- (a) Before the State Athletic Commission issues a referee’s license, the applicant for a referee’s license must certify as to having read the Act and being familiar with this part.
- (b) The commission may require the applicant for a referee’s license to take and pass a written test, to be conducted by the commission covering the Act, this part, and any other rules of the combative sport for which the referee intends to referee a bout.
(c) The referee shall:
- (1) Instruct the non-down contestant to go to the nearest neutral corner immediately after a knock-down and remain in such neutral corner until the referee issues instructions for the continuation of the bout;
- (2) Immediately after a contestant is down, issue an audible count to the down contestant until completion of either an eight count or ten count, as warranted by the circumstances, regardless of whether the bell sounds during the count, provided, if each contestant is down at the same time, the count shall continue for so long as one (1) contestant remains down or until, in the referee’s discretion, a contestant requires immediate medical attention; and
- (3) Immediately after a contestant has, as a result of actions which do not violate this part or the rules of the contest, been knocked through or has otherwise fallen through the ropes during a contest, issue an audible twenty count to such contestant, and continue such twenty count until the contestant returns unassisted and unhindered to a non-down position inside the ring, provided, if the contestant is assisted by a second, the contestant shall be disqualified and if the contestant fails to enter the ring before completion of the twenty count, the contestant shall lose by knock out.