West Virginia Code of State Rules › Agency 177 - Athletic Commission › Title 177 - LEGISLATIVE RULE STATE ATHLETIC COMMISSION › Series 177-02 - Regulation of Mixed Martial Arts › Section 177-2-34 - Fouls (with explanations as warranted)

Current through Register Vol. XLI, No. 28, July 12, 2024
34.1. The following are fouls and will result
				in penalties if committed by contestant.
34.2. Holding or grabbing the fence.
Contestants may put their hands or feet on the fence and push
				  off of it at any time. Contestant's fingers or toes may go through the cage.
				  However the contestant shall not hold on to the fence to control his or her
				  body position or their opponent's body position by holding onto the cage. If a
				  contestant is caught holding the fence or cage material, the referee shall
				  issue a one-point deduction from the offending contestant's 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 contestant ends up in a superior position due to the
				  foul, the contestants should be re-started standing in a neutral position by
				  the referee.
34.3. Holding
				opponent's shorts or gloves.
A contestant may not control their opponent's movement by
				  holding onto their opponent's shorts or gloves. A contestant may hold onto or
				  grab his or her opponent's hand as long as he or she is not controlling the
				  hand only by using the material of the glove, but by actually gripping the hand
				  of the opponent. It is legal to hold onto your own gloves or shorts.
34.4. Butting with the head.
Any use of the head as a striking instrument whether head to
				  head, head to body or otherwise is illegal.
34.5. Eye gouging of any kind.
Eye gouging by means of fingers, chin, or elbow is illegal.
				  Legal strikes or punches that contact the contestant's eye socket are not eye
				  gouging and shall be considered legal attacks.
34.6. Biting or Spitting at an opponent.
Biting in any form is illegal. A contestant must recognize
				  that a referee may not be able to physically observe some actions, and must
				  make the referee aware if he or she is being bitten during an exhibition of
				  unarmed combat.
34.7. Hair
				pulling.
Pulling of the hair in any fashion is an illegal action. A
				  contestant may not grab hold of his or her opponent's hair to control the
				  opponent in any way.
34.8.
				Fish Hooking.
Any attempt by a contestant to use his or her fingers in a
				  manner that attacks the opponent's mouth, nose or ears, stretching the skin to
				  that area will be considered Fish hooking "fish hooking." Fish hooking
				  generally is the placing of fingers into the mouth of an opponent and pulling
				  his or her hands in opposing directions while holding onto the skin of an
				  opponent.
34.9. Groin
				attacks of any kind.
Any attack to the groin area including, striking, grabbing,
				  pinching or twisting is illegal.
34.10. Intentionally placing a finger into
				any orifice, or into any cut or laceration of your opponent. A contestant may
				not place his or her fingers into an open laceration in an attempt to enlarge
				the cut. A contestant may not place his or her fingers into an opponent's,
				nose, ears, mouth, or any body cavity.
34.11. Downward pointing of elbow strikes;
A contestant may not employ ceiling to floor (12 o'clock to 6
				  o'clock) elbow strikes.
34.12. Small joint manipulation.
Fingers and Toes are small joints. Wrists, Ankles, Knees,
				  Shoulders and Elbows are all large joints.
34.13. Strikes to the spine or the back of
				the head.
Strikes behind the crown of the head and above the ears are
				  not permissible within the Mohawk area. Strikes below the top of the ear are
				  not permissible within the nape of the neck area.
34.14. Heel kicks to the kidney.
34.15. Throat strikes of any kind, including,
				without limitation, grabbing the trachea.
No directed throat strikes are allowed. A directed attack
				  would include a contestant pulling his or her opponents head in a way to open
				  the neck area for a striking attack. A contestant may not gouge his or her
				  fingers or thumb into their opponent's neck or trachea in an attempt to submit
				  his or her opponent.
34.16.
				Clawing, pinching, twisting the flesh or grabbing the clavicle.
Any attack that targets the contestant'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.
34.17. Kicking the head of a grounded
				opponent.
A grounded opponent is any contestant who has more than just
				  the soles of his or her feet on the ground (i.e. could have one shin or one
				  finger down to be considered a downed contestant). If the referee determines
				  that a contestant would be a grounded contestant but for the cage fence holding
				  the contestant from the ground, the referee may instruct the contestants that
				  he or she is treating the contestant who is being held up solely by the cage or
				  ropes as a grounded contestant.
34.18. Kneeing the head of a grounded
				opponent.
A grounded opponent is any contestant who has more than just
				  the soles of his or her feet on the ground. If the referee determines that a
				  contestant would be a grounded contestant but is not solely because the cage
				  fence has held contestant from the ground, the referee can instruct the
				  combatants that he is treating the contestant held up solely by the cage or
				  ropes as a grounded contestant.
34.19. Stomping of a grounded contestant.
Stomping is considered any type of striking action with the
				  feet where the contestant lifts his or her leg up bending it at the knee and
				  initiating a striking action with the bottom of the foot or heel. Axe kicks
				  shall not be classified as stomps. Standing foot stops shall not be classified
				  as a foul; therefore, this foul does not include stomping the feet of a
				  standing contestant.
34.20.
				The use of abusive language in the fighting area.
34.21. Any unsportsmanlike conduct that
				causes an injury to an opponent.
34.22. Attacking an opponent on or during the
				break.
A contestant shall not engage his or her opponent in any
				  fashion during a time-out or break of action in competition.
34.23. Attacking an opponent who is under the
				care of the referee.
34.24.
				Timidity.
Timidity is defined as any contestant who purposely avoids
				  contact with his or her opponent or runs away from the action of the fight.
				  Timidity can also be called by the referee for any attempt by a contestant to
				  receive time by falsely claiming a foul, injury, or purposefully dropping or
				  spitting out his or her mouthpiece or other action designed to stall the
				  fight.
34.25. Interference
				from a Mixed Martial Artists seconds.
Interference is defined as any action or activity aimed at
				  disrupting the match or causing an unfair advantage to be given to one
				  combatant. Seconds are not allowed to distract the referee or influence the
				  actions of the referee in any fashion.
34.26. Throwing an opponent out of the caged
				area.
A contestant shall not throw their opponent out of the
				  cage.
34.27. Flagrant
				disregard of the referee's instructions.
A contestant must follow the instructions of the referee at
				  all times. Any deviation or failure to comply may result in the contestant's
				  disqualification.
34.28.
				Spiking the opponent to the floor on the head or neck (pile-driving).
A pile drive is considered to be any throw where a contestant
				  controls his or her opponent's body by lifting the opponent so that his or her
				  feet are straight up in the air with his or her head straight down toward the
				  mat and then forcibly drives the opponent's head into the canvas or flooring
				  material. It should be noted that when a contestant is placed into a submission
				  hold by the opponent, if that contestant is capable of elevating the opponent,
				  the contestant may bring the opponent down in any fashion he or she desires
				  because the contestant is not in control of his or her opponent's body. The
				  contestant attempting the submission can either adjust his or her position, or
				  let go of the hold before being slammed to the floor.
34.29. Attacking an opponent after the bell
				has sounded the end of the period of unarmed combat.
34.30. Linear Knee Strikes are
				prohibited.