523 CMR 23.29
Procedure after a Knock-out or Technical Knock-out
(1) When an unarmed combatant is knocked down, the referee shall order the opponent to retire to
the farthest neutral corner of the ring, by pointing to the corner, and shall immediately begin the count
over the unarmed combatant who is down. The referee shall audibly announce the passing of the
seconds, accompanying the count with motions of his or her arm, with the downward motion indicating
the end of each second.
(2) No unarmed combatant who is knocked down may be allowed to resume competing until the
referee has finished counting to eight. The unarmed combatant may take the count either on the floor
or standing.
(3) If the opponent fails to stay in the farthest corner, the referee shall cease counting until he or she
has returned to his or her corner and shall then go on with the count from the point at which it was
interrupted. If the unarmed combatant who is down arises before the count of 10, the referee may step
between the unarmed combatants long enough to assure himself or herself that the unarmed combatant
who has just arisen is in condition to continue. If so assured, he or she shall, without loss of time, order
both unarmed combatants to go on with the contest or exhibition. During the intervention by the
referee, the striking of a blow by either unarmed combatant may be ruled a foul.
(4) When an unarmed combatant is knocked out, the referee shall perform a full 10-second count
unless, in the judgment of the referee, the safety of the unarmed combatant would be jeopardized by
such a count. If the unarmed combatant who is knocked down is still down when the referee calls the
count of 10, the referee shall wave both arms to indicate that he or she has been knocked out.
(5) If both unarmed combatants go down at the same time, the count must be continued as long as
one is still down. If both unarmed combatants remain down until the count of 10, the contest or
exhibition must be stopped and the decision is a technical draw.
(6) If an unarmed combatant is down and the referee is in the course of counting at the end of a period
of unarmed combat, the bell indicating the end of the period of unarmed combat shall not be sounded,
but the bell shall be sounded as soon as the downed unarmed combatant regains his or her feet.
(7) When an unarmed combatant has been knocked down before the normal termination of a period
of unarmed combat and the period of unarmed combat terminates before he or she has arisen from the
floor of the ring, the referee's count must be continued. If the unarmed combatant who is down fails
to arise before the count of 10, he or she is considered to have lost the contest or exhibition by a
knockout in the round containing the period of unarmed combat that was just concluded.
(8) If a legal blow struck in the final seconds of a period of unarmed combat causes an unarmed
combatant to go down after the bell has sounded, that knockdown must be regarded as having
occurred during the period of unarmed combat just ended and the appropriate count must continue.
(9) If a combatant is knocked unconscious or injured, only the physician, the referee, and
representative of the Commission are allowed in the ring. Any others may only enter at the physician's
discretion.
(10) A combatant losing by a K.O. or T.K.O. shall be immediately treated and undergo a physical
examination by the ringside physician.
(11) Without the special permission of the Commission, a combatant may not compete in the
Commonwealth of Massachusetts unless four days for each round that their last contest or exhibition
of Southeast Asian Kickboxing lasted have elapsed.