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19 NYCRR 212.1 - Application of the unified rules of mixed martial arts

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All professional mixed martial arts contests and exhibitions shall be contested according to the rules of the commission and the Unified Rules of Mixed Martial Arts adopted and amended by the Association of Boxing Commissions (ABC) as set forth herein, unless otherwise authorized or directed by the commission. Under no circumstances, however, shall the powers of any physician, as provided for in State law and the rules of the commission, be restricted in any manner by application of the Unified Rules of Mixed Martial Arts. The authority to render final determinations based on the application and interpretation of the Unified Rules of Mixed Martial Arts for contests held within the State of New York shall be vested in the State Athletic Commission.

19 NYCRR 212.2 - General requirements for professional mixed martial arts contests and combatants

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(a)Professional contests and exhibitions of mixed martial arts must be conducted under the direct supervision and authority of the commission.

(b)Professional combatants and all professional matches or exhibitions shall be approved by the commission. The commission may review the combatant's experience, qualifications, medical records, win-loss record and training record, including any footage of the combatant’s prior experiences, as part of its determination whether to issue or renew any professional mixed martial arts license or whether to approve a specific match or exhibition.

19 NYCRR 212.3 - Number and Length of rounds

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(a)A non-championship contest of professional mixed martial arts may not exceed three rounds of five minutes per round with a one minute rest period following each round, unless otherwise directed or authorized in writing by the commission.

(b)A championship contest, or a special event as approved by the commission, of professional mixed martial arts shall be five rounds of five minutes per round with a one minute rest period following each round.

(c)For all contests, a warning bell or other approved auditory device shall sound 10 seconds prior to the start of each round.

19 NYCRR 212.4 - Weight classes of contestants

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19 NYCRR 212.5 - Proper attire of contestants

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(a)Trunks.

Each contestant shall wear mixed martial arts shorts, biker shorts, boxing or kickboxing shorts during competition as approved by the commission. Trunks shall not contain metal zippers or other sharp or hard objects.

(b)Shirt or gi.

Male contestants may not wear a shirt or gi during competition. Female contestants shall wear a short sleeved (above the elbow) or sleeveless form-fitting rash guard and/or sports bra, and may wear approved chest protection during competition. No loose-fitting tops are allowed.

(c)Shoes.

Contestants may not wear shoes or padding on their feet during competition.

19 NYCRR 212.6 - Physical appearance of combatants

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(a)Each contestant shall present a clean appearance.

(b)The use of grease or any other foreign substance, including grooming creams, lotions or sprays, may not be used on the hair or any portion of the body of a contestant. The use of excessive amounts of water on the hair or any portion of the body is also prohibited. The referee or the commission will cause any excessive water, or grease or foreign substance to be removed. A light coating of petroleum jelly is permitted on the face (forehead and cheekbones only) and must be applied at cage side or ring side in the presence of the referee and the commission. This coating is at the discretion of the referee and the commission.

(c)The commission will determine whether head or facial hair presents a hazard to the safety of the contestant or the opponent or will interfere with the supervision and conduct of the contest or exhibition. If the head or facial hair of a contestant presents a hazard or will interfere with the supervision and conduct of the contest or exhibition, the contestant may not participate in the contest or exhibition unless the circumstances creating the hazard or potential interference are corrected to the satisfaction of the commission. Without limiting the standard in this subdivision, head hair must be trimmed or tied back in a manner that it will not interfere with the vision of either contestant or cover any part of a contestant's face.

(d)Contestants may not wear any jewelry or other piercing accessories while competing.

(e)Taping of the hands, wrists and ankles are permitted at the discretion of the commission.

(f)Finger and toe nails must be trimmed.

19 NYCRR 212.7 - Equipment

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(a)Combatants shall wear open finger gloves weighing no less than four and no more than eight ounces. Gloves must be appropriate in weight for the combatant’s hand size. The gloves used in professional mixed martial arts contests and exhibitions must be promoter-supplied, of a brand and model approved by the commission, and shall be new unless otherwise authorized by the commission. No combatant may supply his or her own gloves. All gloves must be approved by the referee and the commission prior to and during use in any contest or exhibition, or they must be replaced. The gloves used for all contests or exhibitions must be clean, sanitary, free of debris, and in good condition. Gloves found to be twisted, manipulated, altered, unfit or ill-fitting, shall not be approved and shall be required to be replaced by the promoter.

