The Commission recognizes the following weights and classes: Flyweight ----------------------112 pounds or less; Bantamweight -------------- over 112 to 118 pounds; Featherweight ----------------over 118 to 126 pounds; Junior lightweight ------------over 126 to 130 pounds; Lightweight -------------------over 130 to 135 pounds; Junior welterweight ---------over 135 to 140 pounds; Welterweight -----------------over 140 to 147 pounds; Junior middleweight ------- over 147 to 154 pounds; Middleweight -----------------over 154 to 160 pounds; Junior light heavyweight - over 160 to 168 pounds; Light heavyweight -------- over 168 to 175 pounds; Cruiserweight ------------ over 175 to 190 pounds; Heavyweight ------------------------- over 190 pounds. If a boxer's weight is greater than the weight specified in the contract, the contest may not take place without special permission of the Commission. A contest may not be allowed in which the weight difference between the boxers in the contest is greater than the following: Flyweight -----------------------------3 pounds; Bantamweight ------------------------4 pounds; Featherweight -------------------------5 pounds; Junior lightweight --------------------6 pounds; Lightweight ---------------------------7 pounds; Junior welterweight ------------------8 pounds; Welterweight -------------------------10 pounds; Junior middleweight -----------------11 pounds; Middleweight -------------------------12 pounds; Junior light heavyweight ----------13 pounds; Light heavyweight -----------------15 pounds; Cruiserweight -----------------------15 pounds; Heavyweight -------------------------No limit. Weighing In. Weighing of boxers for events shall take place not later than 12 noon on the day of the contest. The boxer's weight shall be determined by a member of the Commission in the presence of the matchmaker, promoter, or manager of the boxers scheduled in a contest. Opponents shall be weighed in the presence of each other. A boxer shall be weighed wearing not more than trunks and socks. Members of the press may be permitted to attend the weighing in. Scales used for the weighing in shall be approved annually by the Division of Weights and Measures. A main event contest shall begin not later than 10 p.m. The Commission may grant special permission to begin a main event contest later than permitted by §A of this regulation. Substitute contestants may not engage in a contest unless approved by the Commission. The Commission may approve a substitute contestant not later than 12 noon on the date of the contest if the substitute contestant: Passes the final physical; and Meets the requirements of COMAR 09.14.03.02 and COMAR 09.14.04. The requirements of this regulation shall be in addition to COMAR 09.14.03.03D. The Commission or its representative shall inspect each boxer to determine if facial hair or length of hair presents a potential hazard to the boxer, the boxer's opponent, or the referee's ability to supervise the match. A boxer may not use excessive amounts of grease, any substance that constitutes an irritant, or any other foreign substance not allowed in a boxer's corner as described in COMAR 09.14.04.06B. A boxer in violation of §A or B of this regulation may be ordered by the referee or a Commission representative to alter or remove any substances. Managers shall be responsible to insure compliance with the provisions of this regulation. A boxer's equipment shall be firmly adjusted before entering the ring. The belt of the trunks may not extend above the waistline. Boxers may not enter the ring with trunks of the same color. A boxer may not wear any apparel not provided for in these regulations. Bandage. In all classes up to and including middleweights, bandages on the hands of a boxer shall be restricted to soft cloth not more than 10 yards in length and 2 inches in width that is held in place by not more than 4 feet of surgeon's tape for each hand. In all other classes of boxer, bandages on the hands of a boxer shall meet the following requirements: Not more than 12 yards in length and 2 inches in width that is held in place by not more than 8 feet of surgeon's tape for each hand shall be allowed; and Not more than 6 inches of adhesive tape that is not more than 1 inch in width applied across the back of each hand after bandaging shall be allowed, provided that the tape is not put across the knuckles. Bandages shall be adjusted in the dressing room in the presence of a Commission representative and both boxers. Shoes. Shoes shall be of soft material. Shoes may not be fitted with spikes, cleats, hard soles, or hard heels. Boxers shall report to the Commission representative in charge