Missouri Code of State Regulations › Title 20 - DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE AND INSURANCE › Division 2040 - Office of Athletics › Chapter 5 - Rules for Professional Boxing, Professional Wrestling, Professional and Amateur Kickboxing, and Professional Full-Contact Karate › Section 20 CSR 2040-5.070 - Fouls

Current through Register Vol. 49, No. 14, July 15, 2024
PURPOSE: This rule is being amended to remove the
				  prohibition of using a twisting leg submission maneuver during an amateur mixed
				  martial arts contest.
(1)
				Fouls. The following actions in a mixed martial arts bout or contest are
				defined as fouls:
(A) Holding or grabbing the
				fence-a fighter may put their hands on the fence and push off of it at anytime.
				A fighter may place their feet onto the cage and have their toes go through the
				fencing material at any time. When a fighter's fingers or toes go through the
				cage and grab hold of the fence and start to control either their body position
				or their opponent's body position it is an illegal action. A fighter may not
				grab the ropes or wrap their arms over the ring ropes at any time. If a fighter
				is caught holding the fence, cage, or ring rope material the referee may issue
				a one- (1-) point deduction from the offending fighters scorecard if the foul
				caused a substantial change in position such as the avoidance of a takedown. If
				a point deduction for holding the fence occurs, and because of the infraction,
				the fouling fighter ends up in a superior position due to the foul, the
				fighters should be re-started by the referee, standing in a neutral
				position;
(B) Holding opponent's
				shorts or gloves- a fighter may not control their opponent's movement by
				holding onto their opponent's shorts or gloves. A fighter may hold onto or grab
				their opponent's hand as long as they are not controlling the hand only by
				using the material of the glove. It is legal to hold onto your own gloves or
				shorts;
(C) Butting with the
				head-any use of the head as a striking instrument whether head to head, head to
				body, or otherwise is illegal;
(D)
				Eye gouging of any kind-eye gouging by means of fingers, chin, or elbow is
				illegal. Legal strikes or punches that contact the fighter's eye socket are not
				eye gouging and are legal attacks;
(E) Biting or spitting at an opponent-biting
				in any form is illegal. A fighter should recognize that a referee may not be
				able to physically observe some actions, and make the referee aware if they are
				being bitten during an exhibition of unarmed combat;
(F) Hair pulling-pulling of the hair or
				holding the hair to control an opponent in any fashion is an illegal
				action;
(G) Fish hooking-any
				attempt by a fighter to use their fingers in a manner that attacks their
				opponent's mouth, nose, or ears, stretching the skin to that area, placing of
				fingers into the mouth of your opponent and pulling your hands in opposing
				directions while holding onto the skin of your opponent will be considered
				"fish hooking";
(H) Groin attacks
				of any kind-any attack to the groin area including, striking, grabbing,
				pinching, or twisting is illegal;
(I) Intentionally placing a finger into any
				orifice, or into any cut or laceration of your opponent-a fighter may not place
				their fingers into an open laceration in an attempt to enlarge the cut or into
				an opponent's, nose, ears, mouth, or any body cavity;
(J) Downward pointing of elbow strikes-a
				ceiling to floor or twelve to six (12-6) elbow strikes is prohibited.
(K) Small joint manipulation-fingers and toes
				are small joints. Wrists, ankles, knees, shoulders, and elbows are all large
				joints. In order to hold small joints, at least two (2) or more digits must be
				held;
(L) Strikes to the spine or
				the back of the head-strikes behind the crown of the head and above the ears
				within the Mohawk area and below the top of the ear are not permissible and
				within the nape of the neck area are not permissible;
(M) No intentional direct strikes to the
				kidney including heel kicks to the kidney;
(N) Throat strikes of any kind, including,
				without limitation, grabbing the trachea-no directed throat strikes, including,
				but not limited to, a fighter pulling his opponents head in a way to open the
				neck area for a striking attack or gouging their fingers or thumb into their
				opponent's neck or trachea in an attempt to submit their opponent are not
				allowed;
(O) Clawing, pinching,
				twisting the flesh, or grabbing the clavicle-any attack that targets the
				fighter's skin by clawing at the skin or attempting to pull or twist the skin
				to apply pain is illegal. Any manipulation of the clavicle is a foul;
(P) Kneeing and/or kicking the head of a
				grounded opponent-a grounded fighter is defined as: any part of the body, other
				than the soles of the feet, touching the fighting area floor. Also to be
				grounded the palm of one (1) hand must be down or posting of the fingers to the
				fighting area floor. A single knee or arm makes a fighter grounded without
				having to have any other body part in touch with the fighting area floor. At
				this time, kicks or knees to the head will not be allowed;
(Q) Stomping of a grounded fighter- stomping
				is considered any type of striking action with the feet where the fighter lifts
				their leg up bending their leg at the knee and initiating a striking action
				with the bottom of their foot or heel. Note: Axe kicks are not stomps. Standing
				foot stops are legal. As such, this foul does not include stomping the feet of
				a standing fighter;
(R) The use of
				abusive language in the fighting area;
(S) Any unsportsmanlike conduct that causes
				an injury to opponent;
(T)
				Attacking an opponent on or during the break-a fighter shall not engage their
				opponent in any fashion during a time-out or break of action in
				competition;
(U) Attacking an
				opponent who is under the care of the referee;
(V) Timidity (avoiding contact, or
				consistently dropping the mouthpiece, or faking an injury)-timidity is any
				fighter who purposely avoids contact with his opponent, or runs away from the
				action of the fight. Timidity can also be called by the referee for any attempt
				by a fighter to receive time by falsely claiming a foul, injury, or purposely
				dropping or spitting out their mouthpiece or other action designed to stall the
				fight;
(W) Interference from a
				mixed martial artists seconds-interference is any action or activity aimed at
				disrupting the fight or causing an unfair advantage to be given to one (1)
				combatant. Corners are not allowed to distract the referee or influence the
				actions of the referee in any fashion;
(X) Throwing an opponent out of the ring or
				caged area;
(Y) Flagrant disregard
				of the referee's instructions-a fighter must follow the instructions of the
				referee at all times. Any deviation or non-compliance may result in the
				fighter's disqualification;
(Z)
				Spiking the opponent to the canvas onto the head or neck (pile-driving)-a pile
				driver is any throw where you control your opponent's body placing his feet
				straight up in the air with his head straight down and then forcibly drive your
				opponents head into the canvas or flooring material. It should be noted, when a
				fighter is placed into a submission hold by their opponent, if that fighter is
				capable of elevating their opponent they may bring that opponent down in any
				fashion they desire because they are not in control of their opponents body.
				The fighter who is attempting the submission can either adjust their position
				or let go of their hold before being slammed to the canvas;
(AA) Attacking an opponent after the bell has
				sounded the end of the round;
(BB)
				The end of the round shall occur when the bell or horn sounds ending the round;
				and
(CC) A fighter may not be saved
				by the bell or horn in any round, including the last round.