523 CMR 12.00 — Facilities, equipment and supplies

523 CMR: STATE ATHLETIC COMMISSION

523 CMR 12.00: FACILITIES, EQUIPMENT AND SUPPLIES

Section

523 CMR 12.00 Facilities, equipment and supplies

12.01 Sanitation

12.01: Sanitation

12.02 Provision of Ambulance and Medical Personnel; Alternative Medical Transport; Notice of Program

12.02: Provision of Ambulance and Medical Personnel; Alternative Medical Transport; Notice of Program to Emergency Services, Facilities and Personnel; Police Officers

12.03 Provision of Emergency and Other Equipment

12.03: Provision of Emergency and Other Equipment

12.04 Dressing Rooms

12.04: Dressing Rooms

12.05 Requirements for Gloves

12.05: Requirements for Gloves

12.06 Bandages for Hands of Unarmed Combatant

12.06: Bandages for Hands of Unarmed Combatant

12.07 Equipment of Chief Second

12.07: Equipment of Chief Second

12.08 Requirements for Boxing or Kickboxing Ring

12.08: Requirements for Boxing or Kickboxing Ring

12.09 Requirements for Mixed Martial Arts Ring or Fenced Area

12.09: Requirements for Mixed Martial Arts Ring or Fenced Area

12.10 Requirements for Bell or Gong

12.10: Requirements for Bell or Gong

12.01 Sanitation

12.01: Sanitation (1) Each promoter is responsible for and must correct any violation of 523 CMR or the Department of Public Health regarding the sanitary condition of dressing rooms, showers, water bottles, towels or other equipment. (2) The promoter shall be responsible to supply bio-waste disposable bags in each dressing room and ring or cage side. In addition, the promoter shall be responsible to ensure that the event venue can provide adequate running water essential to hand washing and the provision of temporary or emergency treatment as required by 523 CMR 13.07(3). (3) Physicians and representatives of the Commission shall make a particular examination before or during each program of unarmed combat to discover any violation of 523 CMR or obvious unsanitary condition, and any such violation must be reported to the Commission immediately.

12.02 Provision of Ambulance and Medical Personnel; Alternative Medical Transport; Notice of Program

12.02: Provision of Ambulance and Medical Personnel; Alternative Medical Transport; Notice of Program to Emergency Services, Facilities and Personnel; Police Officers (1) A program of unarmed combat must not be held unless an ambulance and two persons certified by the Commonwealth of Massachusetts as advanced emergency medical technicians certified to provide advanced life support (ALS) are present at the site of the program and able and available to transport an unarmed combatant to a medical facility. (2) If the ambulance or advanced emergency medical technicians leave the site of the program to transport an unarmed combatant to a medical facility, the program of unarmed combat must not continue until another ambulance or replacements for the advanced emergency medical technicians are present and available. (3) If an ambulance is not available because of the location of the site, the highest level of medical transport in that locale must be present and able and available to transport an unarmed combatant to a medical facility. If the advanced emergency medical technicians are not available because of the location of the site, two persons with the highest level of training as emergency medical technicians in that locale must be present and able and available to treat an unarmed combatant. (4) The medical personnel described in 523 CMR 12.02: (a) Must be designated to render service only to the unarmed combatants in the program. (b) Shall position themselves and their equipment in a location at or near the ring or, if the program is being held in a fenced area, at or near the fenced area, that they and the ringside physician deem appropriate. (5) For purposes of 523 CMR 12.02, a program of unarmed combat begins with the commencement of the first bout and ends when the last unarmed combatant leaves the site of the program. 1/27/17 (Mass. Register #1331)

523 CMR: STATE ATHLETIC COMMISSION

12.02 continued

12.02: continued (6) The promoter shall arrange for the presence of at least two police officers at the event, or as otherwise directed by the Commission. No event may proceed or continue on once begun without the presence of the police officers.

12.03 Provision of Emergency and Other Equipment

12.03: Provision of Emergency and Other Equipment Each promoter of a program of unarmed combat shall arrange to have emergency equipment on the premises where the program is to be held. The emergency equipment must include, but is not limited to: (1) Blankets; (2) A stretcher; (3) A bottle of smelling salts; (4) Bandages; (5) Surgical tape; (6) Splints; (7) A pair of scissors; (8) A soft collar and a hard collar; (9) An airway; (10) Sterile surgical gloves; and (11) At least one one-piece warmup mat per dressing room.