of the dressing rooms at least 2 hours before the scheduled starting time of the first contest. A boxer who flagrantly or repeatedly commits a foul may be: Disqualified in a contest by the referee; and Subject to disciplinary action under COMAR 09.14.02.07. A foul includes: Hitting below the belt; Hitting an opponent who is down or getting up after being down; Holding; Wrestling or kicking; Striking an opponent who is helpless as a result of blows and supported by the ropes so that the opponent does not fall; Butting with the head or shoulder or using the knee; Hitting with the open glove, or with the butt of the hand, the wrist, or the elbow, and all backhand blows; Going down without being hit; Striking at that part of the body over the kidney; The rabbit punch; Jabbing the opponent's eye with the thumb of the glove; Using abusive language in the ring; Using an unsportsmanlike trick or action causing injury to an opponent; Hitting on the break; Hitting after the bell has sounded ending the round; Roughing at the ropes; Pushing an opponent about the ring or into the ropes; and Biting. If an accidental foul occurs and the injured boxer is unable to continue: The contest shall be declared a technical draw if the accidental foul occurs before the completion of half of the scheduled rounds; and A technical decision shall be awarded to the boxer who is ahead on points if the accidental foul occurs after the completion of half of the scheduled rounds. If an accidental foul occurs and the injured boxer is able to continue, the referee shall notify both corners, the judges, and the Commission table of the accidental foul not later than the end of the round in which the accidental foul took place. If the injury to the boxer resulting from an accidental foul worsens, causing the injured boxer to be unable to continue: The contest shall be declared a technical draw if the bout is stopped before the completion of half of the scheduled rounds; and A technical decision shall be awarded to the boxer who is ahead on points if the bout is stopped after the completion of half of the scheduled rounds. Under §§A(2) and C(2) of this regulation, only completed rounds shall be scored. If a majority cannot be established under §§A(2) and C(2) of this regulation, the contest shall be declared a technical draw. A referee may, in the referee's discretion, penalize a boxer who fouls an opponent during a contest by charging the boxer with the loss of points for an intentional or unintentional foul. A referee shall assess the penalty points after the occurrence of each foul based on the severity of the foul and the effect of the foul on the boxer's opponent. The referee shall: Indicate on the official scorecard the number of points deducted from a boxer in any round a boxer is penalized; and Notify the judges and both boxers of the number of points to be deducted at the conclusion of each round. Points may only be deducted for fouls that occur in the round for which points are assessed. A contest may not be awarded by reason of a low-blow foul. A boxer suffering a low-blow foul shall be given a rest period not exceeding 5 minutes. If, after being granted a rest period under §B, of this regulation, the boxer is incapable of continuing, the senior physician shall examine the boxer. If the senior physician determines that the boxer cannot continue, the contest shall be ruled a no contest. A boxer shall be considered to have suffered a knockdown if a: Part of the body other than the feet is on the ring floor; Boxer is hanging helplessly over the ropes; Boxer is rising from a down position; or Boxer is knocked through the ropes. A boxer may only suffer a knockdown by a punch. The following procedures shall apply to a knockdown count: The referee shall order the opponent to retire to the farthest corner of the ring by pointing to the corner and immediately begin the count over the boxer who is down; The referee shall audibly announce the passing of the seconds by accompanying the count with motions of the arm with the downward motion indicating the end of each second; A boxer who has suffered a knockdown may not resume boxing until the referee has finished a mandatory eight count; A boxer may take the count either on the floor or standing; The knockdown timekeeper, by effective signaling, shall give the referee the correct 1-second interval for the count; and The referee's count shall be the official count. The following events may interrupt a knockdown count: If the boxer's opponent fails to stay in the farthest corner, the count may not continue until the opponent has returned to the proper corner; If the boxer suffering the knockdown count