MIXED MARTIAL ARTS

1.  ATTIRE AND EQUIPMENT FOR CONTESTANTS

A. Body grease, gels, balms or lotions applied to any part of a contestant is prohibited.  Petroleum jelly or other similar petroleum based product may be applied to the facial area at cage side in the presence of an inspector, referee or person designated by the sanctioning body or state division, prior to the beginning of the first round only. No additional applications will be allowed between rounds. The referee or Division representative shall cause any excessive petroleum jelly or other permitted substance or any foreign substance to be removed to his or her satisfaction.  Any contestant applying anything to any part of his or her body outside the presence of an inspector, referee or person designated by the Division may be penalized a point or disqualified

B.  Fighters are required to wear an approved protective groin cup during all matches.

C. Fighters are required to wear an approved mouthpiece at all times while the bout is in progress.

D. Fighters are not allowed to wear any shoes of any type.

E.  Fighters must tape their wrists and hands but not over their knuckles.  Wraps are not allowed; only tape and gauze will be allowed. Handwraps are not allowed. Fighter handwraps must be "SIGNED OFF" by the event representative PRIOR to the beginning of their bout.

F.   Fighters may not place oil upon any part of his or her body.

G.  Fighter’s fingernails and toenails must be cut and trimmed prior to any bout.

H.  Jewelry or piercing accessories are prohibited

I.  A contestant is prohibited from wearing corrective lenses or contact lenses in the fighting area.
 
J.  Fighter may not wear shin, instep, elbow, and/or knee supports and/or pads of any kind.

K.  GLOVES:

Fighters are required to wear only approved mixed martial arts style gloves which must be provided by the promoter. The Fighters may not use their own equipment.

All fighters must use the same style and brand of glove worn by their opponent and on a Sanctioned Event may not wear an MMA Glove Smaller than 4 ounces. These may be required to be taped to the fighter by the referee to ensure their stability during the bout.

Contestants competing in a bout against one another must wear gloves that are equal in weight.

Permissible apparel for the fighters shall include: name brand recognized MMA competition 6 oz gloves (the preferred endorsed gloves are the Primetime Level 4- 6 0z MMA glove)

If the gloves have been used previously, they must be whole, clean and subject to inspection by the referee or by the Event Commissioner as to condition.  If the gloves are found in poor condition, they shall be changed before the bout starts.  

No breaking, roughing, or twisting of gloves shall be permitted.

All fighters must wear fitted mouthpieces. All fighters are required to have an extra mouthpiece ringside during their match.

All promoters must have several extra sets of gloves of common sizes to be used in case gloves are broken or in any way damaged beyond use during the course of the bouts.  

L.  TRUNKS/UNIFORMS

The following uniform may be worn:

Wrestling singlets.

Boxing or kickboxing shorts/pants.

Latex bike style shorts, "Speedos".

Any combination of the foregoing, and/or any other clothing approved by the referee who may require such
apparel to be taped or otherwise secured to ensure its stability during the match.

Under no circumstances shall apparel or equipment which includes metallic and/or hard plastic and/or any edge or surface which could cause injury to the fighters will be allowed.

2.  CLASSES AND WEIGHTS OF CONTESTANTS

Weight Allowances:

135 and under – 3 pounds
135-170-5 pounds
171-205 – 7 pounds

Weight class         LBS.        
Flyweight:         125 lbs. & Below
Bantamweight         125.1 to 135 lbs.
Featherweight        135.1 to 145 lbs.
Lightweight        145.1 to 155 lbs.
Welterweight        155.1 to 170 lbs.
Middleweight        170.1 to 185 lbs.
Light Heavyweight    185.1 to 205 lbs.
Heavyweight        205.1 to 265 lbs.
Super Heavyweight    265.1 lbs. & Above

For title bouts, contestants may weigh no more than 5 pounds heavier on the day of the bout or contest than their weight at the weigh-in.

3.  FOULS AND INJURIES:  INTENTIONAL AND ACCIDENTAL

If a fighter flagrantly breaks any rule, the official ring referee shall immediately disqualify him. HOWEVER: If the foul is not severe or intentional, the official ring referee shall issue a warning OR point deduction(s) from the offending fighter

A.  THE FOLLOWING TECHNIQUES ARE NOT ALLOWED & ARE CONSIDERED FOULS:

Elbow strikes

NO Downward Elbow Striking will be allowed - Point of the Elbows will result in disqualification, there are no elbow strikes allowed in amateur. No striking allowed that can be construed to be within from the point of the elbow (approximately 2 inched from the point of the elbow).  

Biting.

Eye-Gouging (including with chin or forehead)

Pulling, pushing on opponent's face.

