated and scored by three judges.
(b) The 10-Point Must System will be the standard system
of scoring a bout. Under the 10-Point Must Scoring System,
10 points must be awarded to the winner of the round and nine
points or less must be awarded to the loser, except for a
rare even round, which is scored (10-10).
(c) Judges shall evaluate mixed martial arts techniques,
such as effective striking, effective grappling, control of
the fighting area, effective aggressiveness and defense.
(d) Evaluations shall be made in the order in which the techniques
appear in (c) above, giving the most weight in scoring to
effective striking, effective grappling, control of the fighting
area and effective aggressiveness and defense.
(e) Effective striking is judged by determining the total
number of legal heavy strikes landed by a contestant.
(f) Effective grappling is judged by considering the amount
of successful executions of a legal takedown and reversals.
Examples of factors to consider are take downs from standing
position to mount position, passing the guard to mount position,
and bottom position fighters using an active, threatening
guard.
(g) Fighting area control is judged by determining who is
dictating the pace, location and position of the bout. Examples
of factors to consider are countering a grappler's attempt
at takedown by remaining standing and legally striking ; taking
down an opponent to force a ground fight; creating threatening
submission attempts, passing the guard to achieve mount, and
creating striking opportunities.
(h) Effective aggressiveness means moving forward and landing
a legal strike.
(i) Effective defense means avoiding being struck, taken
down or reversed while countering with offensive attacks.
(j) The following objective scoring criteria shall be utilized
by the judges when scoring a round;
1. A round is to be scored as a 10-10 Round when both contestants
appear to be fighting evenly and neither contestant shows
clear dominance in a round;
2. A round is to be scored as a 10-9 Round when a contestant
wins by a close margin, landing the greater number of effective
legal strikes, grappling and other maneuvers;
3. A round is to be scored as a 10-8 Round when a contestant
overwhelmingly dominates by striking or grappling in a round.
4. A round is to be scored as a 10-7 Round when a contestant
totally dominates by striking or grappling in a round.
(k) Judges shall use a sliding scale and recognize the length
of time the fighters are either standing or on the ground,
as follows:
1. If the mixed martial artists spent a majority of a round
on the canvas, then:
i. Effective grappling is weighed first; and
ii. Effective striking is then weighed
2. If the mixed martial artists spent a majority of a round
standing, then:
1. Effective striking is weighed first; and
2. Effective grappling is then weighed
3. If a round ends with a relatively even amount of standing
and canvas fighting, striking and grappling are weighed equally.
(a) The referee shall issue a single warning for the following
infractions. After the initial warning, if the prohibited
conduct persists, a penalty will be issued. The penalty may
result in a deduction of points or disqualification.
1. Holding or grabbing the fence;
2. Holding opponent's shorts or gloves; or
3. The presence of more than one second on the fighting area
perimeter.
(a) The following are fouls and will result in penalties
if committed:
1. Butting with the head;
2. Eye gouging of any kind;
3. Biting or spitting at an opponent;
4. Hair pulling;
5. Fish hooking;
6. Groin attacks of any kind;
7. Intentionally placing a finger in any opponent's orifice;
8. Downward pointing of elbow strikes;
9. Small joint manipulation;
10. Strikes to the spine or back of the head;
11. Heel kicks to the kidney;
12. Throat strikes of any kind;
13. Clawing, pinching, twisting the flesh or grabbing the
clavicle;
14. Kicking the head of a grounded fighter;
15. Kneeing the head of a grounded fighter;
16. Stomping of a grounded fighter;
17. The use of abusive language in fighting area;
18. Any unsportsmanlike conduct that causes an injury to opponent;
19. Attacking an opponent on or during the break;
20. Attacking an opponent who is under the referee's care
at the time;
21. Timidity (avoiding contact, or consistent dropping of
mouthpiece, or faking an injury);
22. Interference from a mixed martial artists seconds;
23. Throwing an opponent out of the fighting area;
24. Flagrant disregard of the referee's instructions;
25. Spiking an opponent to the canvas on his or her head or
neck.
(b) Disqualification occurs after any combination of three
or the fouls listed in (a) above or after a referee determines
that a foul was intentional and flagrant.
(c) Fouls will result in a point being deducted by the official
scorekeeper from the offending mixed martial artist's score.
