Rules and Eligibility

FIGHTER ELIGIBILITY

To compete, all fighters, male or female must be 21 years of age, Full-Time Active or Retired, Firefighter, Law Enforcement Officer, Correctional Officer, Non-Sworn Department Employees or active U.S. Military. Due to the few Public Safety women presently boxing, Full Time Security Officers, EMT’s, Paramedics and Tribal Police/Security will be allowed to compete, be ranked and have the opportunity to fight for a UCA Championship Title.

OFFICIAL BOUT RULES

Each bout will be scheduled for 3 rounds, of 2 minute duration, and one (1) minute rest period. The Masters Division have the option for 1:30 second rounds.

All bouts are matched by age, weight, height, experience level, win/loss record, and activity. As a boxer works their way up the ranking ladder, matchups will get harder. Once a boxer reaches the top of the division and is fighting or defending a title, the boxer will compete against the best opponent in that weight class. 

Each competitor will only compete in one (1) bout per day.

PHYSICALS

Physicals must be completed and signed by a physician (MD or DO) within 6 months of the scheduled date of competition.  Physical forms must clearly state “cleared for contact sports” or “cleared for all sports.”  Physical exams will not be accepted if completed by a Nurse Practitioners, Physician Assistant,  Chiropractor, EMT or other non-physician medical providers. Do not mail in your physical form, please bring it to the official weigh in. (please make an additional copy for your records) All fighters will be checked out by the doctor at the weigh in. The doctor will look over your physical; check your heart rate, blood pressure and ensure you are fit to fight. It is the doctor’s ultimate decision to determine if you are fit to fight.  

AGE DIVISIONS

Men’s Open, Women’s Open Division 21 years of age through 39 years of age.

Men’s Masters, Women’s Masters Division 40 years of age and over.

MASTERS DIVISION

The UCA Masters Division was created to go beyond commonly accepted boundaries of Public Safety boxing and provide a division for boxers 40 years old and over. Masters boxers will compete against other Masters boxers and have the same opportunity to fight for the UCA Championship Title as open fighters.

All Masters Division bouts will be; 3 rounds, 2 minutes, 1 minute 30 seconds or 1 minute in duration, 1 min rest period between rounds.

Masters Boxers: Will wear 16oz gloves.

GLOVES

Boxing Gloves are worn to provide padding and to protect the hands and wrists of the boxer, as well as the head and body of the opposing boxer.

Male Boxers:

All Boxers will wear 16oz lace-up gloves regardless of weight or experience level.

Female Boxers: 

All Boxers will wear 16oz lace-up gloves regardless of weight or experience level.

RING

The ring floor area will be padded by at least 1 inch of stretched vinyl or canvass.

Four (4) ropes are mandatory for competition. The diameter of the ropes will not be less than one inch.

The ropes will be evenly spaced. Turnbuckles or hooks will be used to secure the ropes to the posts.

OFFICIAL WEIGH IN

Official weigh ins will be held within 24hrs of the event.

A flooring place shall be selected to ensure maximum accuracy for the official weigh in.

All fighters will weigh in on a calibrated scale.

A qualified physician shall examine and screen each competitor prior to the weigh in then render a decision as to whether an athlete is physically fit to compete in the event.

ATTIRE

All boxers are required to wear an open face headgear, protective cup (groin protector), loose fitting trunks, boxing or wrestling shoes and wear a sleeveless jersey.

MOUTHPIECE

All contestants are required to wear a mouthpiece during competition. The bout cannot begin without a mouthpiece in place.

A mouthpiece is worn to protect the mouth and teeth, and also to absorb some of the force of blows to the head. 

When a mouthpiece is knocked out of a boxer’s mouth as a result of a legal blow or a series of legal blows, the referee will call time and replace the mouthpiece at the first opportune moment without interfering with the immediate action. The referee will escort the boxer and mouthpiece to their corner where the mouthpiece will be washed. A coach will replace the mouthpiece in the boxer’s mouth after such washing. The referee will then issue a caution to the boxer.