rises during the count, the referee may stop the count to determine if the boxer is fit to continue; or If the referee determines that the boxer can continue, the referee shall cease the count and order both boxers to continue the contest. A boxer not rising from a knockdown before the count of ten shall be declared knocked out by the referee's waving both arms, and the boxer's opponent shall be declared the winner of the contest. If both boxers suffer a knockdown, the referee shall continue the knockdown count as long as one boxer remains in the condition described in §A of this regulation. If neither boxer in §F of this regulation is able to rise before the count of ten, the contest shall be declared to be a technical draw. The following procedures shall apply for all rounds in a contest: A referee's knockdown count may not be interrupted by the conclusion of the round; and If the referee's knockdown count extends beyond the conclusion of the round, but the boxer suffering the knockdown rises before the count of ten and the referee determines that the boxer can continue, the referee shall give the command to box and the gong shall then be rung immediately to end the round. A boxer who suffers a knockdown and fails to rise before the count of ten shall be considered to have been knocked out in the round in which the boxer suffered the ten-count knockdown. If a boxer rises after suffering a knockdown and immediately assumes a position described in §A of this regulation, without being struck, the referee shall resume the count from when it was interrupted. A referee may terminate a contest if the referee determines, in his discretion, that a boxer is unable to continue the contest. The senior physician may terminate a contest at any time if, in the physician's opinion, the health of either boxer is in serious jeopardy. A boxer giving up a contest during a rest period between rounds shall be determined to lose the contest by a technical knockout in the preceding round. A boxer failing to respond to the gong signaling the beginning of a new round shall be considered to have suffered a technical knockout in the round begun by the gong. Judges shall score all contests and determine the winner through the use of the “ten-point must system”. The “ten-point must system” shall be applied as follows: The winner of each round receives ten points and the opponent a proportionately less number; If a round is even, each boxer shall receive ten points; and Fractions of points may not be awarded. The awarding of a round or the match shall be based on the following factors to be scored in the order listed: Knockdown; Clean hits; Effective aggressiveness; Defense; Ring generalship; and Other relevant considerations. In addition to the factors in §C of this regulation, a boxer may be given credit for the following: Sportsmanlike actions in the ring; Close adherence to the spirit as well as the letter of the regulations; and Refraining from taking technical advantage of situations unfair to an opponent. Deductions of points may result from the following: Persistent delays of a boxer by clinching; and Lack of aggressiveness. The following guidelines shall govern the awarding of points and the decision: Each knockdown shall have a value of one point; Points for each round shall be awarded immediately after the termination of the round; Each judge shall: Award the decision to the boxer who has the highest point total at the end of the contest, and Write the decision on the scorecard; The announcer shall collect the scorecards from the judges and deliver the scorecards to the Commission's representative for review; The Commission's representative shall advise the announcer of the decision who shall, in turn, announce the decision to the audience; A boxer receiving the decision from a majority of the judges shall be declared the winner of the contest; and If neither boxer is granted the decision by a majority of the judges, the contest shall be declared to be a draw. Chief Second. Before starting a contest, the referee shall ascertain from each boxer the name of the chief second. The chief second shall be responsible for the conduct of the assistant seconds during the progress of the contest. Number of Seconds. Each boxer may have at least one and not more than three seconds. The following guidelines shall control the conduct of seconds: Seconds shall conduct themselves in a sportsmanlike manner throughout the contest; Seconds shall remain seated during a round and may not assist a boxer in any manner during the round; Seconds may not enter the ring until the timekeeper signals the conclusion of the round; Seconds are prohibited from spraying