12.04 Dressing Rooms

12.04: Dressing Rooms (1) On the day of a contest or exhibition, only the following people are allowed in the dressing room of an unarmed combatant: (a) The manager of the unarmed combatant; (b) The seconds of the unarmed combatant; (c) Any representative of the promoter; and (d) Any representative of the Commission. (2) The promoter shall furnish security at the entrance to the dressing rooms to enforce 523 CMR 12.04. (3) The promoter of a contest or exhibition between female unarmed combatants shall provide them with adequate dressing rooms separate from the male competitors.

12.05 Requirements for Gloves

12.05: Requirements for Gloves The gloves used in a contest or exhibition must meet the following requirements and be delivered to the Commission one hour prior to the commencement of the first match of the event: (1) The gloves must be examined by the representative of the Commission and the referee. If padding in any glove is found to be misplaced or lumpy or if any glove is found to be imperfect, the glove must be changed before the contest or exhibition starts. No breaking, roughing or twisting of gloves is permitted. (2) If the gloves to be used have been used before, they must be whole, clean and in sanitary condition. The gloves are subject to inspection by the referee and a representative of the Commission. If a glove is found to be unfit, it must be replaced with a glove that meets the requirements of 523 CMR 12.05.

523 CMR: STATE ATHLETIC COMMISSION

12.05 continued

12.05: continued (3) Each promoter must have an extra set of gloves of the appropriate weight available to be used in case a glove is broken or otherwise damaged during the course of a contest or exhibition. (4) In accordance with M.G.L. c. 147, § 38, for contests or exhibitions of boxing and kickboxing, whether professional or amateur, each unarmed combatant must wear gloves which weigh not less than eight ounces and not more than ten ounces, except that the Commission will set the weight of the gloves to be used in a championship contest. All gloves must have the distal portion of the thumb attached to the body of the glove so as to minimize the possibility of injury to an opponent's eye. (5) In accordance with M.G.L. c. 147, § 38, for contests or exhibitions of mixed martial arts, professional unarmed combatants must wear gloves weighing four ounces and amateur unarmed combatants must wear gloves weighing seven ounces.

12.06 Bandages for Hands of Unarmed Combatant

12.06: Bandages for Hands of Unarmed Combatant Bandages are not required, but, where employed shall meet the following requirements: (1) Bandages on the hand of an unarmed combatant may not exceed one winding of surgeon's adhesive tape, not over two inches wide, placed directly on the hand to protect the part of the hand near the wrist. The tape shall not touch or cover the knuckles. A single layer of self-adhering sports tape is allowed to secure the wrap. (2) A bandage shall be a soft surgical bandage not over two inches wide, held in place by not more than ten feet of surgeon's adhesive tape for each hand. Up to one 15-yard roll of gauze bandage may be used to complete the wrappings for each hand. Strips of tape may be used between the fingers to hold down the bandages. (3) Bandages must be applied in the dressing room in the presence of a representative of the Commission and both unarmed combatants. Either unarmed combatant may waive his or her privilege of witnessing the bandaging of his or her opponent’s hands. (4) At the completion of the hand wrap, each shall be marked by a Deputy Commissioner indicating that it was performed in compliance with 523 CMR 12.06.

12.07 Equipment of Chief Second

12.07: Equipment of Chief Second (1) The chief second shall equip themselves with: (a) A clear plastic water bottle; (b) A bucket containing ice; (c) A solution or product of a kind approved by the Commission for stopping hemorrhaging; (d) Adhesive tape; (e) Gauze; (f) Scissors; and (g) One extra mouthpiece. (2) No ammonia or other smelling salts type agents may be used in the ring. (3) The ringside physician or Commission’s representative may, at any time, inspect the contents of the chief second’s first-aid kit.

12.08 Requirements for Boxing or Kickboxing Ring

12.08: Requirements for Boxing or Kickboxing Ring A boxing or kickboxing ring must meet the following requirements: (1) The ring must be 20 feet square within the ropes. The ring floor must extend at least 18 inches beyond the ropes. The ring floor must be padded with ensolite or another similar closed-cell foam. Padding must extend beyond the ring ropes and over the edge of the platform, with a top covering of canvas, duck or similar material tightly stretched and laced to the ring platform. Material that tends to gather in lumps or ridges must not be used.

