The lowest rope must be no higher than twelve inches from the ring floor;(7) There must not be any obstruction or object, on any part of the ring floor. Will we see a swift change in judging decisions across the United States and throughout the world? This will be an extremely rare occurrence. Legal strikes or punches that contact the fighter's eye socket are not eye gouging and shall be considered legal attacks. Flagrant disregard of the referee's instructions: A fighter MUST follow the instructions of the referee at all times. All of these come as a direct result of impact. Standing foot stops are NOT a foul. If there is any discernable difference between the two fighters during the round the judge shall not give the score of 10 10. The end of a round is signified by the sound of the bell and the call of time by the referee. While the ABC has now changed its version of the Unified Rules, individual athletic commissions still must ratify the changes in their areas of jurisdiction. 
hmo0%>v|! In many jurisdictions, group rule meetings have been commonplace in the reviewing of rules, fouls and other considerations. But the specifications of what exactly comprises a "large margin" did. It begins with a mission statement: "To evolve Mixed Martial Arts Judging Criteria to focus on the result of action (versus action itself), it must be stated that criteria is to be used in specific order. It is legal to hold onto your own gloves or shorts, 15. " In all weight classes, the bandages on each contestant's hand shall be restricted to soft gauze cloth not more than 10yards in length and two inches in width, held in place by not more than 10 feet of surgeon's tape, one inch in width, for each hand. endstream
endobj
570 0 obj
<>stream
The fighting area canvas shall be no smaller than 18 feet by 18 feet and no larger than 32 feet by 32 feet. A fighter's corner, at the Commission's discretion, should have the option to retire his fighter in the quickest and most efficient manner possible, during competition. A single knee, arm, makes the fighter grounded without having to have any other body part in touch with the fighting area floor. " # If a fighter is caught holding the fence, cage or ring rope material the referee shall issue a one-point deduction from the offending fighters scorecard if the foul caused a substantial effect in the fight. The definition is meant to train judges' attention towards effectiveness over things like flashiness or top control without - dare we say - any damage. A score of 10 9 can reflect an extremely close round or a round of marginal domination and/or impact. What the fighter does with those positions is what must be assessed. " 9. A judge shall assess duration by recognizing the relative time in a round when one fighter takes and maintains full control of the effective offense. 
If the unarmed combatant's chance of winning has not been seriously jeopardized 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. ", Duration is the time a fighter spends effectively attacking, controlling, and damaging the opponent, with little offensive output coming in return. Any contestant applying anything other than Vaseline in an approved fashion at the appropriate time could be penalized a point or subject to loss by disqualification. Alex Pereira is 3-0 in the UFC and expected to soon fight for the middleweight title. "zNDI 36rc1{ The judge must consider: Was the fighter engaged in offensive actions during the round? The author's experience there inJohn McCarthy's C.O.M.M.A.N.D. Using smart, tactically sound defensive maneuvers allows the fighter to stay in the fight and to be competitive. For a foul other than a low blow, the fouled fighter is not guaranteed 5 minutes of recovery time. 16. While the word "damage" was removed to appease regulators who were possibly worried about future lawsuits, the criteria are still taught with damage in mind. When the round is over, the referee shall assess the foul and notify both corners' seconds, the judges and the official scorekeeper. Butting with the head: The head may not be used as a striking instrument in any fashion.
A 10-7 score will rarely be given and occurs when a fighter has "both overwhelming DOMINANCE of a round, but also significant IMPACT that, at times, cause the judge to consider that the fight could be stopped." In addition, if one athlete weighs in at 264 pounds while the opponent weighs in at 267, the Commission may still decide to allow the contest if it feels that the contest would still be fair and competitive. If two of these three elements are present in a round, a 10-8 "shall be seriously considered." Corners are not allowed to distract the referee or influence the actions of the referee in any fashion. # Groin attacks of any kind: Any attack to the groin area including, striking, grabbing, pinching or twisting is illegal. Top and bottom position fighters are assessed more on the impactful/effective result of their actions, more so than their position. If the fighter states that they can continue on before the five minutes of time have expired, the referee shall as soon as practical restart the fight. A 10 9 Round in MMA is where one combatant wins the round by a close margin. A 10 9 round in MMA is the most common score a judge assesses during the night.
