Wisconsin Legislature: SPS 192.78(7)(q)

SPS 192.78 Fouls.

(1) The referee may caution, warn, or penalize a contestant for committing a foul.

(2) The penalty for a foul may be a deduction of points or disqualification. Any points deducted for a foul shall be deducted in the round in which the foul occurred. Disqualification may occur after multiple fouls or if the referee determines a foul is flagrant.

(3) If an injury results from an intentional foul and is severe enough to terminate the bout, the contestant causing the injury loses by disqualification.

(4) When an injury from an intentional foul later becomes aggravated by legal strikes and the referee stops a bout before completion of a majority of the scheduled rounds because of the injury, the injured contestant shall win by a technical decision, if they are ahead on the score cards. If the injured contestant is even or behind on the score cards at the time of the stoppage, the bout shall be declared a technical draw.

(5) If an injury from an intentional foul later becomes aggravated by legal strikes and the referee stops a bout after completion of a majority of the scheduled rounds because of the injury, the outcome shall be determined by scoring the completed rounds and the partial round at which the referee stopped the bout.

(6)

(a) If an accidental foul occurs before the completion of a majority of the scheduled rounds of a bout and the injured contestant is not able to continue the fight, the fight shall be declared a no contest.

(b) If an accidental foul occurs after the completion of a majority of the scheduled rounds of a bout and the fouled contestant is not able to continue, the judges shall score the bout as a technical knock-out and the contestant who is ahead on points shall be declared the winner. In determining the points, the judges shall score the completed rounds and the incomplete round. If no action has occurred in an incomplete round, the round shall be scored as an even round.

(c) When a contestant is not able to continue fighting, the referee shall stop the action and inform the department’s inspector, the judges and both contestants that the foul was accidental. If in the later rounds the injury has worsened as a result of legal blows, and the injured contestant is not able to continue, the judges shall score the bout based on the completed rounds and the incomplete round.

(d) The referee, in consultation with the ringside physician, shall allow an injured contestant up to 5 minutes to recover from an accidental foul.

(e) A contestant who is hit with an accidental low blow shall continue after a reasonable amount of time, not exceeding 5 minutes, or the contestant shall lose the bout. If a contestant is hit with an accidental low blow, the referee shall stop the action in a bout and inform the judges of any deduction of points made by the referee.

(7) Types of fouls in a Muay Thai bout include all of the following:

(a) Butting with the head.

(b) Attacking the throat.

(d) Targeting the groin.

(e) Slapping.

(f) Spitting.

(g) Biting.

(h) Holding the ropes or cage.

(i) Targeting the knees.

(j) A palm heel strike.

(k) A backhand or backfist strike, except a spinning backhand or backfist strike.

(L) Striking downward using the point of the elbow. Arcing elbow strikes are permitted.

(m) Attacking or manipulating any joint.

(n) A clubbing or hammer fist strike.

(o) Tripping an opponent or kicking or sweeping with the instep of the foot to the opponent’s legs.

(p) A karate chopping strike.

(q) Attacking an opponent who is down or who is in the act of rising.

(r) Abusive language or gesture.

(s) Failure to obey the referee’s commands.

(t) Fighting after the bell has signaled the end of a round.

(u) Using a part of the body other than the hands and arms to throw an opponent off balance or to the floor of the cage or ring.

(v) Clinching an opponent without attacking or counter-attacking.

(w) Wheel barreling an opponent or taking more than 2 steps after catching an opponent’s kicking leg. Executing a single legal strike accompanied with taking one step is permitted, as is pushing the opponent’s kicking leg back at the opponent accompanied with taking one or 2 steps.

(x) Intentionally avoiding contact with the opponent.

(y) Intentionally delaying the bout.

(z) Eye gouging.

(za) Attacking the foot.

(zb) Grasping the opponent’s lower back while also forcing the opponent’s spine to hyperextend.

(zc) Attempting to spike an opponent’s head into the floor of the ring or cage.

(zd) Intentionally going to the floor of the ring or cage when the kicking leg has been caught by the opponent.

(ze) Any other unsportsmanlike conduct as determined by the referee.

(zf) The following are additional fouls for amateur contestants:

1. Targeting any part of the head with the elbow, forearm, or knee.

2. A spinning elbow or forearm strike.

History: CR 17-016: cr. Register November 2017 No. 743, eff. 12-1-17.

SPS 192.79 Procedures after knock-downs.

(1) When down. A contestant is considered down if any of the following occur:

(a) The contestant touches the floor with any part of the body other than the feet as the result of a blow or series of blows.

(b) The contestant hangs helplessly on the cage or ropes as the result of a blow or series of blows.

(d) Following a blow, the contestant has not fallen and is not lying on the cage or ropes, but is in a semi-conscious state and cannot, in the opinion of the referee, continue the bout.

(2) Flash knockdowns. A flash knockdown occurs when, after having been knocked down under sub. (1) (a), a contestant rises immediately to his or her feet. Subsections (3), (4), (5), and (6) do not apply to a flash knockdown.

(3) Neutral corner. When a contestant is down, the opponent shall go at once to the neutral corner as designated by the referee. The bout may not continue until the command “Fight” is given by the referee. If the opponent does not go to the neutral corner on command, the count under sub. (4) shall be stopped until the opponent has done so. The counting shall then be continued where it has been interrupted.

