Fouls.

1. Butting with the head.

No use of the head as a striking instrument in any form is allowed.

2. Eye gouging of any kind.

Intentional use of the fingers, thumb or chin as a gouging instrument will be considered eye gouging.

3. Biting.

4. Hair pulling.

5. Fishhooking.

Any attempt by a fighter to use their fingers in a manner that attacks their opponents mouth, nose or ears, stretching the skin to that area will be considered “Fishhooking”.  Fishhooking generally is the placing of fingers into the mouth or your opponent and pulling your hands in opposing directions while holding onto the skin of your opponent.

6. Groin attacks of any kind.

7. Putting a finger into any orifice or into any cut or laceration on an opponent.

8. Small joint manipulation.

Fingers and Toes are small joints.  Wrists, Ankles, Knees, Shoulders and Elbows are all large joints.

9. Striking to the spine or the back of the head.

No direct striking attacks are allowed to the spine or the back of the head. A direct strike is an aimed and executed attack to the area. The back of the head is considered the direct centre of the head with  1’ inch of tolerance to either side.

10. Striking downward using the point of the elbow.

All elbow strikes are legal except for an elbow that is thrown in a downward trajectory (hand travelling from 12 o’clock to 6 o’clock).  Any elbow thrown with an arc is a legal elbow.  The point of the elbow may be used as striking instrument as well as the forearm or the triceps area of the arm.

11. Throat strikes of any kind, including, without limitation, grabbing the trachea.

No directed throat strikes are allowed.  Directed throat attacks would include a fighter pulling his opponents head in a way to open the neck area for a striking attack.  A fighter may not gouge their fingers or thumb into their opponent’s neck or trachea in an attempt to submit their opponent.  All arm chokes such as the Rear Naked, Guillotine, and bar arm are legal.

12. Clawing, pinching or twisting the flesh.

13. Grabbing the clavicle.

This is viewed as another form of gouging.  You may not attempt to use your fingers to gouge into or grab at the clavicle.

14. Kicking the head of a grounded opponent.

A downed opponent is any fighter who has more than just the soles of their feet on the ground.  If a fighter is caught in a crouched position where the ring ropes or the fence is the only thing keeping the fighter from the ground the fighter will be considered a downed opponent.  A fighter can be kicked to the body when they are on the ground.  

15.  Kneeing the head of a grounded opponent.

A downed opponent is any fighter who has more than just the soles of their feet on the ground.  If a fighter is caught in a crouched position where the ring ropes or the fence is the only thing keeping the fighter from the ground the fighter will be considered a downed opponent.  A fighter can be kneed to the body when they are on the ground.  

16.  Stomping a grounded opponent.

Stomping a grounded opponent is not allowed.  Stomps can only be utilised in the standing position against another standing fighter.

17.Kicking to the kidney with the heel.

18. Spiking an opponent to the canvas on his head or neck.

Any throw that has an arc is a legal throw.  A fighter may not pick up their opponent, invert them placing the fighter’s feet straight up in the air and their head straight down and pile drive their opponent into the canvas.  When a fighter is using a takedown or a throw against their opponent they are allowed to throw their opponent to the ground without worry as to whether their opponents head makes contact with the canvas before another part of their body as long as they have not placed their opponent into the above stated pile driver position.

19. Throwing an opponent out of the cage.

Any fighter who purposely throws their opponent out of the ring or cage shall be disqualified

20. Holding the shorts or gloves of an opponent.

A fighter may not control their opponent’s movement by holding onto their opponent’s shorts or gloves.  A fighter may hold onto or grab their opponents hand as long as they are not controlling the hand only by using the material of the glove, but by actually gripping the hand.

21.  Spitting at an opponent.

22.  Engaging in any unsportsmanlike conduct that causes an injury to an opponent.

23. Holding the fence.

A fighter may put their hands on the fence and push off of it at anytime.  When a fighters fingers go through the cage and grab hold of the fence and start to control either their body position or their opponents body position, the referee shall issue a warning to the fighter to let go of the fence.  If the fighter does not let go the referee shall attempt to quickly pull the fighter hand off of the fence.  If this does not immediately work the referee shall issue a foul against the violating fighter.

24.  Using abusive language in the ring or fenced area.

Fighters shall not entice their opponent with abusive language during the ring introductions or  during the actual contest.  The referee shall give one (1) warning to the violating fighter and then issue a foul for every infraction thereafter.

25. Attacking an opponent on or during the break.

26. Attacking an opponent who is under the care of the referee.

27. Attacking an opponent after the bell has sounded the end of the period of unarmed combat.

28. Flagrantly disregarding the instructions of the referee.

29. Timidity, including, without limitation, avoiding contact with an opponent, intentionally or consistently dropping the mouthpiece or faking an injury.

30. Interference by the corner.

31. Throwing in the towel during competition.

Results of contests.  

A contest of mixed martial arts may end under the following results:

1.  Submission by:

     (a) Physical tap out.

     (b) Verbal tap out.

2.  Technical knockout by the referee stopping the contest.

3.  Decision via the scorecards, including:

     (a) Unanimous decision.

     (b) Split decision.

     (c) Majority decision.

     (d) Draw, including:

          (1) Unanimous draw.

          (2) Majority draw.

          (3) Split draw.

4.  Technical decision.

5.  Technical draw.

6.  Disqualification.

7.  Forfeit.

8. No contest.

Weight Classes:

Lightweight - over 145 lbs (65.8kg) to 155 lbs (70.3kg).

Welterweight - over 155 lbs (70.3kg) to 170 lbs (77.1kg).

Middleweight -over 170 lbs (77.1kg) to 185 lbs (83.9kg).

