1. A. General. The referee shall have the authority to:

   1. (1) Supervise, generally, a boxing, kickboxing, or mixed martial arts contest;
   2. (2) Decide all matters arising during a boxing, kickboxing, or mixed martial arts contest that are not specified in these regulations.

2. B. Referee's Authority.

   1. (1) The referee may stop a boxing, kickboxing, or mixed martial arts contest during or between rounds for any of the following reasons:

      1. (a) Injury to a contestant;
      2. (b) Poor physical conditioning of a contestant;
      3. (c) Disqualification of a contestant for not participating in earnest; or
      4. (d) Unsafe ring or fenced area conditions.
   2. (2) The referee shall give a contestant sufficient time to recuperate when the contestant is incapacitated by a low blow or other fouling tactic.

3. C. Referee's Duties.

   1. (1) A referee may touch a contestant only if the contestant fails to obey a command to break.

   2. (2) In addition to the knockdown procedure described in COMAR 09.14.06.11, the referee shall:

      1. (a) Begin a knockdown count for any contestant who leaves the ring or fenced area during the 1-minute rest period between rounds and does not resume participation when the bell signals the beginning of a round;
      2. (b) Begin a knockdown count for any contestant who is knocked out or falls out of the ring or fenced area during a round and fails to return immediately to the ring or fenced area; and
      3. (c) Remove the mouthpiece of a contestant after the knockdown count.
   3. (3) A referee shall warn a contestant and the contestant's manager or chief second in a clear and distinct manner that persistent fouling will result in a penalty before a referee assesses a penalty point.

4. D. Medical Standards for Referees.

   1. (1) A referee annually shall submit to the Commission certification of the following medical examinations:

      1. (a) A comprehensive physical;
      2. (b) An ophthalmological evaluation as defined in COMAR 09.14.04.02A; and
      3. (c) A neurological test as defined in COMAR 09.14.04.03A which is performed by a neurologist or neurosurgeon.
   2. (2) The Senior Physician shall determine the appropriate medical documentation for nonresident applicant referees.

   3. (3) A referee may not officiate in a contest if any of the following physical conditions are found:

      1. (a) Conditions specified in COMAR 09.14.04.04B(1)—(8) and (10)—(11);
      2. (b) Uncorrected visual acuity that is less than 20/40;
      3. (c) Peripheral vision that is less than 100 percent; or
      4. (d) Abnormalities suggestive of acute, subacute, or chronic nervous system abnormalities.

Authority: Business Regulation Article, §§4-205, 4-303, and 4-308, Annotated Code of Maryland

Effective date: October 1, 1965

Subtitle revised effective August 26, 1985 (12:17 Md. R. 1705)

Chapter revised effective September 3, 1990 (17:17 Md. R. 2079)

Regulation .03D adopted effective February 28, 1994 (21:4 Md. R. 275)

Regulation .05D, E adopted effective February 28, 1994 (21:4 Md. R. 275)

Chapter revised effective July 6, 2009 (36:13 Md. R. 898)

Regulation .03D amended effective April 15, 2024 (51:7 Md. R. 332)

Regulation .05F adopted effective April 15, 2024 (51:7 Md. R. 332)