A boxer who loses the mouthpiece more than once (for any reason), will have it washed and returned, but will receive a “warning.” Points may be deducted by the referee if he feels the mouthpiece is being purposely spit out.

GAUZE BANDAGE

Hand wraps and tape specifications. The purpose of bandages is to protect a boxer’s hands, not to add force to a blow. Gauze used for hand wraps must be made from cotton or labeled as “soft surgical” gauze.  The use of any substance on the bandages is prohibited. 

TIMEKEEPING

The Timekeeper is used to keep time of the rounds and indicate when the round ends, the round begins, stop time when the referee indicates a time out and to pick up the time when a knockdown occurs.

Ten (10) seconds before the interval minutes are up; the timekeeper will announce “seconds out”.
The timekeeper shall indicate the last ten (10) seconds remaining in each round by knocking loudly on a table with a hammer or a similar instrument.

When a boxer is down the timekeeper shall immediately start counting the elapsed seconds in a loud, clear voice. He shall indicate each elapsed second with progressive upraised fingers until the referee has either taken up his count or told the boxers to box.

It is entirely up to the referee to determine if a knockdown has occurred. If the referee ignores or waves off the timekeeper, then that is the official ruling. If the referee is in the course of applying a count and the round has been completed, the bell indicating the end of the round will not be sounded. If the boxer rises before ten (10) is counted and the referee gives the command box, the bell will be sounded to end the round.

When the referee orders and signals time, the timekeeper shall stop the watch and only restart it when the referee orders box. The timekeeper must always be alert to accept any signals from the referee.

SECONDS (COACHES)

Each Boxer will be entitled to be accompanied to the ring by up to two (2) Seconds.

Only two (2) Seconds may mount the apron of the ring and only one (1) may enter the ring.

Seconds must leave the ring and the apron prior to the start of each round, and must remove seats, towels, buckets, etc from the platform of the ring.

Seconds may apply Vaseline to their face and headgear of their competitor in to reduce the risk of cuts however, any excess must be removed prior the start of the bout.

Seconds are permitted to give their boxer water and approved electrolyte beverages during the fight.

Seconds may use Ice bags, En-swell and Swabs.

No second shall remain on the ring platform during the bout.

A second shall signal the referee to end the bout by mounting the apron of the ring or throwing a towel into the ring when he/she considers their competitor to be in danger.

No second shall “throw in the towel” while the referee is in the course of counting.

Seconds are permitted to give instructions to their competitor during the bout.

Seconds will not be allowed to yell, or disturb the competition.

KNOCKDOWNS

Mandatory Ten (10) Count after knockdowns will be standard procedure in all bouts.

When a contestant has been knocked down, the referee shall order the opponent to the farthest neutral corner of the ring and pick up the count from the time keeper or official counting for knockdowns. Should the opponent fail to stay in the corner as directed by the referee, the referee shall stop the count and redirect the contestant to go back to the corner and resume the count at the point that it was interrupted. In the event of any knockdown, the timekeeper’s count will cease when picked up by the referee whose count shall prevail and be relied on by the contestant.

A boxer is considered “down”:

• • If the boxer touches the floor with any part of the body other than their feet as the result of a blow or series of blows;
  • If the boxer hangs helplessly on the ropes as the result of a blow or series of blows;
  • If the boxer is outside or partly outside the ropes as the result of a blow or series of blows;
  • If following a hard punch, the boxer has not fallen and is not lying on the ropes, but is in a semi-conscious state and cannot, in the opinion of the referee, continue the bout.
  • Slipping or falling is not considered a knockdown, but a boxer who has slipped or fallen still cannot be hit while down
  • If the ropes prevent a fighter from going down, the referee will call it a knockdown.

When a boxer gets knocked down, his opponent is restricted from hitting the downed boxer and must go to a neutral corner while the referee makes the ten-count. The ten-count gives the downed boxer the opportunity to get back to his/her feet to continue fighting.Once a boxer stands after being knocked down, he must be approved to continue by the referee. If the boxer is unable to recover from the knockdown, his opponent will win by way of knockout (KO).