Light Heavyweight - over 185 lbs (83.9kg) to 205 lbs (93.0kg).

Heavyweight - over 205 lbs (93.0kg) to 265 lbs (120.2kg).

Bout duration:

All non-championship bouts shall be three rounds.

All championship bouts shall be five rounds.

Rounds will be five minutes in duration.

A one-minute rest period will occur between each round.

Stand-up Rule

If the fighters while engaged in combat during the match go to the ground the following is to be followed by the referee before bringing the combatants back to the standing position.

1. The referee shall give the combatants sufficient time to establish a dominant position on the ground.

2. Once the fighters have shown that they cannot establish a dominant position against their opponent either through effective striking or body positioning and control, the referee shall advise the fighters to improve their position if they wish to stay engaged on the ground.

3. Improvement of the position shall be determined by the fighter’s actions.  The fighter in top position must either post up and begin levelling heavy strikes in a sustained and consistent fashion at his opponent, or move themselves to a more advantageous position.  A more advantageous position would be considered, moving from your opponents guard into either half guard or side control.  If this is accomplished by the fighter in the top position the fight will remain at its present position on the ground.

4. If the fighter in the bottom position wishes to keep the fight on the ground after being advised by the referee to improve their position, the fighter must attempt to place their opponent in a disadvantageous position.  Examples would include, placing your opponent into a hold that could lead to their submission. Such as, Triangle, Arm Triangle, Omoplata (Shoulder Lock), Kimura, Arm Bar, Etc.

5. After being warned by the referee, if the fighters are unable to improve their position the referee shall stand the fighters and restart the fight from the standing position.

Submissions

Mixed Martial Arts is unique due to the art of submission.  Submissions can place a fighter in a dangerous position of receiving substantial damage to a joint or limb. 

Fighters need to understand that a fight will be stopped if it is known to the referee that a fighter has suffered serious damage to joint or limb from a submission hold.

1. The referee shall make it explicitly known to the fighters that severe injuries observed by the referee during the match due to a submission hold shall cause a stoppage to the match. The referee shall make it known to both fighters that they must take care to protect themselves from substantial and lasting injuries.  If a fighter is placed into a submission hold that the fighter realises is causing damage to the attacked body part of the fighter, the fighter can tap allowing the referee to stop the match.

2. Any fighter who is placed into a submission hold may attempt in any legal fashion to free themselves from the hold.  The referee will closely observe the hold and the defending fighter’s position and actions.  If the referee observes that during the submission the defending fighter suffers a dislocation, or break to the attacked limb, the referee shall call a halt to the match and declare the opponent of the injured fighter the winner of the match 

Fouls: Deduction of points.

     1.  If an unarmed combatant fouls his opponent during a contest or exhibition of mixed martial arts, the referee may penalise him by deducting points from his score, whether or not the foul was intentional. Except as otherwise provided in subsection 2 of (Fouls:Accidental), the referee may determine the number of points to be deducted in each instance and shall base his determination on the severity of the foul and its effect upon the opponent.

     2.  When the referee determines that it is necessary to deduct a point or points because of a foul, he shall warn the offender of the penalty to be assessed.

     3.  The referee shall, as soon as is practical after the foul, notify the judges and both unarmed combatants of the number of points, if any, to be deducted from the score of the offender.

     4.  Any point or points to be deducted for any foul must be deducted in the round in which the foul occurred and may not be deducted from the score of any subsequent round.

    

Fouls: Accidental. 

     1.  If a contest or exhibition of mixed martial arts is stopped because of an accidental foul, the referee shall determine whether the unarmed combatant who has been fouled can continue or not. If the unarmed combatant’s chance of winning has not been seriously jeopardised as a result of the foul and if the foul did not involve a concussive impact to the head of the unarmed combatant who has been fouled, the referee may order the contest or exhibition continued after a recuperative interval of not more than 5 minutes.

Immediately after separating the unarmed combatants, the referee shall inform the judges of his determination that the foul was accidental.

     2.  If the referee determines that a contest or exhibition of mixed martial arts may not continue because of an injury suffered as the result of an accidental foul, the contest or exhibition must be declared a no contest if the foul occurs during:

     (a) The first two rounds of a contest or exhibition that is scheduled for three rounds or less; or

     (b) The first three rounds of a contest or exhibition that is scheduled for more than three rounds.

     3.  If an accidental foul renders an unarmed combatant unable to continue the contest or exhibition after:

     (a) The completed second round of a contest or exhibition that is scheduled for three rounds or less; or

     (b) The completed third round of a contest or exhibition that is scheduled for more than three rounds,  the outcome must be determined by scoring the completed rounds and the round during which the referee stops the contest or exhibition.

     4.  If an injury inflicted by an accidental foul later becomes aggravated by fair blows and the referee orders the contest or exhibition stopped because of the injury, the outcome must be determined by scoring the completed rounds and the round during which the referee stops the contest or exhibition.

 

Method of Judging.

1.  Each judge of a contest or exhibition of mixed martial arts that is being judged shall score the contest or exhibition and determine the winner through the use of the following system:

(a) The better unarmed combatant of a round receives 10 points and his opponent proportionately less.

(b) If the round is even, each unarmed combatant receives 10 points.

(c) No fraction of points may be given.

(d) Points for each round must be awarded immediately after the end of the period of unarmed combat in the round.

2.  After the end of the contest or exhibition, the announcer shall pick up the scores of the judges.

3.  The majority opinion is conclusive and, if there is no majority, the decision is a draw.

4.  When the scores have been checked, the announcer shall inform the audience of the decision over the speaker system.