(4) Count.

(a) When a contestant is down, the timekeeper shall immediately begin to count the seconds and continue until the count is taken over by the referee. Before the number “one” is counted, an interval of one second shall have elapsed from the time the boxer went down and the time of counting “one.”

(b) Upon taking over the count from the timekeeper, the referee shall give a mandatory 8 count and shall continue to count to 10 if the downed contestant is not able to continue fighting after the mandatory 8 count. The referee shall count aloud and provide intervals of one second between the numbers, and shall indicate each second with his or her hand in a manner such that the contestant who has been knocked down is aware of the count. The referee shall continue counting, even if the bell sounds, indicating the end of the round.

(5) Mandatory 8 count. When a contestant is down as the result of a blow, the bout may not be continued until the referee has reached the count of 8, even if the contestant is ready to continue before then. If, after the count of 8 has been reached, a contestant immediately falls again without having received a fresh blow, the contestant shall lose the bout by a decision of knock-out.

(6) Both contestants down. If both contestants go down at the same time, counting shall be continued as long as one of them is still down. If both contestants remain down until the count of “10,” the bout shall be stopped and the decision shall be a technical draw.

(7) Failure to fight.

(a) A contestant who fails to resume fighting immediately after the termination of the rest interval, who sustains an injury from a fair blow and the injury is severe enough to terminate a bout, or who, when knocked down by a fair blow, fails to resume within 10 seconds, shall lose the bout. Except as provided in par. (b), a referee may not give a standing 8 count.

(b) The referee of an amateur bout may give a standing 8 count to determine if a contestant who is not considered down is able to continue fighting. The referee shall count aloud and provide intervals of one second between the numbers, indicating each second with his or her hand in a manner such that the contestant is aware of the count. If the referee determines the contestant is unable to continue fighting, the bout shall be stopped and the contestant shall lose the bout by a decision of technical knock-out.

(8) Three knockdowns. The referee may not stop a professional bout solely because a contestant has been knocked down 3 times in one round. The referee shall stop an amateur bout at any combination of 3 knockdowns requiring a count under s. SPS 192.60 (4) and standing 8 counts in one round. If an amateur bout is stopped under this subsection, the contestant shall lose the bout by a decision of technical knock-out.

(9) Twenty-second count. When a contestant is knocked completely out of the ring, the timekeeper shall immediately begin to count the seconds and continue until the count is taken over by the referee. Upon taking over the count from the timekeeper, the referee shall give a 20-second count to the contestant. The contestant shall return to the ring without assistance from the contestant’s seconds. Otherwise, the referee shall disqualify the contestant.

History: CR 17-016: cr. Register November 2017 No. 743, eff. 12-1-17.

SPS 192.80 Appearance and attire.

(1) Male contestants shall wear a groin protector that will protect them against injury from a foul blow.

(2) Female contestants may wear groin and breast protectors.

(3) Each contestant shall wear Thai shorts. The shorts may not have pockets, buttons, zippers, grommets, exposed hook-and-loop fasteners, or metal of any kind. Shorts shall be approved by the inspector or department representative.

(4) Male contestants may not wear a shirt or top.

(5) Female contestants shall wear a short-sleeved or sleeveless form-fitting rash guard, a sports bra, or both. Padding for a sports bra shall be secured to the fabric of the bra. Loose fitting tops are prohibited.

(6) No piercing accessories are permitted.

(7) A contestant may wear soft contact lenses. No other corrective lenses are permitted.

(8) Namman Muay may be applied below the head on a contestant’s body, and a small amount of Vaseline® jelly or other petroleum jelly may be used on the facial area. No other substances may be used on the head or any other part of the body.

(9) Vaseline® jelly or other petroleum jelly may be applied in between rounds to address a cut, but may not be reapplied to the entire facial area. Namman Muay may not be applied in between rounds.

(10) Taping of hands, wrists, and ankles is permitted.

(11) Only neoprene joint supports may be used. Metal supports are prohibited.

(12) Fingernails and toenails shall be trimmed.

(13) The inspector or department representative shall determine whether head or facial hair presents any hazard to the safety of the contestant or their opponent or will interfere with the supervision and conduct of the event. Facial hair may not be braided.

(14) Contestants may not wear any equipment that fails to receive approval from the inspector or department representative.

(15) Contestants may not wear shoes or padding on their feet during competition.

(16) Ankle guards that have been approved by the inspector or department representative may be worn.

History: CR 17-016: cr. Register November 2017 No. 743, eff. 12-1-17.

SPS 192.81 Gloves.

(1) Except as otherwise approved by the inspector or commissioner, gloves of the same brand and style shall be provided to each contestant by the promoter. Gloves approved by the inspector or commissioner prior to the contestants’ pre-bout rule meeting shall be worn by contestants in all bouts.

(2) Except as provided in sub. (3) or otherwise approved by the inspector or commissioner, gloves for a professional contestant in a weight class of 147 pounds or less shall weigh 8 ounces each and gloves for a professional contestant in a weight class of more than 147 pounds shall weigh 10 ounces each. Gloves for all amateur contestants shall weigh 10 ounces each.

(3) If agreed to by both contestants and approved by the inspector or commissioner, contestants may wear gloves heavier than specified in sub. (2).