Rule 85-5-.07 - Officials(1)General Provisions. (a) Each official will be assigned or appointed by the Commission.(b) A referee and three judges shall officiate all bare-knuckle boxing bouts. A majority vote of the judges will determine the outcome of the contest.(c) No active manager, promoter, trainer, or Contestant shall be allowed to officiate at any contest.(d) Any referee or judge assigned to a match who becomes unable to officiate shall notify the Commission assigned supervisor before 2:00 p.m. on the day of the contest.(2)Referees and Judges.(a) Referees 1. Referee Power: The Referee is the sole Arbiter of the assigned bout.2. Referee Duties.i.Pre-show Instructions. Referees shall meet with the contestants and with each chief second appointed by the contestants prior to the beginning of the show and during that meeting shall inform each party of the rules applicable to each fight as well as the in-ring conduct expected from each contestant and second assisting in the corner of each contestant.ii.Pre-Bout Confirmation of Officials and Physician. Prior to calling for the sounding of the bell to begin each bout, the referee in the ring will confirm that the ringside physician as well as each judge assigned to the bout is in place at ringside.iii.Count: How to Proceed. The referee's count is the official count. When a contestant is knocked down, the referee shall order the opponent to retire to the furthest corner of the ring, pointing to that corner. Once the opponent has so retired to the farthest neutral corner the referee will immediately pick up the timekeeper's count. The referee shall then audibly announce the passing of each second, accompanying the count upward with motions of his or her arm, indicating the count with visual finger counts at the end of each second. The referee may cease counting if the opponent fails to remain in the neutral corner until the count is complete. No contestant who is knocked down shall be allowed to resume until the referee has finished counting eight. The contestant may take the count either on the floor or standing.iv.Saved by the Bell. A bare-knuckle boxer cannot be saved by the bell in any round including the final round of any bare-knuckle boxing contest.v.Contestant knocked out of the ring.(I) Any contestant knocked out of the ring shall receive a twenty (20) second count.(II) During the time that any such contestant is outside the ring, he or she, shall not be assisted by any member of their corner and such assistance, if offered, shall end the match with that contestant losing by a technical knock-out.(III) As a general precaution, to protect the safety of the contestant and to prevent any potential injury, a contestant knocked out of the ring may have his or her fall stopped or slowed by any person without penalty, provided that such assistance shall only be to prevent injury from the fall and not to assist the contestant in returning to the ring.vi.Standing Eight Count. There shall be no standing eight count.vii.Knock-Out. If the contestant fails to rise before the count of 10 the referee shall declare said contestant the loser by a knock-out.viii.Failure to Answer Bell. A contestant shall not leave the ring during any one (1) minute rest period between rounds. If any contestant fails or refuses to resume bare-knuckle boxing when the bell sounds signaling the commencement of the next round, the referee shall award a decision of technical knock-out to his opponent as of the round which has last been finished.(b) Judges 1. Three (3) judges are assigned to each bout.2. Judges shall evaluate the bout based on effective striking, effective aggressiveness, and control of the fighting area.(3)Timekeepers(a) One (1) timekeeper shall be at each event.(b) Announcement Responsibilities 1. The gong shall be sounded at the beginning and at the end of each round.2. Timekeepers shall alert the referee by striking the table 10 seconds prior to the end of each round.3. Timekeepers shall blow their whistle 10 seconds prior to the end of each one-minute rest period.(c)Emergency Suspension of Round: Responsibility to Announce. If the referee is absent from the ring or temporarily incapacitated the timekeeper shall immediately sound the gong for temporary discontinuance of the contest.(4)Compensation(a) All payments of fees, including travel expense when required, shall be paid by the promoter conducting the show and shall be on the following basis:1. 40 rounds or less of bare-knuckle boxing: Chief official is $300, Referee is $200, Judge is $150, Timekeeper is $150, and Inspector is $100.2. 41 to 70 rounds of bare-knuckle boxing: Chief official is $350, Referee is $250, Judge is $200, Timekeeper is $200, and Inspector is $125.3. 70+ rounds of bare-knuckle boxing: Chief official is $400, Referee is $300, Judge is $250, Timekeeper is $250, and Inspector is $150.4. Televised rounds of bare-knuckle boxing: Chief official is $500, Referee is $500, Judge is $300, Timekeeper is $200, and Inspector is $150.5. Pay-Per View events of bare-knuckle boxing: Fee's set by the Commission.6. Events with over 40 rounds may have additional officials brought in to work the event.(b) The Commission may raise or lower the pay schedule by $50 increments based on inflation or deflation as determined by the Consumer Price Index published by the United States Department of Labor.