South Carolina Code of Regulations
Chapter 20 - DEPARTMENT OF LABOR, LICENSING AND REGULATION- STATE ATHLETIC COMMISSION
Subchapter 27 - MIXED MARTIAL ARTS
Section 20-27.06 - Fouls - intentional, unintentional, procedures and types of fouls
Universal Citation: SC Code Regs 20-27.06
Current through Register Vol. 48, No. 9, September 27, 2024
(A) Procedures:
(1) Referee shall issue a warning. After the
initial warning a penalty will be issued. 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 the 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.
(a) The referee shall verbally notify the
bottom contestant of the foul.
(b)
When the round is over, the referee shall notify the judges and the inspector
of the foul and the total point deduction.
(4) Only the referee can assess a foul and
any point deductions. Judges shall not deduct points for what they interpret is
a foul.
(5) Referee shall check the
fouled contestant's condition to see if the contestant can still participate in
the contest.
(6) Disqualification
occurs when after any combination of three (3) fouls or if the referee
determines the foul to be flagrant.
(B) Intentional foul:
(1) If an injury results that is severe
enough to terminate the bout, the contestant causing the injury loses by
disqualification.
(2) If an
intentional foul causes an injury and the bout is allowed to continue a
mandatory two (2) point penalty shall be assessed to the contestant committing
the foul.
(3) 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 said contestant 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 (5) minutes. Immediately after stopping the bout or at the end
of the round the referee must immediately inform the inspector or Commission
representative of their determination that the foul was accidental and
unintentional.
(2) If the referee
determines either from his/her observation or that of the ringside physician
that the bout may not continue because of the injury from the unintentional
foul the bout will be declared a no contest if the foul occurred:
(a) During the first two (2) rounds of a
non-championship bout, or;
(b)
During the first three (3) rounds of a championship bout;
(3) If the unintentional foul renders the
contestant unable to continue the bout; or an injury from an intentional foul
later becomes aggravated by fair blows and the referee stops bout because of
the injury.
(a) After the completion of the
second round in a non-championship bout or three (3) round bout;
(b) After the completion of the third round
of a championship bout or five (5) round bout;
(c) The outcome shall be determined by
scoring the completed rounds and the partial round in which the referee stopped
the bout.
(4) A
contestant shall not be declared the winner of a bout on the basis of his/her
claim that the opponent fouled him/her unintentionally by hitting him/her in
the groin. If after a recuperative interval of not more than five (5) minutes,
a contestant is unwilling to continue because of the claim of being hit in the
groin, the bout will be declared a no contest if the second round has not been
completed in a three (3) round bout or the third round has not been completed
in a five (5) round bout.
(D) Types of fouls in a mixed martial arts contest (professional and amateur contestants).
(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 manipulation.
(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,
without limitation grabbing the trachea.
(12) Clawing, twisting or pinching the
flesh.
(13) Grabbing the
clavicle.
(14) Kicking the head of
a grounded opponent.
(15) Kneeing
the head of a grounded opponent.
(16) Stomping on a grounded opponent.
A contestant is considered grounded when his/her torso or three (3) points of his/her body are touching the canvas: example: two (2) legs and a hand are touching the canvas. Applies to paragraphs (D)(14), (D)(15), and (D)(16) of the rule. Note: A downed opponent may kick up to all legal striking points of the body.
(17)
Kicking to the kidney with the heel.
(18) Throwing an opponent out of the ring
area or caged area.
(19) Holding
the shorts or glove of an opponent.
(20) Spitting on an opponent.
(21) Engaging in any unsportsmanlike conduct
that causes an injury to an opponent.
(22) Holding the ropes or cage.
(23) Using abusive language or illicit
gestures in the ring area or caged area.
(24) Attacking an opponent on or during the
break.
(25) Attacking an opponent
who is under the care of the referee.
(26) Attacking an opponent after the bell has
sounded to end the round.
(27)
Flagrantly disregarding the instructions of the referee.
(28) Timidity, including, without limitation,
avoiding contact with an opponent, intentionally or consistently dropping the
mouthpiece or faking an injury.
(29) Interference from anyone working the
corner or corner men leaving their area.
(30) Any act in the judgment of the referee
that is detrimental and places an opponent at a disadvantage.
(31) Neck cranks.
(32) Spine locks.
(E) Types of fouls in a mixed martial arts contest (Amateur Contestants Only)
(1)
Striking with the elbow or forearm.
(2) Knee strikes to the head (grounded or
standing).
Disclaimer: These regulations may not be the most recent version. South Carolina 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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