Each year, the Association of Boxing Commissions (ABC) holds an annual conference over several days that includes discussing and voting on potential legislative changes in combat sports.
This year, they are expected to vote on changes to the scoring criteria in the Unified Rules of Mixed Martial Arts that seek to add thorough clarification to how rounds are scored.
“This document provides clarification for how the judges are scoring and gives greater emphasis to ‘damage’ as the No. 1 scoring criteria,” Andy Foster, executive officer of the California State Athletic Commission and chair of the ABC MMA Rules Committee, told Sportsnet. “Thanks to the Committee and especially ‘Big’ John McCarthy in drafting this.”
The current incarnation of the scoring criteria, which was approved in 2016, outlines how rounds are scored in just over one page of text in a concise fashion, making it easy to digest, but leaving ample room for interpretation.
The current criteria has led to confusion in the eyes of the public, who have had trouble grasping what judges are scoring as effective striking and grappling.
The goal of the proposed regulations seeks to provide a more in-depth explanation of how judges score rounds in an effort to eliminate as much of the grey area and confusion experienced by the public as possible.
Many, including UFC commentators in past years, have also had trouble understanding when "effective aggressiveness" and "fighting area control" are being taken into consideration when scoring a round, which, empirically, is roughly 1 per cent of the time or less.
The language of the new regulations will seek to reduce confusion by eliminating the concept of a priority, secondary and tertiary criteria, replacing it with a more precise explanation of what constitutes effective striking and grappling. It will also put a strong emphasis on “damage,” a word that is found only once in the current criteria (as opposed to 17 times in the proposed revision) and lays out precisely what constitutes damage.
In recent years, the word “damage” has been a buzzword to sum up what judges are looking for in fights when scoring rounds and the proposed regulations will explain that as “legal fighting techniques, the results of which lessen an opponent’s capacity and/or their will to compete” as well as provide several examples of how that is achieved.
The willingness to outright include the word “damage,” which one definition in the proposed regulations includes “Heavy and/or Concussive Legal Strikes” is the sort of injurious verbiage that regulatory bodies have previously shied away from using.
Currently, the prioritized criteria is “effective striking and grappling” and is explained as:
“Legal blows that have immediate or cumulative impact with the potential to contribute towards the end of the match with the IMMEDIATE weighing in more heavily than the cumulative impact. Successful execution of takedowns, submission attempts, reversals and the achievement of advantageous positions that produce immediate or cumulative impact with the potential to contribute to the end of the match, with the IMMEDIATE weighing more heavily than the cumulative impact.”
The proposed revisions take it a step further and unpack exactly what that means by including three “effectiveness concepts,” which are those found in the current criteria’s definition of a 10-8 round, which are damage (currently referred to as impact), dominance and duration – otherwise known as “the three D’s.” All of which will be given a definitive breakdown and an explanation of how they are weighted.
Additionally, the proposed revisions lay out the definitions of what are deemed to be successful striking, defined as legal strikes that result in damage, and successful grappling, defined as the execution of grappling skills proven productive by the damage resulting from takedown(s), reversal(s), submission attempt(s), and achieving an advantageous position(s).
Another element that the proposed revisions look to clarify is what constitutes as a 10-10, 10-9, 10-8 and 10-7 round, with specific clarification for 10-8 rounds.
Previously, 10-8 rounds required the fulfilment of at least two of damage, dominance and duration and now would require that damage be one of those two. It also specifies that significant damage on its own is now satisfactory for scoring a 10-8 round.
Voting to apply these changes to the Unified Rules of Mixed Martial Arts will take place during the Association of Boxing Commissions’ 2025 Conference, which is scheduled to be held in New Orleans from August 4-6.
Below are the specific revisions that they will be voting to include:
MMA BOUT SCORING
All bouts will be scored by a minimum of three (3) judges, evaluating each round individually, scoring in favour of the more effective MMA fighter.
FIGHTER EFFECTIVENESS CONCEPTS
Judges will evaluate the relative effectiveness of each fighter (in each round) in consideration of the following three prioritized and interrelated constructs.
DAMAGE: defined as: Legal fighting techniques, the results of which lessen an opponent’s capacity and/or their will to compete.