(d) Only a referee can assess a foul. If the referee does
not call the foul, judges shall not make that assessment on
their own and cannot factor such into their scoring calculations.
(e) A fouled fighter has up to five minutes to recuperate.
(f) If a foul is committed, the referee shall:
1. call time;
2. check the fouled mixed martial artist's condition and safety;
and
3. assess the foul to the offending contestant, deduct points,
and notify each corner's seconds, judges and the official
scorekeeper.
g) If a bottom contestant commits a foul, unless the top
contestant is injured, the fight shall continue, so as not
to jeopardize the top contestant's superior positioning at
the time.
1. The referee shall verbally notify the bottom contestant
of the foul.
2. When the round is over, the referee shall assess the foul
and notify both corners' seconds, the judges and the official
scorekeeper.
3. The referee may terminate a bout based on the severity
of a foul. For such a flagrant foul, a contestant shall lose
by disqualification.
(a) If an injury sustained during competition as a result
of a legal maneuver is severe enough to terminate a bout,
the injured contestant loses by technical knockout.
(b) If an injury sustained during competition as a result
of an intentional foul is severe enough to terminate a bout,
the contestant causing the injury loses by disqualification.
(c) If an injury is sustained during competition as a result
of an intentional foul and the bout is allowed to continue,
the referee shall notify the scorekeeper to automatically
deduct two points from the contestant who committed the foul.
(d) If an injury sustained during competition as a result
of an intentional foul causes the injured contestant to be
unable to continue at a subsequent point in the contest, the
injured contestant shall win by technical decision, if he
or she is ahead on the score cards. If the injured contestant
is even or behind on the score cards at the time of stoppage,
the outcome of the bout shall be declared a technical draw.
(e) If a contestant injures himself or herself while attempting
to foul his or her opponent, the referee shall not take any
action in his or her favor, and the injury shall be treated
in the same manner as an injury produced by a fair blow.
(f) If an injury sustained during competition as a result
of an accidental foul is severe enough for the referee to
stop the bout immediately, the bout shall result in a no contest
if stopped before two rounds have been completed in a three
round bout or if stopped before three rounds have been completed
in a five round bout.
(g) If an injury sustained during competition as a result
of an accidental foul is severe enough for the referee to
stop the bout immediately, the bout shall result in a technical
decision awarded to the contestant who is ahead on the score
cards at the time the bout is stopped only when the bout is
stopped after two rounds of a three round bout, or three rounds
of a five round bout have been completed.
(h) There will be no scoring of an incomplete round. However,
if the referee penalizes either contestant, then the appropriate
points shall be deducted when the scorekeeper calculates the
final score.
(a) The following are the types of bout results:
1. Submission by:
i. Tap Out: When a contestant physically uses his hand to
indicate that he or she no longer wishes to continue; or
ii. Verbal tap out: When a contestant verbally announces to
the referee that he or she does not wish to continue;
iii. A fighter's corner throws in the towel.*
2. Technical knockout by:
i. Referee stops bout;
ii. Ringside physician stops bout; or
iii. When an injury as a result of a legal maneuver is severe
enough to terminate a bout;
3. Knockout by failure to rise from the canvas;
4. Decision via scorecards:
i. Unanimous: When all three judges score the bout for the
same contestant;
ii. Split Decision: When two judges score the bout for one
contestant and one judge scores for the opponent; or
iii. Majority Decision: When two judges score the bout for
the same contestant and one judge scores a draw;
5. Draws:
i. Unanimous - When all three judges score the bout a draw;
ii. Majority - When two judges score the bout a draw; or
iii. Split - When all three judges score differently and the
score total results in a draw;
6. Disqualification: When an injury sustained during competition
as a result of an intentional foul is severe enough to terminate
the contest;
7. Forfeit:When a contestant fails to begin competition or
prematurely ends the contest for reasons other than injury
or by indicating a tap out;
8. Technical Draw: When an injury sustained during competition
as a result of an intentional foul causes the injured contestant
to be unable to continue and the injured contestant is even
or behind on the score cards at the time of stoppage;
9. Technical Decision: When the bout is prematurely stopped
due to injury and a contestant is leading on the scorecards;
and
10. No Contest:When a contest is prematurely stopped due
to accidental injury and a sufficient number of rounds have
not been completed to render a decision via the score cards.
* Indicates that rule was added by the USMF
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