99- 650 C.M.R. ch. 1, § 3-2

Current through 2024-51, December 18, 2024

Section 650-1-3-2 - Judging

All competitions shall be judged according to the following criteria:

A. All fights shall be evaluated and scored by three judges.

B. The 10-Point Must Scoring System will be the standard system of scoring a fight. Under the 10-Point Must Scoring System, 10 points must be awarded to the winner of the round, and 9 or fewer points must be awarded to the loser, except for an even round, which is scored 10-10.

C. Application of the 10-Point System

1. In General

Points shall be recorded for each of the competitors immediately following the end of each round. At the conclusion of every fight, the points given each competitor shall be totaled by each scorekeeper. The winner's name must then be written clearly on the competition card, and the card must be signed by the judge.

2. Recording Fouls

Upon notification by the referee of a penalty imposed for a foul, at the end of a round, the scorekeeper shall follow the instructions of the referee and make the appropriate mathematical adjustment to a competitor's score.

3. Criteria for Awarding Points

Judges shall award points based on a fighter's use of Effective Striking/Grappling, Effective Aggressiveness, and Fighting Area Control.

a. Effective Striking means legal blows that have immediate or cumulative impact with the potential to contribute to the end of the match, with immediacy of impact given greater value than the cumulative effect of impact.

b. Effective Grappling means successful execution of take downs, submission attempts, reversals, and the achievement of advantageous positions that produce immediate or cumulative impact with the potential to contribute to the end of the match. Immediacy is given greater value than the cumulative effect of impact. A successful take down is not merely a changing of position but the establishment of an attack using the take down.

Top and bottom position fighters are assessed more on the impactful result of their actions, less on their relative positions. This criterion will be the deciding factor in a high majority of decisions, when scoring a round. Effective Aggressiveness and Fighting Area Control must be treated as backup considerations and used only when competitors' Effective Striking/Grappling is equal for the round.

c. Effective Aggressiveness means making attempts to finish the fight. The key term is "effective." Chasing after an opponent with no effective result or impact should not affect the judges' assessments. Effective Aggressiveness is only to be assessed if competitors' Effective Striking/Grappling is equal for the round.

d. Fighting Area Control means dictating the pace, place, and position of the match. Fighting Area Control is to be assessed only if both competitors' Effective Striking/Grapplingand competitors' Effective Aggressiveness are equal for the round.

4. Scoring Rounds

a. 10-10 Round. A 10 - 10 round is the result of there being no discernable difference or advantage between fighters. A 10 - 10 round should be extremely rare and is not a score to be used as an excuse for not being able to assess the differences in the round. It is possible, but highly unlikely, to have a round for which, after both fighters engage for 5 minutes, the output, impact, effectiveness and overall competition between the two fighters are the same. A 10 - 10 round is a necessity for the scoring of incomplete rounds.

b. 10-9 Round. A 10-9 round is the most common score assessed. If, during the round, a judge sees a fighter land better strikes or utilize more effective grappling during the competition, even if by just one techniqueover his/her opponent, the judge shall give that fighter a score of 10 while assessing the other fighter a score of 9 or less. A score of 9 is not an automatic score given to the losing fighter in a round. A judge must consider:

i. Was the fighter engaged in offensive actions during the round?

ii. Did the losing fighter attempt to win the fight or just survive the offensive actions of the opponent?

A score of 10 - 9 can reflect an extremely close round or a round of marginal domination and/or impact.

c. 10-8 Round. A 10 - 8 Round in the result of one fighter winning by a large margin. While not the most common score, it is essential that judges understand and utilize the score. Achieving a score of 10 - 8 does not require a fighter to dominate an opponent for 5 minutes of a round but is utilized when a judge sees verifiable actions on the part of a fighter. Judges shall always give a score of 10 - 8, when one fighter dominates and has used either effective strikes or effective grappling maneuvers diminishing the abilities of an opponent.

Duration is the time spent by one fighter effectively attacking, controlling, and impacting an opponent, while the opponent takes little to no offensive action. A judge must assess duration by recognizing the relative time in a round when one fighter takes and maintains full control of an effective offense, either standing or grounded. Judges must consider giving the score of 10 - 8, when a fighter shows dominance in the round, even if the fighter has not impacted an opponent.

No scoring is given for defensive maneuvers, though smart, tactically sound defensive maneuvers allow a fighter to stay in the fight and to be competitive. Dominance of a round can be seen in striking when the losing fighter continually attempts to defend without counters or reaction when opportunities appear. Dominance in grappling is shown by a fighter's taking controlling positions and attempting to use those positions to end the fight by submission or attack. Merely holding a dominant position(s) shall not be a primary factor in assessing dominance. What the fighter does with those positions is what must be assessed. If a fighter has little to no offensive output during a five-minute round, a judge should consider awarding the losing fighter 8 points instead of 9.

A judge must consider giving the score of 10 - 8, when a fighter impacts an opponent significantly, even though the fighter does not dominate the opponent. Effectiveness in striking or grappling is that which leads to a diminishing of a fighter's energy, confidence, abilities, and spirit as a direct result of negative impact. When a fighter is hurt with strikes and shows a lack of control or ability, there may be a defining moment in the fight. If a judge sees that a fighter has been significantly damaged in the round, the judge should consider a score of 10 - 8.

Even though a fighter does not dominate the action, that fighter may impact an opponent significantly. Impact includes creation of visible evidence such as swelling and lacerations or the use of striking and/or grappling that leads to adiminishment of an of an opponent's energy, confidence, abilities, and spirit. Impact shall be assessed with great value.

d. 10-7 Round. A 10 - 7 Round is the result of a fighter completely overwhelming an opponent in Effective Strikingand/or Grappling, so as to warrant stopping the fight. A 10 - 7 score is rare.

e. Draws. In the event two competitors have been awarded an equal number of points, the decision of the judge shall be a "Draw." In such cases, the Authority may allow an additional deciding round to take place.

99- 650 C.M.R. ch. 1, § 3-2