This includes:
- Knockdowns - forcing the opponent to the canvas as the result of legal, detrimental strikes
- Heavy and/or Concussive Legal Strikes to vital targets
- Legal Strikes that force the opponent to retreat/readjust or default to defence exclusively
- Striking and or Grappling that lead to visual injury (Swelling, Hematomas, Lacerations, or Bruising)
- Grappling or submission attempts that hyperextend joints or cause rotational damage
- Chokes that cause visible distress
Damage is the most highly valued component in judging a round because it is not an action, but rather a direct RESULT of EFFECTIVE fighting. Damage IS a measure of EFFECT on the opponent. The results of which lessen an opponent's capacity and/or will to compete and has immediate or cumulative impact towards ending the match with priority given to immediate damage over cumulative damage within a round.
DOMINANCE: defined as supremacy of positioning, action, and/or volume by one fighter over another for a sustained period of time. It reflects an imposition or mastery of fighting skills and effectiveness of one fighter over another leading to successful tactics and or strategic advantages intended to result in DAMAGE.
This includes:
- Forcing the opponent to continually defend, with no counters or reaction taken even when openings present themselves.
- Staking a dominant grappling position and continuously forcing the opponent to defend potentially fight ending submissions or attacks. (Note that merely holding a dominant position(s) shall not be considered demonstrating “dominance” in a round)
- Maintaining an overwhelming offensive pace with any combination of legal techniques that continuously forces the losing fighter to consistently be in a defensive or reactive mode.
DURATION: defined as a measure of the time or percentage of the round spent by one fighter successfully imposing effective technique thereby establishing DOMINANCE and/or administering DAMAGE.
EFFECTIVE FIGHTING TECHNIQUES
Judges shall evaluate the relative effectiveness of each fighter’s Mixed Martial Arts techniques, such as:
- SUCCESSFUL STRIKING: defined as legal strikes that result in damage.
- SUCCESSFUL GRAPPLING: defined as the execution of grappling skills proven productive by the damage resulting from takedown(s), reversal(s), submission attempt(s), and achieving an advantageous position(s)
The effectiveness of each fighter’s Successful Striking and Grappling, as defined above, shall be the determining factor in the scoring of the vast majority of rounds. However, if a judge absolutely cannot determine even a marginal advantage in either, they may proceed to the elements below to determine the winner of the round
- AGGRESSIVENESS: defined as consistent offensive effort
- FIGHTING AREA CONTROL: defined as dictating the pace, place and position that the bout is contested.
NOTE: Successful Striking and Successful Grappling are equal, as both are measured as a RESULT of effective fighting.
NUMERICAL SCORING SYSTEM
The 10 Point Must System will be the standard system used for scoring a bout.
Under the 10-Point Must Scoring System, 10 points must be awarded to the winner of the round and nine points or less must be awarded to the loser, except for a rare even round, which is scored (10-10).
- A round shall be scored 10-10 when both contestants have competed for whatever duration of time in the round and neither fighter has established an advantage. This score is generally reserved for use in partial rounds. Scoring completed rounds 10-10 is seen as a failure to adjudicate a score.
- A round shall be scored 10-9 when a contestant earns the round by offensive actions greater in degree and effectiveness than their opponent. In the rare circumstance when the judge is unable to discern an advantage, only then can they utilize an advantage in aggressiveness or fighting area control.
- A round shall be scored 10-8 when a contestant earns the round by offensive actions that may include dominance with duration, but that must include significant damage resulting from effort or attempts that by their implicit nature, could finish the fight.
- Cumulative damage can be a form of significant damage based upon the fighter losing energy, confidence, stamina or spirit.
- Significant damage is enough by itself to award a 10-8
- Significant domination along with some damage and little to no offensive actions from the losing fighter may be enough to award a 10-8
- Significant domination such as positional control without damage is not enough to award a 10-8
- A round shall be scored 10-7 when a contestant earns the round by overwhelming in both damage and domination throughout the duration of the round.
Penalties assessed by the referee shall be deducted from the judge’s score cards. If the majority of rounds are completed, and the fight becomes a technical decision, incomplete rounds must be scored by the judges. If the referee penalizes either contestant, then the appropriate points shall be deducted from the judge’s scorecard. There is no scoring by the judges for defence. Defence allows the fighter to continue in the fight. Only offensive actions are scored by the judges.