A boxer shall receive a twenty (20) second count if a boxer is knocked out of the ring and onto the floor. The boxer is to be unassisted by his seconds. If assisted by his seconds, boxer shall be disqualified by the referee.

A boxer who has been knocked down cannot be saved by the bell in any round.

If a boxer receives 3 standing 10 counts or knockdowns in a round or a combination of the two the bout will be stopped. If a boxer receives 4 standing ten counts or 4 knockdowns or a combination of the two in the bout, the bout will be stopped. A standing 10 count will count as a knockdown. The standing 10 count is a referee tool to ensure safety of the boxer. A standing 10 count can be used as a “time out” tool for the referee, ensuring health and safety over and above.

SUSPENSION AFTER KNOCKOUTS

A boxer suffering a knockout will be restricted from competing for 3 months and medical clearance to compete from a licensed physician.

A boxer suffering two (2) consecutive knockouts will be restricted from competing for one (1) year and medical clearance to compete from a licensed physician.

A boxer suffering three (3) consecutive knockouts will be restricted from competing indefinitely pending special thorough medical examinations, after which other necessary medical measures might be taken.

FOULS

If an intentional foul causes an injury, and the injury is severe enough to terminate the bout immediately, the boxer causing the injury shall lose by disqualification.

If the referee feels that a boxer has conducted himself/herself in an unsportsmanlike manner the referee may stop the bout and disqualify the boxer or deduct points.

In case of a low blow or accidental hit after the bell, a fouled boxer may be given up to 5 minutes to recover from the foul. If a fouled boxer decided not to continue, he/she will lose by abandonment, unless the referee decides to disqualify the offending boxer at referee’s discretion and the doctor’s opinion.

The referee may disqualify the offending boxer after warnings, point deductions and for continuous fouls.

If a boxer is injured by any action by himself/herself or his/her corner the boxer will lose by abandonment.

A boxer who is hit with an accidental low blow must continue after a reasonable amount of time but no more than five (5) minutes or he/she will lose the fight.

If a boxer injures themselves, such as a broken bone or sprain and is unable to continue for any other self-sustained physical reason, the boxer will lose by technical knockout

In the case of a boxer receiving a low blow, hit after the bell, hit behind the head, etc.  The referee shall issue a warning to the boxer delivering the blow. If a fouled boxer decided not to continue, he/she will lose by abandonment, unless in the opinion of the referee the blow was of such force as to incapacitate the offended boxer so he/she cannot continue to box, the referee shall inform the judges about the decision to disqualify the boxer who delivered the low blow.

UCA UNIFIED SCORING SYSTEM

Below is an explanation of the UCA Scoring instructions.

Three ringside officials will individually score each round using the United Combat Association (UCA) scoring system to determine the outcome of each bout. The UCA scoring system is designed to keep fights close by neither adding nor deducting points, ensuring exciting matches and accurate outcomes.

• • • There will be no points to deduct or to add up on the scorecard at the end of the bout.
    • There will be no points taken away on the scorecard for a standing 10 count, a knockdown, or a foul.
    • If there is a knockdown or foul the referee will indicate to the boxer and the judges that a point is taken away. The judges will not deduct a point on the scorecard. The judges will make a mental note of it when determining the winner of the round.
    • The judges can only pick a RED or BLUE corner winner after each round.
    • With 3 judges scoring each fight and each judge only picking a RED or BLUE corner winner of each round it will prevent a draw and scoring mistakes.
    • When no points are deducted on the scorecards, each boxer knows they still have a chance to win until the final bell.
    • At the end of each bout the referee will collect the scorecard from each judge.
    • The referee will look over the scorecards and determine the winner and notify the announcer.
    • The 3 knockdown rule will be in effect for each bout.  3 knockdowns or 3 standing 10 counts in a round or a combination of the two the fight will be stopped. 4 total knockdowns or 4 standing 10 counts in a bout or a combination of the two, the fight will be stopped.
    • A boxer must win on two of the three scorecards to earn a decision victory.
    • Punches thrown by a boxer must land above the waistline of the opposition.
    • Punches are the only legal way to hit the opponent.
    • Only the knuckle portion of the glove is allowed make contact with the opponent.
    • Punches must not land on the back of the opponent, including the areas of the kidneys and the back of the head.
    • Boxer who scores clearly while defending against counter punching.
    • Boxer who forces the action and sets the tempo of the bout.
    • Boxer who is the Effective Aggressor.
    • Boxer who is constantly attacking by going forward is not necessarily an Effective Aggressor.  Consider 3 “D’s” when scoring a fight – Dominance, Duration and Damage.
    • All UCA events will be under the  UCA Unified Scoring System.