This can be assessed both standing and grounded. A 10-9 round is when a fighter wins by a close margin, "even if by just one technique over their opponent." If the fighter is deemed not fit to continue by the referee or ringside physician but some of the five minute foul time is still remaining, the fighter cannot avail himself of the remaining time. Any use of the head as a striking instrument whether head to head, head to body or otherwise is illegal. Read the new judging criteria in its entiretyin this PDF document or in the images below. # A 10 10 round in MMA is a necessity to have for the judges possible score, mainly due to scoring incomplete rounds. # " Bloody Elbow obtained a copy of the new criteria, which will be logged in to the Unified Rules and become effective on Jan. 1, 2017, from veteran MMA official John McCarthy. This will be assessed very rarely. Padding shall extend beyond the fighting area and over the edge of the platform. It makes sense from a safety perspective to allow a corner to retire the fighter. If a judge thinks the fight should be stopped, they're definitely at a 10-7, assuming no last minute comebacks to move the round back to a 10-8. The next two criteria must be treated as a backup and used ONLY when Effective Striking/Grappling is 100% equal for the round. If, during the round, the judge sees a fighter land the better strikes, or utilize effective grappling during the competition, even if by just one technique over their opponent, the judge shall give the winning fighter a score of 10 while assessing the losing fighter a score of 9 or less. Since the only two McCarthy 10-7 rounds in MMA history should've both been stopped, readers might want to think twice about calling a round 10-7 just because it maybe could've been stopped. Once the referee has called for a stop of the action to protect a fighter who has been incapacitated or is unable to continue to compete in the fight, fighters shall cease all offensive actions against their opponent. Posts shall be made of metal not more than six inches in diameter, extending from the floor of the building to a minimum height of 58 inches above the fighting area canvas and shall be properly padded in a manner approved by the Commission. If a bottom contestant commits a foul, unless the top contestant is injured, the fight shall continue, so as not to jeopardize the top contestant's superior positioning at the time. #2r:((((((((((((((((hGDDDDDDDDDDDDtaQPQQQQN And only if Effective Aggressiveness is 100% equal, would a judge move to the third criterion (Plan C) of Cage/Ring Control. The 10-Point Must System will be the standard system of scoring a bout. Gloves should be supplied by the promoter and approved by the commission. When a fighter's fingers or toes go through the cage and grab hold of the fence and start to control either their body position or their opponent's body position it now becomes an ILLEGAL action. 3. & A&NtaCYMku([.Z'16f/T If a fighter has little to no offensive output during a 5 minute round, it should be normal for the judge to consider awarding the losing fighter 8 points instead of 9. Legal blows that have immediate or cumulative impact with the potential to contribute towards the end of the match with the IMMEDIATE weighing in more heavily than the cumulative impact. 5. If the referee stops the contest and employs the use of the ringside doctor, the ringside physician's examinations shall not exceed five minutes. While it appears many states and tribal commissions will ratify the new judging criteria as well as the five other rule changes, New Jersey and a few other states may only implement a handful of the rule changes after expressing concerns for fighter safety. The fence shall provide two separate entries onto the fighting area canvas. Immediately after separating the unarmed combatants, the referee shall inform the Commission's representative of his determination that the foul was accidental. Many times contestants will ask questions of the official when the rules are covered individually in private, when they would have been hesitant to ask the same question in front of their competitor. Impact, Dominance, and Duration are then defined in detail, something that was missing from the previous version of the Unified Rules. # A fighter may not grab the ropes or wrap their arms over or under the ring ropes at any time. Biting or spitting at an opponent: Biting in any form is illegal. It should be clear that groin attacks are the same for men and women. Spiking the opponent to the canvas onto the head or neck (pile-driving): A pile driver is considered to be any throw where you control your opponent's body placing his feet towards the sky with his head straight down and then forcibly drive your opponents head into the canvas or flooring material. Any variation of this straight up and down linear elbow strike makes the strike legal. 19. Duration is defined by the time spent by one fighter effectively attacking, controlling and impacting their opponent; while the opponent offers little to no offensive output. Judges must CONSIDER giving the score of 10 8 when a fighter IMPACTS their opponent significantly in a round even though they do not dominate the action. Bandages and tape shall be placed on the contestant's hands in the dressing room in the presence of the inspector and, if warranted, in the presence of the manager or chief second of his or her opponent. (Note) Axe kicks are not stomps.
L(8 cZ-zipB It should be noted when a fighter is placed into a submission hold by their opponent, if that fighter is capable of elevating their opponent they may bring that opponent down in any fashion they desire because they are not in control of their opponents body. ?a(uZ/q'c-VX/#'Ol 2"a FOX News story on ANTIFA has annoyed a former UFC star. The mere use of auditory language is not a violation of this rule. No contestant shall supply their own gloves for participation. For example, the Commission may still decide to allow the contest if it feels that the contest would still be fair, safe and competitive if a set catch weight is set in advance at 163 pounds, for example. 9zZH 8. The referee shall verbally notify the bottom contestant of the foul. The fighting area canvas shall be padded in a manner as approved by the Commission, with at least one inch layer of foam padding.
