1. (1) License.

   1. (a) No participant shall also be licensed as a judge, physician, or referee, and no participant shall act as a judge, physician, or referee.

   2. (b) No person shall be licensed as a participant if such person:

      1. Is under 18 years of age,

      2. Has had cardiac surgery. An exception may be made with prior approval from the commission based on sufficient documentation from a licensed cardiologist which indicates that the surgery poses no risk to the health, safety, or wellbeing of the participant while participating in boxing, kickboxing, or mixed martial arts,

      3. Has not received an ophthalmic examination within the immediate 12-month period prior to the date of the scheduled match and the results of the examination filed with the commission,

      4. Is found to have any blindness or whose vision is so poor as to cause a significant health hazard or impairment to his ability to effectively participate in a match,

      5. Has suffered cerebral hemorrhage or any other serious head injury. The executive director or his or her designee shall, if he or she has cause to believe that a participant may have suffered neurological injury, direct the participant to undergo an EEG, complete neurological exam, EKG, MRI, CT scan, or other medical examination deemed necessary by the ringside physician. The interpretation and diagnosis shall be filed with the commission, or

      6. Is no longer able to competently perform as determined by the commission. A determination that a participant is no longer able to competently perform shall be based on participant’s win/lose/draw record; participant’s previous opponents and the results of such matches; participant’s proposed opponent; the results of the matches between participant’s proposed opponent and others; participant’s physical condition; and participant’s ability to perform effectively,

      7. Has failed to comply with the physical requirements in these rules, including the pre-licensure physical, pre-match physical, and post-match physical requirements.

   3. (c) Any person desiring to become licensed as a participant shall submit Form DBPR-0009-450, “Application for License,” which is incorporated in Rule 61K1-3.001, F.A.C.
   4. (d) Each participant shall submit to an ophthalmological examination conducted by a licensed and certified ophthalmologist or certified optometrist. The Participant and ophthalmologist or optometrist shall complete Form BPR-0009-665, “Dilated Ophthalmological Examination,” (06/23), adopted and incorporated herein by reference, which may be found at https://www.myfloridalicense.com/intentions2.asp, or at HYPERLINK "http://www.flrules.org/Gateway/reference.asp?No=Ref-17234"http://www.flrules.org/Gateway/reference.asp?No=Ref-17234, and shall be submitted to the commission with the application for licensure.
   5. (e) Each participant shall submit to a pre-licensure physical conducted by a licensed M.D. or D.O. Female participants may submit to a pre-licensure physical conducted by a licensed OB/GYN. The participant and physician shall complete Form DBPR FSBC 20, “Pre-Licensure Physical Info Sheet,” effective September 2015, adopted and incorporated herein, which may be found at https://www.myfloridalicense.com/intentions2.asp, or at HYPERLINK "http://www.flrules.org/Gateway/reference.asp?No=Ref-07427" http://www.flrules.org/Gateway/reference.asp?No=Ref-07427, and submit to the commission. The results from the pre-licensure physical examination shall be used by the commission office for licensure and fight card approval, and for comparison to pre-match physical examination by ringside physicians. The pre-match physical examination may be used in lieu of the pre-license physical examinations if performed within 30 days of the pre-license physical examination.
   6. (f) Each participant shall provide the commission with hepatitis B surface antigen laboratory result and hepatitis C antibody laboratory result indicating no infection. Negative results will be acceptable for a period of up to 1 year. After 1 year, the participant will need to be re-tested and provide the commission with current laboratory results.
   7. (g) Each participant shall provide the commission with rapid HIV test result indicating no infection with the human immunodeficiency virus/AIDS. Negative result will be acceptable for a period of up to 1 year. After 1 year, the participant will need to be re-tested and provide the commission with current laboratory results.
   8. (h) Laboratory results filed with other commissions or jurisdictions in the United States may be verified in writing by them to the executive director in lieu of requiring a subsequent blood test for this purpose.
   9. (i) All medical information provided to the commission directly shall not be released by the commission or any agent thereof, to any individual or entity without prior authorization from the participant and only for the purpose of determining the participants’ ability to participate in a match in any jurisdiction, or for the purpose of completing other commission related administrative action. Participants shall sign Form DBPR FSBC 20, “Pre-Licensure Physical Info Sheet,” September 2015, as a release to permit the commission to release the medical information to the necessary individuals or entities prior to the match.

