February 25th 2010 revision as approved by the New Jersey State Athletic Control Board
WHAT IS PROFESSIONAL STAND-UP FIGHTING?
The new sport of Professional Stand-up Fighting features competitors from various martial arts and Olympic sports, such as karate, muay thai, tae kwon do, boxing, kick-boxing, wrestling, judo and sanshou. The competitors are highly skilled in multiple martial arts disciplines and compete against each other in a combative sporting event. In that sense, Professional Stand-up Fighting competitions are similar to boxing, kick-boxing and mixed martial arts matches.
Professional Stand-up Fighting techniques can be broken down into two categories, striking and takedowns. The types of strikes permitted include blows with hands, feet, knees or elbows. Takedowns involves many different type of throws and take downs – after a takedown, or as soon as one of the opponents has more than just the soles of their feet on the ground, the referee immediately breaks the action and resumes the fight with both fighters standing. The goal of a competitor in Professional Stand-up Fighting is to knock out his or her opponent or win the contest by scoring more points than their opponent.
Weight classes for athletes competing in Professional Stand-up Fighting
Athletes shall be divided into the following classes:
Flyweight (under 125.9 lbs.);
Bantamweight (126 lbs. - 134.9 lbs.);
Featherweight (135 lbs. - 144.9 lbs.);
Lightweight (145 lbs. - 154.9 lbs.);
Welterweight (155 lbs. - 169.9 lbs.);
Middleweight (170 lbs. - 184.9 lbs.);
Light Heavyweight (185 lbs. - 204.9 lbs.);
Heavyweight (over 205 lbs.)
A bout cannot take place when the difference in weight between the two contestants at the official weigh-in is greater than 10 lbs for any weight classes under 170 pounds. A bout cannot take place when the difference in weight between the two contestants at the official weigh-in is greater than 15 lbs for any weight classes over 170 pounds. However, this does not apply when the contestant's weight is greater than 205 lbs.
1. Round length
Each non-championship contest shall be five rounds, of three minutes duration, with a one minute rest period between each round.
Each championship contest shall be eight rounds of three minutes duration, with a one minute rest period between each round.
2. Stopping a contest
The referee and ringside physician are the sole arbiters of a bout and are the only individuals authorized to enter the fighting area at any time during competition and authorized to stop a contest.
3. Judging
All bouts will be evaluated and scored by three judges.
The 10-Point Must System will be the standard system of scoring a bout. Under the 10-Point Must Scoring System, 10 points must be awarded to the winner of the round and nine points or less must be awarded to the loser.
Judges shall evaluate Professional Stand-up Fighting techniques, such as effective striking, effective takedowns, control of the fighting area, effective aggressiveness and defense.
Evaluations shall be made in the order in which the techniques appear in (c) above, giving the most weight in scoring to effective striking, effective takedowns, control of the fighting area and effective aggressiveness and defense.
Effective striking is judged by determining the total number of legal heavy strikes landed by a contestant.
Effective takedown is judged by considering the amount of successful executions of a legal takedown or throw.
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 an opponent’s attempt at takedown by remaining standing and legally striking; taking down an opponent; and creating striking opportunities.
Effective aggressiveness means moving forward and landing a legal strike.
Effective defense means avoiding being struck, taken down while countering with offensive attacks.
The following objective scoring criteria shall be utilized by the judges when scoring a round;
A round is to be scored as a 10-9 Round when a contestant wins by a close margin, landing the greater number of effective legal strikes, takedowns and other maneuvers;
A round is to be scored as a 10-8 Round when a contestant overwhelmingly dominates by striking or takedowns in a round.
A round is to be scored as a 10-7 Round when a contestant totally dominates by striking or takedowns in a round.
4. Warnings
The referee shall issue a single warning for the following infractions. After the initial warning, if the prohibited conduct persists, a penalty will be issued. The penalty may result in a deduction of points or disqualification.
Holding or grabbing the ropes (or the fence);
Holding opponent’s shorts or gloves;
The presence of more than one second on the fighting area perimeter.
5. Fouls
The following are fouls and will result in penalties if committed:
Head-butting or striking with the head in any manner;
Eye gouging of any kind;
Biting or spitting at an opponent;
Hair pulling;
Fish hooking;
Groin attacks of any kind;
Intentionally placing a finger into any orifice, or into any cut or laceration of your opponent;
Strikes to the spine or back of the head;
Striking of any kind at a downed opponent;
Stomping;
Throat strikes of any kind, including, without limitation, grabbing the trachea;
Clawing, pinching, twisting the flesh or grabbing the clavicle;
The use of abusive language in fighting area;
Any unsportsmanlike conduct that causes an injury to opponent;
Attacking an opponent on or during the break;
Attacking an opponent who is under the referee’s care at the time;
Disregarding the instructions of the referee;
Timidity (avoiding contact, or consistent dropping of mouthpiece, or faking an injury);
Interference by the corner;
Throwing an opponent out of the fighting area;
Pile-driving your opponent into the mat;
Holding the shorts or gloves of an opponent;
Spiking an opponent to the canvas on his or her head or neck.
6. Type of Bout results
The following are the types of bout results:
Technical knockout :referee stops bout, Ringside physician stops bout, when a contestant verbally announces to the referee that he or she does not wish to continue, when an injury as a result of a legal maneuver is severe enough to terminate a bout;
Knockout : failure to rise from the canvas;
Decision : via judge’s score cards
Unanimous: when all three judges score the bout for the same contestant;
Split Decision: when two judges score the bout for one contestant and one judge scores for the opponent;
Majority Decision: when two judges score the bout for the same contestant and one judge scores a draw;
Unanimous Draw: when all three judges score the bout a draw;
Majority Draw: when two judges score the bout a draw; or
Split Draw: when all three judges score differently and the score total results in a draw;
Disqualification : when an injury sustained during competition as a result of an intentional foul is severe enough to terminate the contest;
Forfeit : when a contestant fails to begin competition or prematurely ends the contest for reasons other than injury;
Technical Draw : when an injury sustained during competition as a result of an intentional foul causes the injured contestant to be unable to continue and the injured contestant is even or behind on the score cards at the time of stoppage;
Technical Decision : when the bout is prematurely stopped due to injury and a contestant is leading on the score cards; and
No Contest : when a contest is prematurely stopped due to accidental injury and a sufficient number of rounds have not been completed to render a decision via the score cards.
7. Knockdowns
When a contestant has been knocked down, the referee shall instruct the opponent to go to the farthest neutral corner, which the referee shall indicate by pointing. The referee may stop the bout and declare the opponent the winner when a contestant is no longer able to defend adequately or is not able to stand-up and continue the fight immediately. There are no 8-counts in Professional Stand-up Fighting - if contestant is not able to continue fighting immediately after the referee sent his opponent to the neutral corner, the bout is over.
8. Three Knockdowns rule
If contestant in knocked down three times in the same round, he is automatically declared knocked out by the referee and the bout is stopped.
9. Downed opponent
When a contestant is taken down to the ground, he is considered a downed opponent; the referee then intervenes and restarts the fight with both contestants in a standing position. A grounded opponent is any fighter who has more than just the soles of their feet on the ground. Also a contestant who puts his knee on the ground intentionally is declared a downed opponent and that counts as a knockdown.
10. Gloves
All contestants shall wear seven ounce hybrid mixed martial arts gloves, supplied by Instinct and approved by the commission.
11. Instinct's Fighting area
Instinct's bouts will take place in a unique hexagonal shaped 5-ropes ring. The ropes will be strung tightly at heights
varying from 12 inches to 60 inches above the mat.
