Section 23.26 - The Referee(1) The primary duty of the referee is to ensure the safety of the combatants to the maximum degree.(2)The Referee's Responsibilities.(a) The referee's uniform shall consist of black trousers, with no belt buckle, and black short sleeved shirt and flat soled shoes. No visible jewelry is allowed.(b) The referee shall ensure the following:1. Fairness in the application of 523 CMR to all parties.2. No impoliteness in manner or speech either to the combatants or the audience.3. Close supervision of the match.4. Protection of a weaker combatant against serious injury.5. Inspection of the boxing gloves and anklets, and that the proper safety equipment is worn.6. The referee shall inform the combatants and their seconds of the rales and regulations governing the fight. This is to be done in the dressing room, prior to the fight itself.(3) Three verbal orders are recognized.(a) "STOP" command ordering the combatants to stop fighting.(b) "BREAK" when ordering the combatants to separate.(c) "FIGHT" when ordering the combatants to continue the match.(4) When the combatants are ordered to "BREAK," both shall step back one step and await the referee's "FIGHT" order before continuing to fight.(5) The referee shall use the correct signal to ensure a combatant's understanding of any rale infringement.(6) At the end of each round the referee shall collect the score sheets from each of the three judges and hand them to the scorekeeper.(7) Should it be necessary to stop the match or penalize a combatant, the referee shall immediately advise the reason to the judges and the scorekeeper.(8) The referee is forbidden to comment or speculate on any match unless receiving prior approval from the committee chairman.(9) All referees are subjected to a yearly medical inspection and certification by a physician approved by the Commission and shall be physically fit at the start of any match.Amended by Mass Register Issue 1331, eff. 1/27/2017.