523 CMR: STATE ATHLETIC COMMISSION

12.08 continued

12.08: continued (2) The ring platform must not be more than five feet above the floor of the building and must have suitable steps for the use of the unarmed combatants. Ring posts must be made of metal, not more than three inches in diameter, extending from the floor of the building to a height of 58 inches above the ring floor. Ring posts must be at least 18 inches away from the ring ropes. (3) There must be four ring ropes, not less than one inch in diameter and wrapped in soft material. The lower rope must be 18 inches above the ring floor. (4) Except as otherwise provided in 523 CMR 12.08(5), there must not be any obstruction or object, including, without limitation, a triangular border, on any part of the ring floor. (5) There may be one or two triangular borders on the ring apron under the following conditions: (a) There must be a minimum of 24 inches from the edge of the bottom rope to the apron edge. (b) If two triangular borders are being used, both triangular borders must be placed on the same side of the ring. (c) The dimensions of a triangular border may not be more than five inches in height or more than 48 inches in length. (d) The seats immediately behind a triangular border must be raised from the arena floor by an amount equal to the height of the triangular border. (e) A triangular border must be placed at the outermost edge of the apron and secured to the apron floor by Velcro or a similar fastener. (f) A triangular border must be removed immediately upon the request of a representative of the Commission. (g) The promoter must provide the Commission with a letter from the site of the program of unarmed combat stating that the site has no objection to the use of triangular borders.

12.09 Requirements for Mixed Martial Arts Ring or Fenced Area

12.09: Requirements for Mixed Martial Arts Ring or Fenced Area (1) Mixed martial arts contests and exhibitions may be held in a ring or in a fenced area. (2) A ring used for a contest or exhibition of mixed martial arts must meet the following requirements: (a) The ring must be no smaller than 20 feet square and no larger than 32 feet square within the ropes. (b) The ring floor must extend at least 18 inches beyond the ropes. The ring floor must be padded with ensolite or another similar closed-cell foam, with at least a one-inch layer of foam padding. Padding must extend beyond the ring ropes and over the edge of the platform, with a top covering of canvas, duck or similar material tightly stretched and laced to the ring platform. Material that tends to gather in lumps or ridges must not be used. (c) The ring platform must not be more than four feet above the floor of the building and must have suitable steps for the use of the unarmed combatants. (d) Ring posts must be made of metal, not more than three inches in diameter, extending from the floor of the building to a minimum height of 58 inches above the ring floor, and must be properly padded in a manner approved by the Commission. Ring posts must be at least 18 inches away from the ring ropes. (e) There must be five ring ropes, not less than one inch in diameter and wrapped in soft material. The lowest ring rope must be 12 inches above the ring floor. (f) There must not be any obstruction or object, including, without limitation, a triangular border, on any part of the ring floor. (3) There may be one or two triangular borders on the ring apron under the following conditions: (a) There must be a minimum of 24 inches from the edge of the bottom rope to the apron edge. (b) If two triangular borders are being used, both triangular borders must be placed on the same side of the ring.

523 CMR: STATE ATHLETIC COMMISSION

12.09 continued

12.09: continued (c) The dimensions of a triangular border may not be more than five inches in height or more than 48 inches in length. (d) The seats immediately behind a triangular border must be raised from the arena floor by an amount equal to the height of the triangular border. (e) A triangular border must be placed at the outermost edge of the apron and secured to the apron floor by Velcro or a similar fastener. (f) A triangular border must be removed immediately upon the request of a representative of the Commission. (g) The promoter must provide the Commission with a letter from the site of the program of unarmed combat stating that the site has no objection to the use of triangular borders.

12.10 Requirements for Bell or Gong

12.10: Requirements for Bell or Gong There must be a bell, gong, or airhorn at the ring or, if the contest or exhibition is held in a fenced area, at the fenced area. The bell, gong, or airhorn must produce a clear tone easily heard by the unarmed combatants. REGULATORY AUTHORITY 523 CMR 12.00: M.G.L. c. 147, § 46.