Code of Maine Rules
99 - INDEPENDENT AGENCIES
650 - COMBAT SPORTS AUTHORITY OF MAINE (FORMERLY MIXED MARTIAL ARTS AUTHORITY OF MAINE)
Part 1 - Mixed Martial Arts rules
Chapter 3 - JUDGING/REFEREEING MIXED MARTIAL ARTS CONTESTS
Section 650-1-3-3 - Refereeing

Universal Citation: 99 ME Code Rules ยง 650-1-3-3

Current through 2024-38, September 18, 2024

All mixed martial arts contests shall be refereed according to the following criteria:

A. Warnings

The referee may issue a single warning for the following infractions, depending on how egregious the infraction is:

1. Holding or grabbing the fence;

2. Holding an opponent's shorts or gloves; or

3. The presence of more than one second on the fighting area perimeter.

If the prohibited conduct persists or the first foul warrants, a penalty will be issued. The penalty may be a deduction of points or disqualification.

B. Fouls

1. In General
a. Only a referee can assess a foul. If the referee does not call the foul, judges shall not make that assessment on their own or factor such into their scoring calculations.

b. Fouls may result in one or two points being deducted by the official scorekeeper from the offending competitor's score, at the referee's discretion.

c. In the event of a groin foul, a fighter may be given up to five minutes to recuperate.

d. A ringside physician may take up to 5 minutes to evaluate a fouled fighter.

2. Types of Fouls

Fouls include, but are not limited to, the following conduct:

a. Butting with the head;

b. Eye gouging of any kind;

c. Biting or spitting at an opponent;

d. Hair pulling;

e. Fish hooking;

f. Groin attacks of any kind;

g. Intentionally placing a finger in an opponent's orifice, cut, or laceration;

h. Downward pointing or spiking elbow strikes(12 to 6 o'clock motion). Arcing elbow strikes are permitted;

i. Small joint manipulation;

j. Strikes to the spine or back of the head;

k. Heel kicks to the kidney;

l. Throat strikes of any kind;

m. Clawing, pinching, twisting the flesh, or grabbing the clavicle;

n. Kneeing the head of a grounded fighter;

o. Stomping a grounded fighter;

p. Use of profane or abusive language in the fighting area;

q. Unsportsmanlike conduct that causes an injury to an opponent;

r. Attacking an opponent on or during the break;

s. Attacking an opponent who is under the referee's care;

t. Timidity, e.g., avoiding contact, consistent dropping of a mouth piece, or faking an injury;

u. Interference from a competitor's seconds;

v. Throwing an opponent out of the fighting area;

w. Flagrant disregard of the referee's instructions;

x. Spiking an opponent to the canvas on his or her head or neck;

y. Attacking an opponent after the bell has sounded to end the round;

z. With two grounded competitors, kicking to a foul target, e.g.,the groin, head, or spine;

aa. Any act in the judgment of the referee that is unfairly detrimental and places a competitor at an unfair disadvantage;

bb. Not following a referee's instructions; and

cc. Kicking or kneeing the head of a grounded fighter.

A fighter is grounded when any part of the body, other than a single hand and soles of the feet are touching the fighting area floor. For a fighter to be grounded, both hands palm/fist down and/or any other body part must be touching the fighting area floor. A single knee or arm touching the fighting area floor makes the fighter grounded without having any other body part in touch the floor.

3. Additional Types of Fouls for Amateurs In addition to conduct proscribed by subsection (B)(2) above, the following are fouls by amateur competitors that will result in assessment of penalties:
a. Elbow or forearm striking, with any part of the arm from the wrist to the shoulder;

b. Knee strikes to the head at any time; and

c. Upkicks by a grounded fighter to a standing opponent's head or knee joints.

4. Legal Standing Techniques The following standing techniques do not, under the conditions set forth, constitute fouls:
a. Hand and shoulder strikes to approved targets:

b. Kicks to the head, body, and legs;

c. Knees to body and legs only;

d. Foot stomps;

e. All throws and take downs, except any technique spiking an opponent onto her/his head,i.e., pile driving maneuvers and techniques with an arcing motion; and

f. Kicking a downed opponent in the body and legs, if and only if, the downed fighter is facing upwards and one foot remains on the canvas at all times.

5. Legal Ground Techniques

The following ground techniques do not, under the conditions set forth, constitute fouls:

a. All submissions, except small joint manipulations, such as attacking fewer than 3 fingers;

b. All hand and shoulder strikes to approved targets;

c. Knees to body and legs only;

d. Slamming, but the fighter must not spike the opponent onto her/his head; and

e. For professionals, upkicking a standing opponent to the body, legs, or head.