Kicks and Knees TO THE HEAD & NECK to a fighter who is "on the ground". (when the fighter kicked is not in a "2-point position", standing or crouching on his feet).

Any Knee Kick to the head in any manner from any position will result in immediate disqualification.

Fish hooks (to the eyes, nose, ear, or mouth)

Hair pulling.

Groin grabs.

Groin strikes.

Single digit manipulation (finger and toe locks)

Head butting.

No contestant is allowed to jump on an opponent in any manner

No fingertip or knuckle gouging to the face or any part of the body (including into the throat)

Acrobatics or rebounding off of the cage or using the cage in any manner is not allowed

Pushing an opponent out of, or off the fighting area.

No strikes to the: throat, groin, spine. ( no forearm strike or push into the Adam’sApple)

No open hand palm heal strikes or fingertip strikes or rakes.

Lifting, pushing, throwing, or otherwise forcing an opponent out of the ring or cage.

Single hand chokes to the throat.

Two handed chokes applied directly to the throat and/or windpipe.

Punching or striking to the back of the head ( one ince on either side of the spinal area from the crown of the head
to the base of the neck) will not be tolerated

No foot stomping will be allowed.

Grabbing the cage or ring ropes

Fighters may NOT grab the ring ropes or cage AT ANY TIME the two fighters are in contact with each other during the bout in an attempt to stall action, trap his opponent, escape a technique, or otherwise gain advantage in the match.  If a fighter grabs or otherwise secures any ring rope with a hand, arm, foot or leg during the bout TO AVOID A SUBMISSION HOLD, the referee shall stop the bout and subsequently warn the offending fighter that he will be disqualified on the next offense of holding the cage or ropes.

If a fighter continually holds the ring ropes to rest, or pull himself from the action, avoid the bout's action, and he has been officially warned once, then the fighter who has violated the warning shall be disqualified for failure to fight.

Excessive grabbing or other use of the ring ropes in violation of these rules may result, in the referee's sole discretion, in a fighter's disqualification and an award of the bout to that fighter's opponent.

The referee shall verbally instruct fighters to release the ring ropes or cage, when appropriate, prior to warning, and/or disqualifying a fighter for violating these rules.

4.  JUDGING AND SCORING METHODS

A.  The judges shall score all contests and determine the winner through use of the ten-point must system. In this system the winner of each round receives ten points and the opponent receives a proportionately smaller number.

B.  Under no circumstances shall a judge award the loser of each round with fewer than seven points.

C.  It is preferable to make a decision between contestants to reduce the possibility of a draw; a qualified judge must make a decision.

D.  No fraction of points may be given.

E.  After the Judges have marked and signed their individual round scorecards the Judges shall immediately stand and present the scorecard to the referee.  

F.  The referee shall collect each judge’s scorecard during the 60-second rest period and deliver the scorecards to the event representative or scorekeeper, and confer with the ring representative on any fouls or violations.

G.  SCORING BOUTS AND DETERMINING A WINNER BY DECISION

It is the official ring referee's duty to determine and announce all submissions and knockouts or other bout stoppages.

However, if there is no submission, knockout, or stop of the bout by a referee, cornerman, fighter, etc., by the end of the bout time limit, then the (3) three required ringside judges shall determine the bout winner.

In the event of a judge’s even match or a draw, the match must be given to the athlete who is the superior kicker as determined in the sport of kickboxing and may refer to the Kick Count cards.

H.  SCORING THE ROUNDS

If the round is EVEN, Both fighters will be scored a 10 for the round.

The fighter who controls a round will be given a score of 10 for the round while the other fighter will be given a score of 9 for the round.

If a round is "Dominated" by 1 fighter and he/she scores 1 or several Strike Knockdowns, High Impact Takedowns/Slams or Near Submissions the "Dominating" Fighter shall be scored a 10 while his/her opponent shall be scored an 8.

One move cannot take an entire round away when the other fighter is winning.

5.  GENERAL JUDGING

All matches will be judged by (3) three qualified Mixed Martial Arts ringside judges.

Mixed Martial Arts neither striking nor grappling has any more importance than any other part of a contest.

As the "Knockdown" is in Kickboxing/Boxing, there are actually "3" dominate Scoring techniques in Mixed Martial Arts. They are:

Strike Knockdown

High technically correct  Takedowns

Near Attempted Submission

Potential Scores - Not counting any point deductions:

10-10

10-9

10-8

The Judges guidelines for good decisions are:

Standup Striking

Clinch Fighting Takedowns

Positioning Submissions

Ground Striking

Overall Control

6.  LEGAL TECHNIQUES FOR AMATEUR MIXED MARTIAL ARTS

A.  HAND STRIKES:  Fighters may strike with a closed fist only.

B.  ARM STRIKES:  A forearm strike is allowed

C.  LEGS: Fighters may strike with their knees (except to the head), otherwise knees, shins and feet are allowed to all other parts of the body when the fight is standing up. Once one fighter's knee touches the ring floor, NO kicks are allowed to that fighter's head as he is then considered "on the ground". (a fighter is determined "ON THE GROUND" when that fighter's knee touches the ring floor or he is otherwise not supported by his two feet, alone, supporting him in a standing or crouched position.)