(c) Travel expenses for officials required to travel over a distance set by the Commission appointed supervisor, provided that such amount shall not exceed the usual and customary amount allowed by state guidelines for state employees. Hotel rooms may be required at the discretion of the Commission.(5)Fouls. In general, a referee has wide discretion in how to punish an offending bare-knuckle boxer who fouls his or her opponent. If the referee determines that a foul is unintentional, he or she may simply caution the offending bare-knuckle boxer to be attentive to rules concerning fouls. If the foul is determined to be intentional, the referee may issue a warning to the offending bare-knuckle boxer or may deduct one or more points from the offending bare-knuckle boxer. The referee may also disqualify any bare-knuckle boxer who intentionally fouls his or her opponent.(a) Fouls, whether intentional or unintentional, are defined as follows: 1. Hitting the opponent below the belt.2. Hitting an opponent who is down or is getting up after being down.3. Deliberately maintaining a clinch without other action.4. Wrestling or kicking the opponent.5. Putting a finger into any orifice of the opponent or into any cut or laceration on an opponent, including fish hooking.6. Pulling the opponent's hair.7. Manipulating the opponent's fingers.8. Striking an opponent who is helpless as the result of blows but is supported by the ropes and does not fall.9. Butting the opponent with the head, shoulder, knee, or elbow.10. Hitting the opponent with the elbow or forearm.11. Striking the opponent's body over the kidneys.12. Hitting the opponent on the back of the head or neck.13. Gouging the opponent's eye in any manner.14. Hitting during a break, which is signaled by the Referee's command or physical act to separate the fighters.15. Hitting the opponent after the bell has sounded, ending the round.16. Using the ropes or cage to gain an advantage over the opponent.17. Pushing the opponent around the fighting area or into the ropes/cage.18. Timidity, excessive clenching, including intentionally spitting out the mouthpiece, running from an opponent, or other similar behavior.21. Throat punches or strikes directly toward the throat of an opponent.22. Fingers outstretched toward an opponent's face or eyes.23. No throws or takedowns.24. Engaging in any other action not described in this subsection that is deemed an intentional foul by the Referee on the basis that the action poses a danger to the safety of either fighter, impedes fair and competitive play, or is unsportsmanlike.(b)Intentional Foul. At the referee's discretion, any foul defined in subparagraph (a) may be called "intentional."1. Upon the first occurrence of such intentional foul and during the same round as such intentional foul occurs, the referee may, at his or her discretion and without previous warning, disqualify the offending boxer or deduct one (1) point from the offending boxer.2. Upon the second occurrence of such intentional foul, the referee may, at his or her discretion and without previous warning disqualify the offending boxer or deduct two (2) points from the offending boxer.3. If an intentional foul causes an injury and the injury is severe enough to terminate the bout immediately, the boxer causing the injury shall lose by disqualification.(c)Unintentional Foul. Except as provided below, no point will be deducted from the score or other disciplinary action taken against either boxer for an unintentional foul unless a previous warning has been given to the offending boxer. For the purposes of this subparagraph, unintentional fouls are actions as described by sub-paragraph (a) above, which in the judgment of the referee were not intentionally caused.1. If an unintentional foul causes an injury severe enough for the referee to stop the bout immediately, the bout result will be announced in accordance with the Uniform Championship Rules in effect at the time of the bout. a. Currently the Uniform Championship Rules state that a bout stopped before four completed rounds will be reported as a "No Contest."2. If an unintentional foul causes an injury severe enough for the referee to stop the bout after four (4) rounds have been completed, the bout will result in a Technical Decision (TW), awarded to the boxer who is ahead on the score cards at the time the bout is stopped.a. Partial or incomplete rounds will be scored. If no action has occurred, the round shall be scored as an even round.(6)Low Blows: Intentional or Unintentional.(a)Recuperation Time. Any contestant struck by a low blow may, at the discretion and after consultation with the ring physician, be given up to five (5) minutes to recuperate.1. During such recuperation the injured boxer may sit on a stool inside the ring, or in a neutral corner, but may not rest in his assigned corner.2. Only the referee is allowed to assist the injured boxer during the five minute rest period.3. The uninjured fighter, during any such rest period, may not be assisted and shall remain in the neutral corner furthest from the boxer.Ga. Comp. R. & Regs. R. 85-5-.07
O.C.G.A. §§ 43-1-19, 43-1-25, 43-4B-4, 43-4B-7, 43-4B-11, 43-4B-12, 43-4B-13, 43-4B-14, 43-4B-18.1, 43-4B-19, 43-4B-20.
Original Rule entitled "Officials" adopted. F. May 20, 2024; eff. June 9, 2024.