Current through Register Vol. 39, No. 6, September 16, 2024
(a) Procedures
to determine fouls in a mixed martial arts contest:
(1) The referee shall issue a warning after
the initial foul. After the initial warning a penalty shall be issued as a
result of second foul. The penalty may be a deduction of points or
disqualification depending on the severity of the foul. Any points deducted for
any foul must be deducted in the round which the foul occurred.
(2) The referee as soon as practical after a
foul, shall call time and notify which contestant is being penalized and the
total points the contestant is being penalized.
(3) If a bottom contestant commits a foul and
in the referee's judgment is not in control, unless the top contestant is
injured, the bout shall continue, so as not to jeopardize the top contestant's
superior positioning at the time.
(4) Only the referee can assess a foul and
any point deductions. Judges may not deduct points for what they interpret is a
foul.
(5) The referee shall check
the fouled contestant's condition to see if he or she can still participate in
the contest.
(6) Disqualification
occurs after any combination of three fouls or if the referee determines the
foul to be flagrant.
(b)
Intentional foul:
(1) If an intentional foul
causes an injury and the bout is allowed to continue a mandatory two point
penalty shall be assessed to the contestant committing the foul.
(2) If an injury sustained by a contestant as
a result of the intentional foul causes the contestant to be unable to continue
at a subsequent point, the injured contestant shall win by a 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 the stoppage, the bout
shall be declared a technical draw.
(c) Unintentional foul:
(1) If a bout is stopped because of an
unintentional foul, the referee shall determine whether the contestant who has
been fouled can continue or not. If the contestant's chance of winning has not
been seriously jeopardized as a result of the foul and if the foul did not
involve concussive impact to the head of the contestant who has been fouled,
the referee may order the bout continued after a recuperative interval of not
more than five minutes. Immediately after stopping the bout or at the end of
the round the referee must immediately inform the inspector or Division
representative of his determination that the foul was accidental and
unintentional.
(2) If the referee
determines either from his observation or that of the ringside physician that
the bout may not continue because of the injury from the unintentional foul the
bout shall be declared a no contest if the foul occurred:
(A) During the first two rounds of a
non-championship bout, or
(B)
During the first three round of a championship bout.
(3) If the unintentional foul renders the
contestant unable to continue the bout, the outcome shall be determined by
scoring the completed rounds and the round which the referee last stopped the
bout. The second round must be completed in a non championship bout or the
third round must be completed in a championship bout.
(4) If an injury from an intentional foul
later becomes aggravated by fair blows and the referee orders the bout stopped
because of the injury, the outcome must be determined by scoring the completed
rounds and the round which the referee stops the contest.
(5) A contestant may not be declared the
winner of a bout on the basis of his or her claim that the opponent fouled him
or her unintentionally by hitting him or her in the groin. If after a
recuperative interval of not more than five minutes, a contestant is unwilling
to continue because of the claim of being hit in the groin, the bout shall be
declared a no contest if the second round has not been completed in a three
round bout or the third round has not been completed in a five round
bout.
(d) The following
are types of fouls in a mixed martial arts contest:
(1) Butting with the head.
(2) Eye gouging of any kind.
(3) Biting.
(4) Hair pulling.
(5) Fishhooking.
(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/single digit manipulation,
finger and toe locks.
(9) Striking
to the spine or back of head.
(10)
Striking downward using the point of the elbow. (Arcing elbow strikes are
permitted).
(11) Throat strikes of
any kind, including grabbing the trachea.
(12) One or two handed chokes applied
directly to the trachea or windpipe.
(13) Knuckle gouging to the face or any part
of the body including into the throat.
(14) Clawing, twisting or pinching the
flesh.
(15) Grabbing the
clavicle.
(16) Kicking the head of
a grounded opponent.
(17) Kicking
the front of the opponents knee.
(18) Kneeing the head of a grounded
opponent.
(19) Spiking an opponent
to the canvas on his head or neck.
(20) Stomping on a grounded opponent. A
contestant is considered grounded when his or her torso or three points of his
or her body is touching the canvas.(example: two legs and a hand are touching
canvas.) This definition applies to Subparagraphs (d)(16), (d)(18), and (d)(20)
of this Rule. A downed opponent may kick up to all legal striking points of the
body.
(21) Kicking to the kidney
with the heel.
(22) Throwing,
lifting, pushing, or otherwise forcing an opponent out of the ring area or
fence area.
(23) Holding the shorts
or glove of an opponent.
(24)
Spitting on an opponent.
(25)
Engaging in any unsportsmanlike conduct that causes an injury to an
opponent.
(26) Holding the ropes or
cage.
(27) Using abusive language
or illicit gestures in the cage or ring area.
(28) Attacking an opponent on or during the
break.
(29) Attacking an opponent
who is under the care of the referee, medical personnel or other ring
officials.
(30) Attacking an
opponent after the bell has sounded to end the round.
(31) Flagrantly disregarding the instructions
of the referee.
(32) Timidity,
including avoiding contact with an opponent, intentionally or consistently
dropping the mouthpiece, delaying the contest due to improper equipment, or
faking an injury.
(33) Interference
from anyone working the corner or cornermen leaving their area.
(34) Throwing in the towel during
competition.
(35) Any act in the
judgment of the referee that is detrimental and places an opponent at a
disadvantage.
(36) Rope or cage
grabbing to avoid a submission hold, or continually holding the rope to rest or
pull self from action, or gain advantage.
(e) Fighters may not grab the ring ropes or
cage at any time the two fighters are in contract with each other during the
match in an attempt to stall action, trap his opponent, escape a technique, or
otherwise gain advantage in the match.
(f) Fighters may momentarily grab the ring
ropes or cage to steady themselves or to gain/maintain their balance.
(g) If a fighter grabs or otherwise secures
any ring rope with a hand, arm foot or leg during the match to avoid a
submission hold, the referee shall stop the match and deduct a point from the
fighter who so grabbed the rope.
(h) If a fighter continually holds the ring
ropes to rest or pull himself from the action, avoid the bout's action, or
otherwise gain advantage in the match, the referee shall deduct one point from
the resting fighter the first time and two points each additional
time.
(i) Excessive grabbing or
other use of the ring ropes in violation of the Rules in this Chapter may
result, in the referee's discretion, in a fighter's disqualification and an
award of the bout to the fighter's opponent.
(j) The referee shall verbally instruct
fighters to release the ring ropes or cage prior to warning, deducting points,
or disqualifying a fighter for violating the Rules in this Chapter.
Authority
G.S.
143-652.1;
Eff. March 1,
2008;
Transferred from
14A NCAC
12 .0809 Eff. June 1, 2013;
Pursuant to
G.S.
150B-21.3A, rule is necessary without
substantive public interest Eff. January 9,
2018.
