Arranging and promoting programs of unarmed combat

523 CMR: STATE ATHLETIC COMMISSION

523 CMR 10.00: ARRANGING AND PROMOTING PROGRAMS OF UNARMED COMBAT

Section

10.01: Surety Bond 10.02: Event License: Submission and Approval of Program and Date; Content; Payment of Fee; Cancellation of Program 10.03: Multiple Requests for Event License on the Same Date 10.04: Arrangement of Contest or Exhibition; Use of Licensed Matchmaker by Promoter 10.05: Minimum Number of Rounds for Program 10.06: Maximum Number of Unarmed Combatants for Program 10.07: Certain Persons Retained by Promoter must Have Licenses 10.08: Selection, Approval and Fees for Ring Officials 10.09: Protest of Assignment of Referees or Judges 10.10: Certain Officials Deemed Independent Contractors; Payment of Fees by Promoters to Commission; Payment of Officials by Commission 10.11: Submission of Fight Card; Change or Substitution 10.12: Unarmed Combatant Not Used in Program 10.13: Limitations on Types of Beverage Containers, Plates Used at Programs

10.01: Surety Bond

In accordance with M.G.L. c. 147, § 34, no event license shall be granted unless the promoter has executed and filed with the commission a bond in a penal sum of $50,000, with such surety or sureties as shall be satisfactory to the Commission, running to the Commission, conditioned upon the payment to the Commonwealth of Massachusetts of the sums mentioned in M.G.L. c. 147, § 40, and upon faithful compliance by the licensee with the provisions of M.G.L. c. 147, §§ 32 through 47, 523 CMR, and with such other laws of the Commonwealth as may be applicable to anything done by the licensee in pursuance of the license. The bond shall also provide for forfeiture to the Commonwealth, recoverable at the suit of the attorney general, of such sum, not exceeding $10,000, as may be stipulated in the bond for each case of non-compliance.

10.02: Event License: Submission and Approval of Program and Date; Content; Payment of Fee; Cancellation of Program

(1) Except as otherwise provided in 523 CMR, a promoter shall not hold a program of unarmed combat required to be licensed pursuant to M.G.L. c. 147, § 32 unless before the program is held: (a) The promoter submits to the Commission an application for an event license on a form provided by the Commission; and (b) The Commission approves the application and the date for the program.

(2) A written request for an event license must include, without limitation: (a) The proposed site for the event; (b) The proposed date of the event; (c) A copy of the certificate of inspection issued by the municipality for proposed site; (d) A copy of the certificate of insurance. In accordance with M.G.L. c. 147, § 39B, the promoter of an event shall take out a policy of accident insurance on each contestant participating in the match or exhibition in the amount of $5,000 to compensate him for medical and hospital expenses incurred as the result of injuries received in such match or exhibition and a policy in the amount of $50,000 to be paid to the estate of the deceased contestant in the event of death to the contestant resulting from participation in the match or exhibition. The premiums on the policies shall be paid by the promoter. The terms of the insurance coverage must not require the contestant to pay a deductible for the medical, surgical or hospital care for injuries he sustains while engaged in a contest or exhibition. (e) The name of the licensed matchmaker for the event; (f) Indication as to whether the program will be televised or otherwise broadcast; (g) The event license fee.

(3) If the program is cancelled by the promoter, the application fee shall be forfeited. The fee may be applied to a subsequent event if it is scheduled to be held within 30 days of the originally scheduled event.

1/27/17 (Mass. Register #1331)

523 CMR: STATE ATHLETIC COMMISSION

10.02: continued

(4) The promoter of a program of unarmed combat shall submit a completed application for licensure of an event in accordance with .02 at least 30 days prior to the scheduled date of the event.

10.03: Multiple Requests for Event License on the Same Date

If the Commission receives more than one request for an event license submitted pursuant to 523 CMR 10.02 for the same date, the Commission may issue a license for both events provided that all applications are complete and the Commission deems it to be in the best interests of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts to license more than one event. In making this determination, the Commission shall consider, amongst other things, the geographic locations of the proposed events and the availability of Commission staff and officials. In the event that it is deemed contrary to the interests of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts to license more than one event on one date, a license will be issued to the first applicant that submits a complete application.