UCA SCORING VS 10 POINT MUST SCORING

The 10 Point Must Scoring System

The 10-point must scoring system is employed in professional boxing due to the longer rounds and longer duration of bouts (4-12 rounds), unlike the 3-round, 2 minute in duration amateur bouts. Amateur boxers, wear larger gloves, secure victories by landing a volume of clean punches. In professional boxing, where smaller gloves are worn, the emphasis is on powerful, damaging punches and ending fights. Applying the 10-point must system in amateur boxing could play a crucial role in each bout. This system isn’t tailored for 3-round amateur contests.

NO CONTEST

REFEREE

RINGSIDE PHYSICIAN

A doctor will be present at the official weigh in to look over the boxer’s physical; check the fighter’s heart rate, blood pressure, joints, etc. All boxers will be required to get a pre bout check up by the doctor.

If at any time during the weigh in or the event the doctor feels it is unsafe for the boxer to compete the fight will be canceled.

Four (4) Tables around the ring with chairs will be provided for the officials, and doctors.  

The doctor will be seated ringside during the whole event checking each fighter when they leave the ring after their bout.

The Ringside Physician may enter the ring during the course of the round only at the request of the Referee. The Ringside Physician may enter the ring between rounds on their own and advise the Referee about the condition of either Opponent.

After a boxer is counted out, or a bout is stopped and the boxer fails to stand up, the ringside physician will immediately enter the ring, with or without the referee’s call, remove the boxer’s mouthpiece if still in the boxer’s mouth, establish adequate ventilation, and attend to the boxer as necessary under the circumstances.

In the event the ringside physician deems it necessary that a fight should be stopped because of serious damage or risk to a boxer’s health, he must immediately advise the referee, the Referee shall immediately end the bout.

POST-BOUT EXAMINATIONS

The ringside physician will check that both boxers are in satisfactory condition or institute any treatment or make any recommendation that may be required.

In order to protect the health and welfare of boxers, a boxer who has suffered a knockout, technical knockout, or other circumstance in which the boxer has sustained extraordinary severity of blows in a bout will undergo a medical examination as quickly as possible after the bout. Such examinations will be conducted by the ringside physician.

MEDICAL FACILITIES

The United Combat Association is responsible to ensure that emergency equipment is available and that medical staff has made arrangements for any injured boxer to be taken to a local hospital equipped with a trauma, accident, emergency, or neurosurgical unit, as well as a neurosurgeon on call before commencement of the boxing event. Further, the UCA shall designate a room set aside for medical purposes only, which will be adequately lit, have an examination table, hot and cold running water, ice and a treatment trolley.

AMBULANCE

Ambulance service will be at the boxing arena for one (1) hour before and after the event, staffed with paramedics skilled in resuscitation. The Ambulance will be parked in a secured and freely accessible place outside the boxing arena. Emergency Medical Services will be standing by during the entire event in case of injury. If the doctor recommends a fighter should be transported to a hospital, the show will stop until another ambulance is on site.

EVENT INSURANCE

The UCA makes all proper considerations regarding the safety of the boxers and the fans. Proper insurance and indemnifications are a part of every show. All shows are conducted in a very professional manner, with an emphasis on the expectation of ethical behavior by all those involved.

WARNING

While all the aforementioned equipment and safety precautions will help reduce the risk of injury, there are no guarantees in contact sports. Anyone who is considering boxing in the Battle of the Badges must be prepared for the possibility of serious injury even if all safety precautions are followed diligently. There is no way to guarantee the safety of combatants inside the ring, and injury will always be a part of the sport.