Definitions

PURPOSE: This rule defines various terms used in these rules. (1) “Amateur Kickboxing”—any form of boxing in which blows are delivered with any part of the arm below the shoulder, including the hand and any part of the leg below the hip, including the foot, and where contestants do not compete for valuable consideration. Such contests take place in a rope-enclosed ring or a cage and are fought in timed rounds. (2) “Amateur Mixed Martial Arts”—Any bout or contest in which any form of martial arts or self-defense is conducted on a fullcontact basis and where contestants do not compete for valuable consideration where weapons are not used and where other combative techniques or tactics are allowed in competition, including chokeholds, boxing, wrestling, kickboxing, grappling, and/or joint manipulation. Amateur mixed martial arts bouts may be held in a cage or ring. (3) “Bout”—one match involving either professional boxing, professional wrestling, professional or amateur kickboxing, professional or amateur mixed martial arts, or professional full-contact karate contestants. (4) “Contest”—a group of bouts involving licensed contestants competing in professional boxing, professional wrestling, professional or amateur kickboxing, professional or amateur mixed martial arts, or professional full-contact karate. (5) “Contestant(s)”—any human being who enters the ring to compete against another human being during a professional boxing, professional wrestling, professional or amateur kickboxing, professional or amateur mixed martial arts, or professional full-contact karate bout. (6) “Fighting area”—the ring, cage, or physical area of the event site where the contestants compete during the mixed martial arts bout or contest. (7) “Inspector”—a person employed by the Office of Athletics to attend professional boxing, professional wrestling, professional or amateur kickboxing, professional or amateur mixed martial arts, and professional full-contact karate events to ensure that all laws are adhered to by licensees of the Office of Athletics. (8) “Judge”—a person serving as a member of a panel for professional boxing, professional or amateur kickboxing, professional or amateur mixed martial arts, or professional full-contact karate. The panel is responsible for determining a decision in each bout. Each judge in the panel must reach a decision without conferring with the other judges of the panel. (9) “Martial arts”—to include professional or amateur kickboxing, professional or amateur mixed martial arts, or professional full-contact karate. (10) “Matchmaker”—a person responsible for matching the contestants for a bout(s) as to weight and experience. (11) “Office”—the Missouri Office of Athletics. (12) “Official”—referees, judges, matchmakers, seconds, timekeepers, and physicians involved in professional boxing, professional wrestling, professional or amateur kickboxing, professional or amateur mixed martial arts, or professional full-contact karate contests. (13) “Permit”—authorization from the office to hold a professional boxing, professional wrestling, professional or amateur kickboxing, professional or amateur mixed martial arts, or professional full-contact karate event in the state of Missouri. (14) “Physician”—a person who is licensed as a doctor of medicine or doctor of osteopathy under Chapter 334, RSMo and who has received a license as a physician from the office for professional boxing, professional wrestling, professional or amateur kickboxing, professional or amateur mixed martial arts, and professional full-contact karate contests. (15) “Professional boxing”—the sport of attack and defense which uses the fist protected by gloves or mittens fashioned of leather or similar material where contestants compete for valuable consideration. Such contests take place in a rope-enclosed ring and are fought in timed rounds. (16) “Professional full-contact karate”—any form of full-contact martial arts, including but not limited to, kickboxing, or any form of self-defense conducted on a full-contact basis in a bout or contest where weapons are not used and where contestants compete for valuable consideration. Such contests take place in a rope-enclosed ring or a cage and are fought in timed rounds. (17) “Professional kickboxing”—any form of boxing in which blows are delivered with any part of the arm below the shoulder, including the hand and any part of the leg below the hip, including the foot, and where contestants compete for valuable consideration. Such contests take place in a rope-enclosed ring or a cage and are fought in timed rounds. (18) “Professional Mixed Martial Arts”— Any bout or contest in which any form of martial arts or self-defense is conducted on a full-contact basis and where contestants compete for valuable consideration where weapons are not used and where other combative techniques or tactics are allowed in competition, including chokeholds, boxing, wrestling, kickboxing, grappling, and/or joint manipulation. Professional mixed martial arts may be held in a cage or a ring. (19) “Professional wrestling”—any performance of wrestling skills and techniques by two (2) or more professional wrestlers, to which any admission is charged. Participating wrestlers are not required to use their best efforts in order to win, the winner may have been selected before the performance commences and contestants compete for valuable consideration. Such contests take place in a rope-enclosed ring and are fought in timed rounds. (20) “Promoter”—a person, association, partnership, corporation, limited liability company, or any form of business entity licensed by the office who arranges, advertises, or conducts professional boxing, professional wrestling, professional or amateur kickboxing, professional or amateur mixed martial arts, and professional full-contact karate contests and who is responsible for obtaining a permit for each contest and for payment of any state athletic taxes. (21) “Purse”—the financial guarantee or any other remuneration which contestants receive for participating in a bout. It includes the contestant’s share of any payment received for radio broadcasting, television, or motion picture rights. (22) “Referee”—the person in charge of enforcing these rules during any contest involving professional boxing, professional wrestling, professional or amateur kickboxing, professional or amateur mixed martial arts, or professional full-contact karate. (23) “Second”—an individual who attends to the contestant between rounds. (24) “Sparring”—boxing for practice or as an exhibition. (25) “Timekeeper”—a person responsible for keeping accurate time during each bout and also responsible for the knockdown count for professional boxing, professional wrestling, professional and amateur kickboxing, and professional full-contact karate. AUTHORITY: section 317.001, RSMo 2016, and section 317.006, RSMo Supp. 2018.* This rule originally filed as 4 CSR 40-1.021. Original rule filed April 30, 1982, effective Sept. 11, 1982. Amended: Filed March 2, 1989, effective May 11, 1989. Amended: Filed July 25, 1994, effective Jan. 29, 1995. Emergency amendment filed Oct. 21, 1996, effective Oct. 31, 1996, expired April 28, 1997. Rescinded and readopted: Filed Nov. 15, 2001, effective May 30, 2002. Moved to 20 CSR 2040-1.021, Aug. 28, 2006. Amended: Filed March 20, 2018, effective Sept. 30, 2018. Amended: Filed Jan. 25, 2019, effective Aug. 30, 2019. *Original authority: 317.001, RSMo 1983, amended 1996, 2007 and 317.006, RSMo 1983, amended 1996, 2007, 2018.