Section 29-143j-72a - Fouls, mixed martial arts(a) The following are fouls for a mixed martial arts bout:(1) Holding or grabbing the fence;(2) Holding opponent's shorts or gloves;(3) Butting with the head;(4) Eye gouging of any kind;(5) Biting or spitting at an opponent;(8) Groin attacks of any kind;(9) Intentionally placing a finger into any orifice, or into any cut or laceration of the opponent;(10) Downward pointing of elbow strikes;(11) Small joint manipulation;(12) Strikes to the spine or the back of the head;(13) Heel kicks to the kidney;(14) Throat strikes of any kind, including grabbing the trachea;(15) Clawing, pinching, twisting the flesh or grabbing the clavicle;(16) Kicking the head of a grounded opponent;(17) Kneeing the head of a grounded opponent;(18) Stomping a grounded opponent;(19) Using abusive language in the combat area;(20) Any unsportsmanlike conduct that causes an injury to an opponent;(21) Attacking an opponent on or during the break;(22) Attacking an opponent who is under the care of the referee;(23) Timidity (avoiding contact, or consistently dropping the mouthpiece, or faking an injury);(24) Interference from a mixed martial arts competitor's second;(25) Throwing an opponent out of the ring or caged area;(26) Flagrant disregard of the referee's instructions;(27) Spiking the opponent to the canvas onto the head or neck (pile-driving); and(28) Attacking an opponent after the bell has sounded the end of the round.(b) A grounded mixed martial arts competitor is one who has more than the soles of his or her feet on the ground. A referee may determine that a mixed martial arts competitor is grounded if such competitor is not held up by any part of the combat area. The referee may instruct the competitors during the course of the action that the referee is treating the competitor as grounded.(c) Foul procedures (1) If a foul is committed in a mixed martial arts bout, the referee shall:(B) Check the fouled contestant's condition and safety; and(C) Assess the foul to the offending contestant and notify each corner's seconds, judges and the official scorekeeper of any point deduction.(2) If a bottom contestant commits a foul, unless the top contestant is injured, the bout shall continue without a call for a time-out, 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 assess the foul and notify both corners' seconds, the judges and the official scorekeeper of any point deduction.(C) The referee may stop a bout based on the severity of a foul. For a flagrant foul, a contestant shall lose by disqualification.(d) Time considerations for fouls (1) Low blow foul. A contestant who has been struck with a low blow shall be allowed not more than five minutes to recover from the foul as long as, in the combat area physician's opinion, the contestant can continue on in the bout. If the contestant states that the contestant can continue before the expiration of five minutes, the referee shall as soon as practical restart the bout. If the contestant does not so state within the five minute time allotment, the bout shall not be restarted and the bout shall end with the outcome determined by the round and time in which the bout was stopped.(2) Contestant who is not fouled by low blow but another foul. (A) If the bout is halted because of an accidental foul, the referee shall determine whether the fouled contestant can continue. 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 a concussive impact to the head of the fouled contestant, the referee may order the bout continued after a recuperative interval of not more than five minutes. Immediately after separating the contestants, the referee shall inform the commissioner's authorized representative of such referee's determination that the foul was accidental.(B) If a contestant is fouled by a blow that the referee deems illegal, the referee shall halt the action and call for a time-out. The referee may take the fouled contestant to the combat area physician and have the physician examine the contestant as to such contestant's ability to continue the bout. The physician shall have not more than five minutes to make the determination. If the physician determines that the contestant can continue the bout, the referee shall as soon as practical restart the bout.(C) The fouled contestant is not guaranteed five minutes of recovery time. If a fouled contestant is deemed not fit to continue by the referee or combat area physician, the referee shall immediately stop the bout. If the contestant is deemed fit to continue by the referee or combat area physician and some of the five minute recovery time is still remaining, the contestant shall not use the remaining time. If the referee halts the bout and employs the use of the combat area physician, the physician's examination shall not be more than five minutes. If five minutes is exceeded, the bout shall not be re-started and shall end.(e) Scoring the foul to be performed by the official. Fouls may result in a point being deducted by the official scorekeeper from the offending contestant's score. The scorekeeper shall be responsible for calculating the true score after factoring in the point deduction.(f) Only a referee may assess a foul. If the referee does not call the foul, judges shall not make that assessment on their own and shall not factor such into their scoring calculations.(g) Scoring of incomplete rounds. There shall be scoring of an incomplete round. If the referee penalizes either contestant, then the appropriate points shall be deducted when the scorekeeper calculates the final score for the partial round.(h) Injuries sustained by fouls (1) If an injury sustained during a bout as a result of an intentional foul is severe enough for the referee to stop a bout, the contestant causing the injury loses by disqualification.(2) If an injury is sustained during a bout as a result of an intentional foul and the bout continues, the referee shall notify the scorekeeper to automatically deduct two points from the contestant who committed the foul.(3) If an injury sustained during a bout as a result of an intentional foul causes the injured contestant to be unable to continue at a subsequent point in the bout, the injured contestant shall win by technical decision, if the injured contestant is ahead on the score cards. If the injured contestant is even or behind on the score cards at the time of stoppage, the outcome of the bout shall be declared a technical draw.(4) If a contestant injures himself or herself while attempting to foul an opponent, the referee shall not take any action in the injured contestant's favor, and the injury shall be treated in the same manner as an injury produced by a fair blow.(5) If an injury sustained during competition as a result of an accidental foul is severe enough for the referee to stop the bout immediately, the bout shall result in a no-contest if stopped before two rounds have been completed in a three round bout.(6) If an injury sustained during competition as a result of an accidental foul is severe enough for the referee to stop the bout immediately, the bout shall result in a technical decision awarded to the contestant who is ahead on the score cards at the time the bout is stopped when the bout is stopped after two rounds of a three round bout.Conn. Agencies Regs. § 29-143j-72a
Effective November 6, 2015