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Rounds
Every round in RFL competition is five minutes in duration except amatuer which
are 3 minutes. Title matches have four rounds and go to a fifth round only if the
fourth is a draw, non-title matches have three rounds. There is a one minute rest
period between rounds.
Weight divisions
The RFL currently uses seven weight classes the following weights are the upper
weight in that class:
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Bantamweight |
135 lb |
61 kg |
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Featherweight |
145 lb |
66 kg |
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Lightweight |
155 lb |
70 kg |
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Welterweight |
170 lb |
77 kg |
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Middleweight |
185 lb |
84 kg |
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Light Heavyweight |
205 lb |
93 kg |
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Heavyweight |
265 lb |
120 kg |
Cage
The Circular cage.
The RFL stages bouts in a circular caged enclosure. The cage is an eight-sided structure
with walls of metal chain-link fence coated with black vinyl and a diameter of 28
ft (9.3 m), allowing 26 ft (8.6 m) of space from point to point. The fence is 6
ft (1.83 m) high. The cage sits atop a platform, raising it 3.5 ft (1.1m) from the
ground. It has foam padding around the top of the fence and between each of the
eight sections. The mat, painted with sponsorship logos and art can be replaced
for each event.
Attire
All competitors must fight in approved shorts, without shoes or any other sort of
foot padding. Shirts, gis or long pants (including gi pants) are not allowed. Fighters
must use approved light gloves (110 to 170 g / 4 to 6 ounces) that allow fingers
to grab. These gloves enable fighters to use tremendous punching power with less
risk of an injured or broken hand, while providing capability in grabbing and grappling.
Match outcome
Matches usually end via:
Submission
: a fighter taps on the mat or his opponent three times (or more) or verbally submits.
Knockout
: a fighter falls from a legal blow and is either unconscious or unable to immediately
continue.
Technical Knockout
: stoppage of the fight by the referee if the referee determines a fighter cannot
"intelligently defend" himself; if warnings to the fighter to improve his position
or defense go unanswered (generally, two warnings are given, about 5 seconds apart);
or by ringside doctor due to injury.
- Judges' Decision: Depending on scoring, a match may end as:
unanimous decision (all three judges score a win for one fighter),
split decision (two judges score a win for one fighter with the third for the other),
majority decision (two judges score a win for one fighter with one for a draw),
unanimous draw (all three judges score a draw),
majority draw (two judges score a draw).
- split draw (the total points for each fighter is equal)
A fight can also end in a technical decision, technical draw, disqualification,
forfeit or no contest.
Judging criteria
The ten-point must system is in effect for all RFL fights; three judges score each
round and the winner of each receives ten points, the loser nine points or less.
If the round is even, both fighters receive ten points. In New Jersey, the fewest
points a fighter can receive is 7, and in other states by custom no fighter receives
less than 8.
Fouls
The Nevada State Athletic Commission currently lists the following as fouls:
- Butting with the head.
- Eye gouging of any kind.
- Biting.
- Hair pulling.
- Fish hooking.
- Groin attacks of any kind.
- Putting a finger into any orifice or into any cut or laceration on an opponent.
- Small joint manipulation.
- Striking to the spine or the back of the head. (see Rabbit punch)
- Striking downward using the point of the elbow. (see Elbow strike)
- Throat strikes of any kind, including, without limitation, grabbing the trachea.
- Clawing, pinching or twisting the flesh.
- Grabbing the clavicle
- Kicking the head of a grounded opponent.
- Kneeing the head of a grounded opponent.
- Stomping the head of a grounded opponent.
- Kicking to the kidney with the heel.
- Spiking an opponent to the canvas on his head or neck. (see piledriver)
- Throwing an opponent out of the ring or fenced area.
- Holding the shorts or gloves of an opponent.
- Spitting at an opponent.
- Engaging in unsportsmanlike conduct that causes an injury to an opponent.
- Holding the ropes or the fence.
- Using abusive language in the ring or fenced area.
- Attacking an opponent on or during the break.
- Attacking an opponent who is under the care of the referee.
- Attacking an opponent after the bell (horn) has sounded the end of a round.
- Flagrantly disregarding the instructions of the referee.
- Timidity, including, without limitation, avoiding contact with an opponent, intentionally
- or consistently dropping the mouthpiece or faking an injury.
- Interference by the corner.
- Throwing in the towel during competition.
- Using a foreign object in the ring to your advantage.
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When a foul is charged, the referee in their discretion may deduct one or more points
as a penalty. If a foul incapacitates a fighter, then the match may end in a disqualification
if the foul was intentional, or a no contest if unintentional. If a foul causes
a fighter to be unable to continue later in the bout, it ends with a technical decision
win to the injured fighter if the injured fighter is ahead on points, otherwise
it is a technical draw.
Match conduct
After a verbal warning the referee can stop the fighters and stand them up
if they reach a stalemate on the ground (where neither are in a dominant position
or working towards one). This rule is codified in Nevada as the stand-up rule.
- If the referee pauses the match, it is resumed with the fighters in their prior positions.
- Grabbing the cage brings a verbal warning, followed by an attempt by the referee to release the grab by pulling on the grabbing hand. If that attempt fails or if
the fighter continues to hold the cage, the referee may charge a foul.
- RFL events do not allow verbal sparring / "trash-talking" during matches. Under
unified rules, antics are permitted before events to add to excitement and allow
fighters to express themselves, but abusive language during combat is prohibited.
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