(b)Male contestants shall provide and wear a foul-proof groin protector during competition. The groin protector is subject to examination and approval by the referee and the commission.

(c)Female contestants shall provide and wear a chest protector during competition. The chest protector is subject to examination and approval by the referee and the commission. Female contestants may, in their own discretion and at their own risk, provide and wear a foul-proof groin protector during competition. The groin protector is subject to examination and approval by the referee and the commission prior to use in competition.

(d)For each contest or exhibition, the licensed promoter shall provide each contestant's corner with a clean water bucket, a plastic water bottle, and a ring stool approved by the commission. An appropriate number of stools or chairs, of a type approved by the commission, shall be available for each contestant's seconds. Such stools or chairs shall be located near each contestant's corner. All stools and chairs used must be thoroughly cleaned or replaced after the conclusion of each bout.

(e)The chief second shall equip himself or herself with: a clear plastic water bottle; a bucket of ice; a solution or product of kind approved by the commission for stopping hemorrhaging; adhesive tape; gauze; scissors; and one extra mouthpiece. No ammonia may be used in the ring. The ringside physician, the referee or a commission representative may, at any time, inspect the contents of the chief second's first-aid kit.

(f)All contestants are required to wear a mouthpiece during competition. The mouthpiece shall be subject to examination and approval by the attending physician. In the event that a contestant loses his or her mouthpiece, the referee shall call time during a lull in the action of the contest and cause such contestant's seconds to install a backup mouthpiece or promptly wash and reinstall the same mouthpiece. If a referee determines that a contestant has deliberately spit out his or her mouthpiece for any reason, the referee may issue a warning to such contestant or deduct one or more points from such contestant and, upon any subsequent such infraction, may disqualify the contestant by declaring the opponent a winner.

19 NYCRR 212.8 - Method of judging and scoring

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(a)The method of judging professional mixed martial contests or exhibitions must comply with the 10-point-must system of scoring professional matches.

(b)Under the 10-point-must scoring system, 10 points must be awarded to the winner of the round and 9 points or less must be awarded to the loser, except for a rare even round, which is scored 10-10.

(c)Judges shall evaluate mixed martial arts techniques, such as effective striking/effective grappling, effective aggressiveness, and control of the ring/fighting area.

(d)Evaluations shall be made in the order in which the four techniques appear in subdivision (c) of this section, and as directed by subdivision (k) of this section, giving the most weight in scoring to effective striking/ effective grappling, effective aggressiveness, and control of the fighting area.

(e)Effective striking is judged by determining the total number of legal strikes landed by a contestant and the impact of the strikes.

(f)Effective grappling is judged by considering the amount of successful executions of a legal takedown and reversals, and their impact.

(g)Fighting area control is judged by determining who is dictating the pace, location and position of the bout. Examples of factors to consider are countering a grappler’s attempt at takedown by remaining standing and legally striking, taking down an opponent to force a ground fight, creating threatening submission attempts, passing the guard to achieve mount, and creating striking opportunities.

(h)Effective aggressiveness means moving forward and landing a legal strike.

(i)Effective defense means avoiding being struck, taken down or reversed while countering with offensive attacks.

(j)The following objective scoring criteria shall be utilized by the judges when scoring a round, and is provided as a general non-exclusive guideline for purposes of illustration:

(1)a round is to be scored as a 10-10 round when both contestants appear to be fighting evenly and neither contestant shows clear dominance in a round;

(2)a round is to be scored as a 10-9 round when one contestant wins by a close margin, landing the greater number of effective legal strikes, grappling and other maneuvers;

(3)a round is to be scored as a 10-8 round when one contestant overwhelmingly dominates (wins by a large margin) by striking or grappling in a round;

(4)a round is to be scored as a 10-7 round when one contestant totally dominates by striking or grappling in a round.