It is recommended that individual meetings between the bout supervising referee and each competitor in the contest be conducted backstage in the locker room or another appropriate location. A score of 10 8 does not require a fighter to dominate their opponent for 5 minutes of a round. %PDF-1.6 % The fighting area canvas shall not be more than four feet above the floor of the building and shall have suitable steps or ramp for use by the participants. To be grounded, both hands palm/fist down, and/or any other body part must be touching the fighting area floor. # hOkAJrRxEA$ejgsPA cy}spW0PAy])x|G9>F,9xm AcEA9S Mn( Any athlete that disrespects the rules of the sport or attempts to inflict unnecessary harm on a competitor who has been either taken out of the competition by the referee or has tapped out of the competition shall be viewed as being unsportsmanlike. A 10 8 Round in MMA is where one fighter wins the round by a large margin. endstream endobj 573 0 obj <>stream Substances other than tape and gauze shall not be utilized. # No vinyl or other plastic rubberized covering shall be permitted. Strikes to the spine or the back of the head. ", Dominance is an opponent's lack of offensive actions in a round. 12. Fighter who is not fouled by low blow but another foul. Effectiveness in striking or grappling which leads to a diminishing of a fighters energy, confidence, abilities and spirit. To be grounded, both hands palm/fist down, and/or any other body part must be touching the fighting area floor. At this time, kicks or knees to the head will not be allowed.
It takes both overwhelming DOMINANCE of a round, but also significant IMPACT that, at times, cause the judge to consider that the fight could be stopped. "when the losing fighter is forced to continually defend, with no counters or reaction taken when openings present themselvesMerely holding a dominant position(s) shall not be a primary factor in assessing dominance. Surgeon's adhesive tape shall be placed directly on each hand for protection near the wrist. Judges shall ALWAYS give a score of 10 8 when the judge has established that one fighter has dominated the action of the round, had duration of the domination and also impacted their opponent with either effective strikes or effective grappling maneuvers that have diminished the abilities of their opponent. Cage/Ring Control (Plan C) should only be needed when ALL other criteria are 100% even for both competitors. Chasing after an opponent with no effective result or impact should not render in the judges assessments. Effective Aggressiveness is only to be assessed if Effective Striking/Grappling is 100% equal for both competitors. They change some of the wording and provide more clarity. What?! # # If a fighter is fouled by blow that the referee deems illegal, the referee should stop the action and call for time. 1. They are obligated to score a 10-8. Other than a slight liberalization of how 10-8 should be scored, the new criteria technically don't change much about how rounds should have already been scored. The bandages shall be evenly distributed across the hand. When a contestant physically uses his hand to indicate that he or she no longer wishes to continue; or, ii. # EmSob9"2@e*gk;@eAwv5avaO&.#U@1)$?$7!+ @"bzyy\l!M"Y:|*z^uIar :l,Wd9u fZ-2{y>G}` ,
The spine includes the tailbone. Absolutely "no" body grease, gels, balms, lotions oils, or other substances may be applied to the hair, face or body. endstream
endobj
571 0 obj
<>stream
In addition to clarifying the proper order of the scoring criteria and the role of effectiveness over flashiness, the new judging criteria slightly liberalizes the use of a 10-8 score and more precisely defines the factors surrounding a 10-8 round. A fighter may not gouge their fingers or thumb into their opponent's neck or trachea in an attempt to submit their opponent. Scoring the foul to be performed by the Scorekeeper. The new criteria make clear that a fighter doesn't have to steamroll, or as McCarthy put it, "almost murder" the opponent, for all 5 minutes to earn a 10-8. Use of Vaseline and other similar substances. MMA is an offensive based sport. Again, this score will be extremely rare. What the fighter does with those positions is what must be assessed. When a fighter is hurt with strikes, showing a lack of control or ability, these can be defining moments in the fight. This includes the use of excessive amounts of water "dumped" on a contestant to make him/her slippery. If the referee penalizes either contestant, then the appropriate points shall be deducted when the scorekeeper calculates the final score for the partial round. # In fact, "If a fighter has little to no offensive output during a 5 minute round, it should be normal for the judge to award the losing fighter 8 points instead of 9.". Successful execution of takedowns, submission attempts, reversals and the achievement of advantageous positions that produce immediate or cumulative impact with the potential to contribute to the end of the match, with the IMMEDIATE weighing more heavily than the cumulative impact. It shall be noted that a successful takedown is not merely a changing of position, but the establishment of an attack from the use of the takedown. &%D"m7(00(1(1+,HHLO-0 h}
\Q "l-rYNiW (08@u:z=s]emu}a-Ua9Naa aaMYWMuS`A`C`E`GCCCC D D@D`DDDDDDDDDDDDDDO(((((((((((# A 10-10 scoring option where all criteria are 100% equal is a necessity since incomplete rounds sometimes must be scored when there may have been little to no action. ]&+&osy~F\MOYY^~?y;
?a/z.ONAA1\Ch/hhhhhhhhhh{plky/vyuk{/.ig~~J+K?k-dmA%tm7|Ow}mMwe;YzV-=f5{btmd{tk:5_%5n9so9ssK}$Mk2L$3+J2L$+J2&wgWG7'G Among the six changes to Association of Boxing Commissions and Combative Sports' (ABC's) Unified Rules of MMA on Tuesday was a rewording of the criteria by which judges are to score rounds under the 10-Point Must system. 