D.  THROWS AND TAKEDOWNS: All wrestling, judo, and jujitsu throws and takedowns are permitted, as long as no hard slams affecting the neck or head are delivered.

E.  LOCKS: Elbow, shoulder, wrist, knee, and ankle locks are allowed.

F.  CHOKES: All chokes can be done with the arms and legs.
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7.  ROUNDS

Amateur matches shall consist of any of the following:

Three (3) rounds, each of TWO (2) minutes in length, with a one (1) minute rest between each round. Recommended for athletes who have competed in less than two events

Three (3) rounds, each of THREE (3) minutes in length, with a one (1) minute rest between each round. Recommended for athletes who have competed in three or more events.

All Amateur Title matches shall consist of four (4) rounds, each of three (3) minutes in length, with a one (1) minute rest between each round.

All promoter’s promotional titles shall consist of a maximum of 3 rounds, each of 3 minutes in length, with a 1 minute rest period between.

Kick International, state, regional and national title matches shall consist of 4 rounds, each of 3 minutes in length, with a 1 minute rest period between.  

In the event of a decision which ends in a draw at the end of the four rounds, the match shall continue for one additional round of three minutes in length which must be the determining round as decided by the Judges who are required to decide in favor of the most effective athlete in that final deciding round.

In the event, that, at that the end of the regular 3 round time limit, a match ends in a draw as set forth by these rules, then the official decision shall be a draw and there shall be no overtime round.

A title award must be presented upon the outcome of the fifth and final deciding round.

8.  STRUCTURE OF THE FIGHTING AREA FOR CONTESTS

Contests shall be held in a ring, cage or a fenced area.

RING:

The ring shall be square shaped and shall be a regulation boxing ring no less than 16 x 16 feet and no larger than 24 x 24 feet within the ropes. 

The ring floor shall be constructed of at least a 1 inch base of wood-based board padded with at least a 1 inch layer of foam rubber or foam rubber equivalents. 

There must be a top covering of canvas, duck or similar material tightly stretched and attached to the ring platform, as approved  State regulation and by KICK.

The ring shall have 4 posts not less than 3 inches in diameter that extend from the floor of the ring to a height of no less than 48 inches and no more than 58 inches.

 The posts shall be securely anchored and adequately padded. Padding must extend beyond the rope and over the edge of the edge of the platform.

The floor of the ring shall not be more than 4 feet above the floor on which it is standing, and shall be supplied with steps for the entry and departure of contestants and officials.

The platform of the ring must extend beyond the ropes for a distance of at least 2 feet. The ring shall be kept clear of obstructions.

Spectator seats shall not be closer than eight feet (8') from the outside edge of the apron of the ring.

The ringside area shall made available to the event representative or inspector for the use of the designated working officials, contestants, their seconds, judges, referee, scorekeeper, announcer, physician, state officials  and media representatives. The event representative, inspector shall be provided seating next to the announcer and scorekeeper.

HEIGHT OF RING. The ring platform shall not be more than four feet above the floor of the building and shall be provided with suitable steps for the use of contestants. Ring posts and ring shall be of   substantial and adequate material and strength to safely provide such competition, and shall be properly padded. The ring must meet state applicable regulations and be reviewed and approved by the event liaison/ representative and or local inspector.

RING ROPES. The ring ropes shall be a minimum of five in number and not less than one inch in diameter. The lowest rope shall be 12 in. (46mm) above the ring floor. The highest rope must be 52 inches above the floor. The ropes shall have applied around them a padding of a thickness of not less than one-half inch and of a type and construction approved by KICK.

