SECTION 61.30. Responsibilities and Authority of the Executive Director

(a) The executive director, or his designee, has complete authority over all phases of an event, including, but not limited to the weigh-in, matching of contestants, entrance to the forum, access to the technical zone, audit of ticket sales, payment of purses and changing of a rendered decision in accordance with subsection (n).

(b) For all professional events the executive director, or his designee, will assign the timekeepers, referees, ringside physicians and judges.

(c) In title and championship bouts the executive director, or his designee, will consult with the sponsoring or sanctioning bodies on the assignment of judges and referees. The executive director, or his designee, will make assignments for such bouts.

(d) The executive director or his designee, will evaluate an applicant's or licensee's fitness for licensure as a contestant based on the totality of his or her physical condition, taking into account the following indicators:

(1) under the age of 18;

(2) actual age;

(3) number of bouts;

(4) number of rounds fought;

(5) number of identified injuries;

(6) number of knockouts and technical knockouts suffered within the last 12 months, specifically those where the contestant lost consciousness;

(7) periods of inactivity in excess of 12 calendar months;

(8) ring record for the past twenty-four months;

(9) weight, including fluctuations in weight; and

(10) any health or mental condition that may contribute to the lack of ability to perform.

(e) The executive director may request medical tests to prove gender of a contestant.

(f) The executive director, or his designee, may recognize and enforce disciplinary sanctions, disqualification, or medical suspensions imposed by other combative sport authorities. If the executive director, or his designee, proposes to deny licensure based on action of another jurisdiction, the applicant has a right to an opportunity for a hearing.

(g) Selection and Assignment of Ring Officials

(1) The executive director, or his designee, will assign ring officials to ensure the highest degree of safety for contestants. The department will assist ring officials in developing expertise in the combative sports of their choice, to include training and shadow officiating.

(A) Ringside Physicians must hold a license as defined by §61.10(15); and

(B) Demonstrate by training, education, or experience, knowledge in the diagnoses and treatment of sports related trauma.

(2) To officiate at an assigned event, a ring official will be issued a department badge after executing a signed acknowledgement agreeing to the following terms.

(A) The badge is the property of the department and may only be used at an event to which the ring official has been assigned.

(B) A ring official shall surrender the badge at any time at the direction of the executive director, or his designee, if used to gain access to a regulated event the ring official has not been assigned to work or for any other reason that violates department rules or the code.

(C) Failure to surrender the badge upon direction of the executive director or his designee may result in disciplinary action and removal from the pool of qualified ring officials.

(3) The key determining factors for assigning ring officials are:

(A) the ring official's level of expertise in connection with the level of expertise required for a particular bout and a particular combative sport;

(B) the location of the event;

(C) the location of the ring official's residence; and

(D) any other factors as determined by the executive director.

(4) A ring official who declines to work an event may be removed from the pool of qualified ring officials.

(5) The name of a ring official who declines to work an event five times in succession will be removed from the pool of qualified ring officials.

(6) A ring official who uses his badge to gain access to a regulated event to which he has not been assigned or who violates department rules or the code may be removed from the pool of qualified ring officials.

(7) In order to be reinstated to the pool of qualified ring officials, a ring official may be required to complete additional training as determined by the executive director, in addition to any other qualifications.

(h) The executive director, or his designee, shall assign two timekeepers for each event, one to keep time and one to count for knock-downs.

(i) The executive director, or his designee, may eject any person from an event who violates department rules or the Code.

(j) The executive director, or his designee, will not approve matches between contestants in different weight categories, except by weight tolerances as stated in §61.105.

(k) The executive director, or his designee, will not approve matches between genders.

(l) The executive director, or his designee, may waive the application of a rule to an event if he determines that such waiver will not negatively affect the safety of any contestant and that the spirit of the Code and this chapter is served by such waiver. The waiver must be in writing or later confirmed in writing.

(m) Licensure or registration does not automatically authorize an individual to participate in an event.

(n) A decision rendered after a contest is final and shall not be changed unless:

(1) following the rendition of a decision the executive director determines that any one of the following occurred:

(A) the compilation of the score card of the judges shows an error which would mean that the decision was given to the wrong contestant;

(B) there was a violation of the laws or rules and regulations governing combative sports which affected the result of any bout; or

(C) the winner of a bout tested positive immediately before or after the bout for a substance listed in §61.47(q).

(2) If the executive director determines that any of paragraph (1)(A) - (C) occurred with regards to any bout then the decision rendered shall be changed as the executive director may direct.

(o) The executive director, or his designee, may approve championship or title bouts if the department has recognized the sponsoring sanctioning organization as a legitimate combative sport organization.

(p) The executive director, or his designee, may require of a contestant, neurological or other medical testing.

(q) The executive director, or his designee, shall have sole control over the technical zone including but not limited to who may be admitted to the zone.

Source Note: The provisions of this §61.30 adopted to be effective October 1, 2000, 25 TexReg 9941; amended to be effective December 1, 2003, 28 TexReg 10445; amended to be effective February 1, 2005, 30 TexReg 378; amended to be effective February 1, 2006, 31 TexReg 481; amended to be effective October 15, 2010, 35 TexReg 9081; amended to be effective March 1, 2013, 38 TexReg 1141; amended to be effective January 1, 2014, 38 TexReg 9505