(k)Judges shall use a sliding scale and recognize the length of time the fighters are either standing or on the ground, as follows:

(1)if the mixed martial artists spent a majority of a round on the canvas, then:

(i)effective grappling is weighed first; and

(ii)effective striking is then weighed;

(2)if the mixed martial artists spent a majority of a round standing, then:

(i)effective striking is weighed first; and

(ii)effective grappling is then weighed; and

(3)if a round ends with a relatively even amount of standing and canvas fighting, striking and grappling are weighed equally.

(l)Incomplete rounds should be scored utilizing the same criteria as the scoring of other rounds up to the point said incomplete round is stopped.

19 NYCRR 212.9 - Hand wrapping

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(a)In all weight classes, the bandages on each contestant's hand shall be restricted to soft gauze cloth of not more than 15 yards 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.

(b)Surgeon's adhesive tape shall be placed directly on each hand for protection near the wrist. The tape may cross the back of the hand twice and extend to cover and protect the knuckles when the hand is clenched to make a fist.

(c)The bandages shall be evenly distributed across the hand.

(d)Bandages and tape shall be placed on the contestant's hands in the dressing room in the presence of the commission and in the presence of the manager or chief second of his or her opponent.

(e)Under no circumstances are gloves to be placed on the hands of a contestant until the approval of the commission is received.

19 NYCRR 212.10 - Fouls; acts constituting fouls

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19 NYCRR 212.11 - Deduction of points for fouls; effect of low blow

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(a)If a combatant fouls his opponent during a contest or exhibition of professional mixed martial arts, the referee may penalize him by deducting points from his score, whether or not the foul was intentional. Except as otherwise provided by the rules of the commission, 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.

(b)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.

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

(d)Any points to be deducted for any foul shall be deducted in the round in which the foul occurred and may not be deducted from the score of a subsequent round.

(e)A combatant may not be declared the winner of a contest or exhibition of professional mixed martial arts on the basis of his or her claim that his or her opponent accidentally fouled him or her by hitting him or her in the groin. A combatant who has been struck with a low blow is allowed up to five minutes to recover from the foul as long as in the ringside doctor’s opinion the combatant may possibly continue on in the contest. 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. If the fighter goes over the five minute time allotment, the fight cannot be restarted and the contest must come to an end with the outcome determined by the judges’ scorecards at the round and time in which the fight was stopped.

19 NYCRR 212.12 - Accidental and intentional fouls resulting in injury

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(a)If a contest or exhibition of professional mixed martial arts is stopped because of an accidental foul, the referee, with advice from the ringside physician, shall determine whether the combatant 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, the referee may order that the contest or exhibition continue after a recuperative interval of not more than five minutes. Immediately after separating the contestants, the referee shall inform the commission's representative of a determination that the foul was accidental.

(b)If the referee determines that a contest or exhibition of professional mixed martial arts may not continue because of an injury suffered as the result of an accidental foul, the contest or exhibition shall be declared a no contest if the foul occurs during either of the following:

(1)the first two rounds of a scheduled three-round contest or exhibition; or

(2)the first three rounds of a scheduled five-round contest or exhibition.

(c)If an accidental foul renders a combatant unable to continue the contest or exhibition after the completed second round of a scheduled three-round contest or exhibition, or after the completed third round of a scheduled five-round contest or exhibition, the outcome shall be determined by scoring the completed rounds and the round during which the referee stops the contest or exhibition.

(d)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 shall be determined by scoring the completed rounds and the round during which the referee stops the contest or exhibition. Incomplete rounds should be scored utilizing the same criteria as the scoring of other rounds up to the point said incomplete round is stopped.

(e)In the event of an injury sustained during competition by a foul that the referee determines to be intentional, the following shall take place:

(1)if the injury results in the immediate termination of the bout, the contestant causing the injury loses by disqualification;

(2)if the injury is evaluated and the bout is allowed to continue thereafter, the referee shall notify the scorekeeper to automatically deduct two points from the contestant who committed the foul;

(3)if the injury is evaluated and the bout is allowed to continue thereafter, but the injury causes the injured contestant to be unable to continue at a subsequent point in the contest, the injured contestant shall win by technical decision if he or she is ahead on the scorecards at the time the competition is ended due to the injury, however, if the injured contestant is even or behind on the score cards, the outcome of the bout shall be declared a technical draw.

