Online education unit

Combat Sports Commission (CSC)

• The CSC is responsible for registering contestants and industry participants; enforcing health, safety and integrity requirements; and issuing permits for combat sport contests conducted in Western Australia.
• Although the CSC has the power to introduce changes, requiring participants to adhere to certain practices and procedures, it is the CSC’s intention to continue to work with the industry and its participants in a collaborative manner for the benefit of the combat sports community.

Officials 

Officials play an essential operational role during a combat sports contest and are selected by the promoter of a contest. Promoters are responsible for engaging/contracting and paying officials but officials must be registered as an industry participant with the CSC into at least one of the following roles: 

• Referee
• Judge
• Timekeeper

Registration for Officials 

A new registrant must provide the CSC with a completed registration form and associated registration documents. A referee must additionally provide a certificate of fitness. 

Please be aware:

• Registration is for three years.
• Referee certificates of fitness are valid for 12 months.
• Officials are required to complete an officiating theory quiz on the role and responsibilities for referees, judges and time keepers for each nominated combat sport.

Officials will not be able to participate unless all these documents are current with the CSC within the required timeframes.

When applying for registration, you need to disclose whether you have ever been convicted at court, or are currently charged with any criminal offence and throughout your registration you must advise the CSC if your circumstances change. 

Officials are advised to undertake shadowing experience and require endorsement from a head official, prior to acting in an independent capacity as an official. 

Conditions of Registration

Individuals registered with the CSC are subject to Conditions of Registration. These conditions include:

• Registrants are subject to the CSC’s Fit and Proper policy and once registered must adhere to the CSC’s Code of Conduct.
• Any breach of the Code of Conduct may result in disciplinary action by the CSC against the registrant.
• Officials are required to understand the legislative duties imposed on them as an official. For example there are several legal offences applicable to participating or being involved in sham contests, such as:
  • A referee of a contest who, knowing it is a sham contest, does not stop it or gives a decision in it commits an offence.
  • A judge of a contest who, knowing it is a sham contest, gives a decision in it commits an offence.

An official who suspects it will be or is a sham contest must report the matter to the CSC as soon as practicable.

Code of Conduct

The Code of Conduct outlines the standard of behaviour required of all contestants and industry participants registered with the CSC and forms part of the Conditions of Registration. 

All registrants are required to abide by the Code during combat sports events and in public.

Your actions and behaviour must be ethical, fair and honest at all times, and you must respect the principles of combat sports and their traditions.

Combat Sports Commission policies

The CSC has several policies which apply to combat sports. Some examples of matters dealt with in the various CSC policies include:

• Contest Area Safety Policy
  • The promoter must use a 2.5 m exclusion zone for authorised personnel only (such as officials) and glass is not permitted in the area. 
• Fit and Proper Person Policy 
  
  • The  CSC undertakes random probity checks and it is against the law to provide false and misleading information, such as not  disclosing a criminal record.
• Dual Role Policy
  • An official who is listed on a permit cannot act in the capacity of a contestant, promoter or trainer.

The CSC has developed other policies covering a range of topics from pregnancy testing, to missed weight and children participating in contests.

View all the CSC policies

Fact sheets

The CSC produces many fact sheets to guide the combat sports industry. Topics covered in the fact sheets include:

Officials fact sheet

Handwraps and Taping fact sheet

When referees sign off on a handwrap they ensure that there is no hard buildup of any type over the knuckles. 

Promoters’ fact sheet

A promoter must provide a list of the officials to the CSC as part of the contest permit application, 21 days prior to the event. 

View CSC fact sheets

Pre-contest medicals

• After the weigh-in and prior to the event, all contestants must submit to a pre-contest medical. All contestants will be required to undertake a series of checks before they will be cleared to compete.
• The medical practitioner will determine each contestant’s fitness to compete based on all available evidence. If a medical practitioner deems a contestant ‘not fit to compete’, that contestant will be removed from the contest card and will not be allowed to compete.
• A referee who, is informed of a medical practitioner’s opinion that a contestant should not participate in the contest because of the contestant’s medical condition shall ensure that the contestant does not participate in the contest.
• Reasons a medical practitioner might render a contestant ‘not fit to compete’ may include:
  • Any sign of use of a prohibited substance or alcohol
  • A recent fracture or cut
  • Severe dehydration
  • An acute illness
  • A skin disease
  • Any other condition that, in the opinion of the medical practitioner, would be detrimental to the contestant or the opponent.
  
  

Rehydration through IV use

• Rehydration using IV (intravenous) fluids can be dangerous and the CSC prohibits their use, except for medical reasons.
• The use of IV fluids (of more than 100 mls) without a medical reason contravenes the WADA code and will result in a ban from competition. If an IV fluid is required for medical reasons, a contestant must first obtain a Therapeutic Use Exemption (TUE) from the treating medical practitioner.
  

Water intoxication

• Drinking too much water (many litres) in a short time (water loading) when not dehydrated can dilute the blood, and can dangerously dilute body electrolytes (hyponatremia) which can kill you. The kidneys cannot remove the excess fluid quickly enough and the excess water causes the body cells to swell. This in turn can cause the brain to swell.
• Contestants are encouraged to maintain normal hydration at all times.

Mandatory rest periods and medical suspensions

• 7 days: applies to all contestants following a bout (if a contestant competes on a Saturday, they can’t compete the following Saturday)
• 14 days: if issued a HBC for a bout considered to be hard fought
• 21 days: if issued a HBC for suspected concussion and concussion assessment/clearance required
• 30 days: if knocked out  and concussion assessment/clearance required
• 60 or 90 days: if knocked out over consecutive contests (2nd or 3rd time) and concussion assessment/clearance required
• 6x straight losses: triggers a suspension until a medical clearance (new certificate of fitness) is provided 

Rules

Under section 62A of the Combat Sports Act 1987, all combat sports contests must be held in accordance with rules approved by the Minister for Sport and Recreation. Either CSC rules or approved sanctioning body rules apply to all contests in Western Australia.

Rules differ across combat sports and even within the same sport, different sanctioning bodies may have different rules. The CSC health and safety rules will always prevail over any other approved rules. 

Rules can cover ring requirements, dress codes, conduct of contests, official requirements and duties. For example:

• Dress code: There is a dress standard for all officials. 
• Official’s duties and responsibilities: 
  • A judge must remain seated until the verdict of the contest has been announced.
  •  A referees main concerns are the health and safety of the contestant and the enforcement of the contest rules. 
  • Timekeepers must use two stopwatches/timers.
    

Promoters choose which approved rules they want to use at their contest and it is the responsibility of the officials to know which rules will apply for any given bout.

 View Contest Rules