or throwing water on a boxer at any time; Seconds shall leave the ring enclosure upon the appropriate signal sounding 10 seconds before the beginning of each round; and Seconds shall leave the ring platform promptly, removing all obstructions such as buckets and stools, when the gong signals the beginning of each round. Violations by Seconds. Violations of §C of this regulation, shall result in the ejection of a second from the boxer's corner. Violations of §C of this regulation, may result in the disqualification of a boxer at the referee's discretion. The referee shall call the boxers together for final instructions before the beginning of each contest. At the instructions, a boxer may only be accompanied by the boxer's manager or chief second. Before the instructions, the referee shall inspect the gloves and bodies of each boxer for foreign substances. A round shall consist of 3 minutes separated by a 1-minute rest period. A contest may not exceed 12 rounds. Unless special permission has been granted by the Commission, a promoter may not schedule less than five matches in any one event and shall schedule: A minimum of 26 rounds of boxing; or A maximum of 40 rounds of boxing. Except as provided in this regulation, exhibition bouts may not be used to meet the requirements of §C of this regulation. The Commission may grant a promoter permission to hold a pro-am boxing event, encompassing both professional contests and amateur contests, if: The event includes a minimum of three professional matches, one of which consists of eight rounds or more; The event includes a minimum of 20 rounds of professional boxing; The event includes a minimum of eight rounds of amateur boxing; The amateur contests all precede the professional contests, with the professional contests and amateur contests being separated by a 15-minute intermission; and The promoter indicates on event tickets, as well as in advertisements pertaining to the event, that the event is a pro-am boxing event including both professional contests and amateur contests. The public may not be allowed into the dressing room of a boxer. Only the following persons may be allowed into the dressing room of a boxer: The boxer; The boxer's manager; The boxer's seconds; and The Commission's representative. A promoter may contract for extra contests in reserve for each event. Reserve boxers shall meet all requirements for substitute contestants as specified in COMAR 09.14.04. An extra contest may only be used if a scheduled contest is cancelled. Business Regulation Article, §§4-205 and 4-310, Annotated Code of Maryland Effective date: October 1, 1965 Subtitle revised effective August 26, 1985 (12:17 Md. R. 1705) Regulation .01 amended effective September 3, 1990 (17:17 Md. R. 2079) Regulation .03B amended effective September 3, 1990 (17:17 Md. R. 2079) Regulation .04B amended effective July 6, 2009 (36:13 Md. R. 898) Regulation .04C amended effective September 3, 1990 (17:17 Md. R. 2079) Regulation .05 amended effective September 3, 1990 (17:17 Md. R. 2079) Regulation .06 amended effective September 3, 1990 (17:17 Md. R. 2079) Regulation .07 amended as an emergency provision effective May 14, 1999 (26:12 Md. R. 924); emergency status expired November 15, 1999; amended permanently effective January 24, 2000 (27:1 Md. R. 75) Regulation .08 amended as an emergency provision effective May 14, 1999 (26:12 Md. R. 924); emergency status expired November 15, 1999; amended permanently effective January 24, 2000 (27:1 Md. R. 75) Regulation .10D amended effective May 22, 2017 (44:10 Md. R. 471) Regulation .11 amended effective December 11, 2003 (30:24 Md. R. 1739) Regulation .12 amended effective September 3, 1990 (17:17 Md. R. 2079); December 19, 2005 (32:25 Md. R. 1941) Regulation .14 amended effective September 3, 1990 (17:17 Md. R. 2079) Regulation .15 amended effective September 3, 1990 (17:17 Md. R. 2079) Regulation .16C amended effective July 13, 1986 (13:14 Md. R. 1633) Regulation .16D adopted effective June 10, 1991 (18:11 Md. R. 1187) Regulation .16D amended as an emergency provision effective March 30, 2002 (29:7 Md. R. 616); emergency status expired August 28, 2002; amended permanently effective November 25, 2002 (29:23 Md. R. 1811) Regulation .16E adopted as an emergency provision effective March 30, 2002 (29:7 Md. R. 616); emergency status expired August 28, 2002; amended permanently effective November 25, 2002 (29:23 Md. R. 1811) Regulation .18 repealed and new Regulation .18 adopted effective September 3, 1990 (17:17 Md. R. 2079) Regulation .19 adopted as an emergency provision effective March 15, 1998 (25:8 Md. R. 594); emergency status expired September 15, 1998