10.04: Arrangement of Contest or Exhibition; Use of Licensed Matchmaker by Promoter

A contest or exhibition may not be arranged on behalf of any promoter except by a licensed matchmaker or the promoter themselves.

10.05: Minimum Number of Rounds for Program

Unless otherwise approved by the Commission, a promoter shall not schedule fewer than:

(1) 28 rounds of boxing, kickboxing or any other form of unarmed combat on any one fight card that consists of contests or exhibitions of boxing, kickboxing, or other forms of unarmed combat except mixed martial arts.

(2) 20 rounds of mixed martial arts on any one program of unarmed combat that consists of contests or exhibitions of mixed martial arts.

10.06: Maximum Number of Unarmed Combatants for Program

A promoter shall not schedule any one program of unarmed combat which utilizes more than 32 unarmed combatants unless a different limit is approved by the Commission.

10.07: Certain Persons Retained by Promoter must Have Licenses

A promoter shall not retain a person for any of the following positions unless they are licensed by the Commission:

(1) Unarmed combatant; or

(2) Matchmaker.

10.08: Selection, Approval and Fees for Ring Officials

(1) The Commission, or its designee, will select and approve all ring officials.

(2) The promoter may select the announcer for a contest or exhibition.

(3) Pursuant to M.G.L. c. 147, § 36, the Commission will set the fees that ring officials are entitled to receive unless otherwise mandated by law.

523 CMR: STATE ATHLETIC COMMISSION

10.09: Protest of Assignment of Referees or Judges

If any licensee of the Commission protests the assignment of a particular referee or judge, the protesting licensee will be given a hearing by the Commission if time permits. If time does not permit, the matter will be heard by two Commissioners or a Commissioner and the Chief Deputy in order to make such disposition of the protest as the facts may justify. Protests not made in a timely manner may be summarily rejected.

10.10: Certain Officials Deemed Independent Contractors; Payment of Fees by Promoters to Commission; Payment of Officials by Commission

(1) For purposes of 523 CMR, ring officials shall be deemed to be independent contractors of the Commission.

(2) A promoter shall pay to the Commission the total fees set by the Commission for all persons whom the Commission directs to officiate in a contest or exhibition promoted by that promoter.

(3) The Commission will pay the money collected pursuant to .10 to the ring officials at the conclusion of an event.

10.11: Submission of Fight Card; Change or Substitution

(1) The promoter of a program of unarmed combat shall submit a proposed fight card for a licensed event at least ten days prior to the scheduled date of the event. The fight card, which shall be subject to the approval of the Commission, or its designee shall be submitted on a form provided by the Commission. The promoter or matchmaker shall notify the Commission of any proposed changes or substitutions of unarmed combatants on the approved fight card. Changes and substitutions shall be subject to approval by the Commission. All fighters on a proposed fight card shall either hold an unarmed combatant's license issued by the Commission or submit an application for licensure as an unarmed combatant in accordance with 523 CMR 6.00: Licensing and Registration no later than seven days prior to the scheduled event, unless a shorter time frame is approved by the Commission or its designee for just cause.

(2) Fights shall be put together by the matchmaker and shall be evenly matched. The fight card shall be signed by the matchmaker attesting that the fights have been as evenly matched as possible to the best of their skill and ability.

(3) In accordance with M.G.L. c. 147, § 39A, no unarmed combatant who has been knocked out, technically or otherwise, or lost a contest by way of submission, six or more times in the preceding 12 months shall take part in a match or exhibition until they have been examined and deemed fit to compete by a physician approved by the Commission.

10.12: Unarmed Combatant Not Used in Program

If a promoter enters into a bout agreement with an unarmed combatant for a contest or exhibition in a program of unarmed combat, but the promoter, without reasonable cause as determined by the Commission, does not use the unarmed combatant in that program, the unarmed combatant must be compensated as provided for in the bout agreement

10.13: Limitations on Types of Beverage Containers, Plates Used at Programs

(1) All drinks at a program of unarmed combat must be dispensed in paper or plastic cups (or other containers that cannot reasonably be used as dangerous projectiles per the discretion of the Commission).

523 CMR: STATE ATHLETIC COMMISSION

10.13: continued

(2) Plates provided for patrons at a program of unarmed combat must be made from lightweight, nonflammable and nontoxic materials.

REGULATORY AUTHORITY

.00: M.G.L. c. 147, § 46.