6. Disqualification

A referee may disqualify any fighter, after the fighter commits any combination of the fouls listed in subsection(B)(2) above or determines that a foul was intentional and flagrant. Additionally, a referee may disqualify an amateur fighter, after the fighter commits any combination of the fouls listed in subsection (B)(2) and/orsubsection (B)(3) above.

7. Referee Action following a Foul
a. If a foul is committed, the referee shall, if deemed appropriate:
i. Call time;

ii. Check the fouled competitor's condition and safety; and

iii. Assess the foul to the offending competitor, deducting points for the offending competitor and notifying each corner's seconds, the judges, and the official scorekeeper.

b. If a bottom competitor commits a foul, unless the top competitor is injured, the fight shall continue so as not to jeopardize the top competitor's superior positioning at the time. Under those circumstances, the referee:
i. Shall verbally notify the bottom competitor of the foul;

ii. Shall assess the foul and notify both corners' seconds, the judges, and the official scorekeeper, when the round is over; and

iii. May terminate the fight, based on the severity of the foul.

c. For a severe foul, a competitor shall lose by disqualification.

C. Outcomes Resulting from Injuries Sustained during Competition

1. If an injury sustained during competition as a result of a legal maneuver is severe enough to terminate a fight, the injured competitor loses by a Technical Knockout ("TKO").

2. If an injury sustained during competition as a result of an intentional foul is severe enough to terminate a fight, the competitor causing the injury loses by disqualification.

4. If an injury is sustained during competition as a result of an intentional foul and the fight is allowed to continue, the referee shall notify the scorekeeper to deduct two points from the score of the competitor who committed the foul.

5. If an injury sustained during competition as a result of an intentional foul causes the injured competitor to be unable to continue at a subsequent point in the contest, the injured competitor shall win by technical decision, if he or she is ahead on the score cards. If the injured competitor is even or behind on the score cards at the time of fight stoppage, the outcome of the fight shall be declared a technical draw.

6. If a competitor 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.

7. If an injury sustained during competition as a result of an accidental foul is severe enough for the referee to stop the fight immediately, the fight shall result in a no contest if stopped before two rounds have been completed in a three-round fight or if stopped before three rounds have been completed in a five-round fight.

8. If an injury sustained during competition as a result of an accidental foul is severe enough for the referee to stop the fight immediately, the fight shall result in a technical decision awarded to the competitor who is ahead on the score cards at the time the fight is stopped, but only if the fight is stopped after two rounds of a three-round fight or after three rounds of a five-round fight have been completed.

9. There will be no scoring of an incomplete round. However, if the referee penalizes a competitor, then the appropriate number of points shall be deducted when the scorekeeper calculates the final score of the penalized competitor.

D. Types of Fight Results

1. Submission
a. Submission: A competitor physically uses his hand to indicate that he or she no longer wishes to continue ("taps out");

b. Verbal Submission: A competitor verbally announces to the referee that he or she does not wish to continue; or

c. Technical submission: A competitor is no longer able to continue due to severe injury or unconsciousness.

2. Technical knockout
a. A referee stops the fight;

b. An attending physician stops the fight; or

c. An injury resulting from a legal maneuver is severe enough to terminate the fight.

8. Knockout: A fighter fails to rise from the canvas.

9. Scored Decision
a. Unanimous: All three judges score the fight for the same competitor;

b. Split Decision: Two judges score the fight for one competitor, and one judge scores for that competitor's opponent; or

c. Majority Decision: Two judges score the fight for the same competitor, and one judge scores a draw.

10. Draw
a. Unanimous: All three judges score the fight a draw;

b. Majority: Two judges score the fight a draw; or

c. Split: All three judges score differently, and the score totals result in a draw.

11. Disqualification: An injury sustained during competition as a result of an intentional foul is severe enough to terminate the competition.

12. Forfeit: A competitor fails to begin competition or prematurely ends the contest for reasons other than injury or by signaling with a tap out.

13. Technical Draw: An injury sustained during competition as a result of an intentional foul makes the injured competitor unable to continue, and the injured competitor is even or behind on the score cards when the fight is stopped.

14. Technical Decision: The fight is stopped prematurely due to injury and a competitor is leading on the score cards.

15. No Contest: A fight is stopped prematurely due to accidental injury and a sufficient number of rounds have not been completed to render a decision with scored cards.

Disclaimer: These regulations may not be the most recent version. Maine may have more current or accurate information. We make no warranties or guarantees about the accuracy, completeness, or adequacy of the information contained on this site or the information linked to on the state site. Please check official sources.
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