B.  CAGE AREA SPECIFICATIONS:

The fighting area:

Shall be constructed in a manner that does not pose a substantial risk to the safety or health of any person;

must be circular or have as many as eight equal sides for a contest;

shall be no smaller than 16 feet wide and no larger than 32 feet wide within the ropes, cage or fenced area;

shall have a corner with a blue designation and the corner directly across shall have a red designation;

floor shall extend at least 24 inches beyond the ropes or other barrier.  The floor must be of a canvas, duck or similar material that shall be padded with at least a 1 inch layer of foam padding that shall extend over the edge of the platform of the fighting area.  Vinyl or other plastic rubberized covering is prohibited.  Materials that may gather in lumps or ridges during the bout or contest are prohibited;

platform shall be no more than 4 feet above the floor on which it is standing and must have suitable steps or ramps for use by officials and the contestants;

shall have five fighting area ropes when fighting area ropes are used, not less than 1 inch in diameter and wrapped in soft material.  The lowest rope must be no higher than 12 inches from the fighting area floor; and

must not be obstructed by any object, including, without limitation, a triangular border, on any part of the fighting area floor.  

The fence or cage specifications for mixed martial arts shall meet the following requirements:

be made of material that will prevent a contestant from falling out or breaking through the fighting area onto the floor beneath the fighting area or onto spectators.  The enclosure may be composed of vinyl-coated chain link fencing or other similar material;

any exposed metal on the interior of the fenced or caged area must be covered and padded in a manner approved by the inspector or sanctioning body representative.  The covering shall not be abrasive to the contestants;

any metal parts used to reinforce the fenced or caged area enclosure shall not interfere with the safety of the contestants;

the enclosure shall provide 2 separate entries onto the fighting area canvas that are sufficient to allow easy access to the fighting area by officials and emergency personnel.  The entrances must be padded or covered so that there is no exposed metal on the interior of the fence or caged area;

the enclosure shall not obstruct or limit the supervision and regulation of the bout by officials or sanctioning body representatives; and  

the enclosure shall not inhibit the judging of the bout in any manner.

9.  TYPES OF BOUT RESULTS

FIGHTERS KNOCKED OUT. Contestants who have been knocked out will be kept lying down until they have recovered.  When a contestant is knocked out, no one will touch him except the referee or chief handler, who will remove his mouthpiece, until the ringside physician enters the ring and personally attends the fallen athlete and issues such instructions as he sees fit to the contestant's handlers. If a contestant has been knocked out, or if a technical knockout decision has been rendered against him by the referee, such contestant will be placed on the ill/injured and unavailable list for such a period of time as may be recommended by any approved KICK appointed physician.

KNOCKOUT: Fighter is unable to intelligently defend himself following a strike(s).
TKO: If the licensed ringside Physician/ doctor or referee decides the fighter cannot continue due to a cut or other injury.
SUBMISSION: When a fighter submits by tapping the opponent or the mat more than "3" times as a result from a choke, lock, or for any other reason. IF a fighter is in no position to tap out, he may yell "MATTE", "QUIT" or "GIVE UP". IF a fighter cannot tap or cannot yell, the referee shall stop the bout from his own personal determination of the fighter's safety.
REFEREE STOPPAGE: When a fighter is taking excessive punishment but cannot or will not submit or quit, either due to striking, failing to show a willingness to continue, a refusal to submit in the face of grave injury, or any other reason the referee believes is necessary to preserve the fighter's safety.
CORNER CONCEEDES THE MATCH: When a fighter's corner feels their fighter has had enough and decides to end the bout by standing and waiving the towel to signal the referee to end the match for the safety of the fighter. This shall count as a TKO.
QUIT: When a fighter simply cannot or refuses to continue.
DECISION:  When the bout has ended after the length of the bouts specified time period, without a winner, the bout decision shall be determined by the (3) three judges, based on the rules as designated.
DISQUALIFICATION: The fighter’s opponent is disqualified by the referee.

MMA AMATEUR JUDGE'S SCORECARD FOR AN AMATEUR MMA BOUT must be requested from the Kick Representative

JUDGES DECISIONS THAT MAY BE RENDERED

If there is no submission, knockout, or stop of the bout by a referee, cornerman, fighter, etc., by the end of the bout time limit, the (3) three required ringside judges shall determine the bout winner. This shall be determined after the judge's scorecards have been counted to determine the winner of the bout. The types of judges' decisions are as follows:.

UNANIMOUS DECISION: Indicates that all three judges awarded the same fighter the winner on points.
SPLIT DECISION: Indicates that two judges scored the fight for one fighter and the other judge scored the fight for the other fighter.
MAJORITY DECISION: Indicates that two judges scored the fight for one fighter and the other judge scored the bout a draw.
DRAW: Indicates that one judge had the fight for one fighter, one judge had the fight for the other fighter, and the third judge had the fight even. It could also mean that all three judges scored the fight a draw or that two of the three judges scored it a draw.
IN THE EVENT OF A DRAW: If there is a draw, the Matchmaker will resort back to the agreement he/she made during the event matchmaking whether or not to fight 1 extra draw breaking round. One Draw breaking round shall be 3 minutes in length.
Document KIAMA-rules3.15.09