2. (2) No applicant shall be issued a license as participant if any of the following conditions are found by the physician in the pre-licensure physical examination.

   1. (a) Inguinal and/or abdominal hernia;
   2. (b) Organic heart murmur;
   3. (c) Active pulmonary lesion;
   4. (d) Abnormal temperature as determined by the physician;
   5. (e) Blood pressure over 140/90 mmHg;
   6. (f) Active communicable disease, including skin lesions, such as boils or infected wounds, as well as any other bacterial, viral, fungal, and/or mycobacterial communicable diseases, including tuberculosis;
   7. (g) Recent wound(s), especially on face and ears;
   8. (h) Hand injury and/or fracture(s) less than 6 weeks old, if, in the physician’s opinion, the injury would be detrimental to the participant’s health or ability to effectively compete or exhibit;
   9. (i) Reason to believe that a participant has ingested or used a prohibited substance listed in Rule 61K1-3.017, F.A.C.;
   10. (j) Dental abscess or loose tooth or teeth;

   11. (k) Ophthalmological problem(s) including but not limited to:

       1. Retinopathy or detached retina; provided however, that the applicant shall be permitted to participate in a match if the participant provides, at or before the weigh-in, the written statement of a licensed ophthalmologist stating that the participant’s retina is completely healed and that in the ophthalmologist’s expert medical opinion, no unusual or extraordinary risk to the participant is anticipated as a result of the retinopathy or a previously detached retina,

       2. Solitary eye,

       3. Blindness defined as central visual acuity of 20/200 or less in the best eye with the best possible correction, and/or a visual field of 20 degrees or less.

   12. (l) History of epilepsy or seizures, provided however, that the applicant shall be permitted to participate in a match if the participant provides, at or before the weigh-in, the written statement of a licensed neurologist stating that the epilepsy or seizure disorder is well-controlled and that in the neurologist’s expert medical opinion, no unusual or extraordinary risk to the participant is anticipated as a result of the epilepsy or seizure disorder;
   13. (m) History of kidney problems, including solitary kidney; provided however, that the applicant shall be permitted to participate in a match if the participant provides, at or before the weigh-in, the written statement of a licensed nephrologist stating that the kidney problem is resolved and that in the nephrologists’ expert medical opinion, no unusual or extraordinary risk to the participant is anticipated as a result of the resolved kidney problem and/or solitary kidney;
   14. (n) History of blood clotting disorders or abnormal bleeding, including hemophilia and Von Willebrand disease; provided however, that the applicant shall be permitted to participate in a match if the participant provides, at or before the weigh-in, the written statement of a licensed hematologist stating that the bleeding problem is well controlled and that in the hematologist’s expert medical opinion, no unusual or extraordinary risk to the participant is anticipated as a result of the bleeding disorder;
   15. (o) Altered gait or balance, or
   16. (p) History of any abnormality in a computerized axial tomography (CAT) scan, electroencephalogram (EEG), electrocardiogram (EKG), magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scan, or other similar medical tests.

   17. (q) In addition to the above, applicants 40 years and older shall submit satisfactory results from the following prior to being approved for licensure:

       1. A normal EKG dated no greater than twelve months prior to application clearing them to compete,

       2. A normal MRI of the brain.

3. (3) Conduct and Other Requirements: No participant shall engage in a match with less than seven calendar days between matches.

Rulemaking Authority 548.003, 548.041 FS. Law Implemented 548.021, 548.041, 559.79 FS. History–New 10-27-16, Amended 12-5-24.