(f)If an injury sustained during competition as a result of a legal maneuver is severe enough that the referee or ringside physician terminates a bout, the injured contestant shall lose by technical knockout. If a contestant injures himself or herself while attempting to intentionally 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.

(g)If a combatant, during a round, loses control of a bodily function,

i.e.

, vomits, urinates or defecates, due to a legal blow, the referee shall immediately stop the contest or exhibition, and the combatant shall lose by technical knockout (TKO) due to medical stoppage.

(h)If a combatant, during a round, loses control of a bodily function due to an accidental foul, the referee shall immediately stop the contest or exhibition, and:

(1)the contest or exhibition shall be declared a no contest if the foul occurs during:

(i)the first two rounds of a scheduled three-round contest or exhibition; or

(ii)the first three rounds of a scheduled five-round contest or exhibition;

(2)the outcome of the contest or exhibition shall be determined by scoring the completed rounds and the round during which the referee stops the contest or exhibition if the foul occurs after:

(i)the completed second round of a three-round contest or exhibition; or

(ii)the completed third round of a five-round contest or exhibition.

(i)If a combatant, during a round, loses control of a bodily function due to an intentional foul, the referee shall stop the contest or exhibition, and the offending combatant shall lose by disqualification.

(j)If a combatant, during the rest period between rounds, loses control of a bodily function, the ringside physician shall examine the combatant and determine his/her medical fitness to continue competing. If the ringside physician determines that the combatant is not medically fit to continue, the combatant shall lose by technical knockout (TKO) due to medical stoppage.

(k)If, at any time during the bout and in circumstances other than those described in subdivisions (g) through (j) of this section, in the determination of the referee, there is a risk that a combatant may come into contact the vomit, urine or fecal matter of an opponent who lost control of a bodily function, the referee shall immediately stop the contest or exhibition, and the opponent who lost control of a bodily function shall lose by TKO due to medical stoppage.

19 NYCRR 212.13 - Results of contests

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(a)A mixed martial arts contest may end under the following results:

(1)through submission by:

(i)physical tap out;

(ii)verbal tap out;

(2)knockout (KO), or technical knockout (TKO) by the referee stopping the contest;

(3)decision by means of the scorecards, including unanimous decision, split decision or majority decision. A unanimous decision results when all three judges score the contest for the same contestant. A split decision results when two judges score the contest for one contestant and one judge scores for the opponent. A majority decision results when two judges score the contest for the same contestant and one judge scores a draw;

(4)draw. Types of draws include a unanimous draw, a majority draw and a split draw. A unanimous draw results when all three judges score the contest a draw. A majority draw results when two judges score the contest a draw. A split draw results when one judge scores a draw and the other two judges award a win to opposite contestants;

(5)technical decision;

(6)technical draw;

(7)disqualification;

(8)forfeit;

(9)no contest.

(b)The referee is the immediate arbiter of the contest. The referee and the ringside physician are the only individuals authorized to enter the ring or fenced area at any time during competition, and either shall be authorized to stop a contest at any time.

19 NYCRR 212.14 - Use of prohibited substances; detection and penalties

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The use of any illegal or commission prohibited substance, drug, narcotic, stimulant, depressant, analgesic of any description, or alcohol substance by a contestant, either before or during a match, will result in the immediate disqualification of the contestant from the match and may result in disciplinary action in accordance with article 41 of the General Business Law and the rules of the commission (relating to fines, purse forfeiture, and the suspension or revocation of licenses and permits).

19 NYCRR 212.15 - Appointment and compensation of officials

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(a)All timekeepers, judges and referees shall be licensed, designated and approved by the commission for each event, pursuant to standards of qualification and fitness established by the commission.

(b)Officials shall be compensated in accordance with a fee and reimbursement schedule set by the commission.

(c)The promoter of an event shall be given notice of the judges that are selected by the commission for assignment to judge at that event. Promoters shall be responsible for providing such information to all combatants and their managers participating in the promoter’s event. Any participant in a professional combative sport or his or her manager may protest the prospective assignment of a judge to their contest by a writing delivered to the commission office, and the participant or manager may be heard in writing by the commission or its designee if such protest is received by the commission within three days of the commission’s service of notice to the promoter of record. If the protest is untimely it shall be summarily rejected.

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