Permits and contests

Contests, including weigh-ins, must be held in accordance with all Orders made under the Public Health Act 2010 (the Public Health Orders). Promoters, combatants, industry participants and venue operators are required to comply with the Public Health Orders in place at the time of a contest or when training and sparring. 

While the Authority does not enforce or regulate the Public Health Act 2010 it encourages promoters to work with venue operators to ensure contests are held in accordance with Public Health Orders. Promoters should ensure combatants placed on a fight card, and industry participants attending the contest, satisfy the requirements of the Public Health Orders, including any relating to vaccination requirements, so that contests run safely and smoothly.

The Authority will continue to impose a condition on contest permits that a copy of each COVID-19 safety plan developed in regard to, or in connection with, a contest must be submitted to the Office of Sport no later than (5) five days before the contest.  This condition is imposed to assist the Office of Sport determine the allocation of combat sport inspectors for the contest. 

Advice for the sport and recreation sector developed by the Office of Sport that outlines current Public Health Order restrictions for sport and exercise activities is available through the COVID-19 Information Quick Link on the Authority website.

Additional information is available at the NSW Government COVID-19 website.

Amateur bodies approved under the Act (an AAB) appoint and monitor the performance of referees, judges and timekeepers (ring officials) to amateur contests in accordance with cl. 47 of the Combat Sports Regulation 2014.

The Combat Sports Authority of NSW appoints ring officials to professional combat sport contests held in NSW. A range of factors are considered when appointing ring officials to professional contests to ensure it occurs fairly and assists officials to maintain their skills and experience. These factors include:

• whether the ring official holds the appropriate registration class and level of experience for contests on the fight card
• the availability of ring officials
• the number of contests for which the ring official has been appointed in the calendar year
• the location of the contest, distance to be travelled and cost to the promoter
• whether suitably registered ring officials have already been appointed to a contest (Pro/Am) by an AAB and that they are appropriately experienced to officiate professional contests on the fight card
• the number and level of contests on the fight card
• whether a contest has been deemed a significant contest for the purposes of the Act.

Appointments often cannot be formally made until the contest permit is granted and the final fight card lodged by the promoter. To assist ring officials, the Combat Sports team will wherever possible make tentative offers two weeks before a contest.

An overseas ring official (a person not ordinarily resident in Australia) may be appointed to a contest deemed to be a ‘significant contest’ by the Authority.

A combat sport contest determined by order of the Authority and published on the Authority website as being a significant contest for the purposes of s.62 of the Combat Sports Act 2013. The Authority will consider requests from promoters and make orders on a case by case basis after considering the type, level and public interest in the contest.

As outlined in Authority Rule 6, the promoter must make payment of the fees as outlined in the fee schedule (below) to all ring officials appointed to professional contests prior to the commencement of the first professional contest. The promoter must, where applicable, provide transport for officials to and from the airport and provide any meals reasonable required during the ring official’s stay in addition to the fees applicable in the fee schedule.

Standard promotion

Promotion including a State, National or Regional Title contest

Promotion including a Commonwealth Title contest

Promotion including International Combatants (Non-Title contests)

Promotions including an official World Title Elimination contest

Promotions including a World Title contest

Travel fees (To/From Sydney - Flat rate)

Distance based travel fees (in excess of 320 km total)

The dress standards applicable to registered industry participants attending a combat sport contest are described in Authority Rule 24. The Authority Rules are available here.

No distinguishing badges, pockets, names, logos, trademarks, distinctive signs etc of any kind is to be worn by a referee, judge or timekeeper except where prior approval of the Authority has been granted.  Requests for approval must be made via combatsports@sport.nsw.gov.au. The Authority will consider requests on a case by case basis to determine whether the request, if approved, would conflict with the objects of the Combat Sports Act 2013 or Government policy, create a conflict of interest or affect the impartiality of ring officials.  Other considerations will also be considered on a case by case basis.  Requests must include a colour image of the badge, pocket, name, logo, trademark, distinctive sign etc and the size as it will appear on the clothing.

The Authority checks and approves combatants on the fight card lodged by the promoter for the purposes of clause 23(b) of the Combat Sports Regulation 2014 (Regulation) after confirming the combatant is appropriately registered under the Combat Sports Act 2013 (Act) and has provided the Authority a current serological clearance and certificates of fitness, or satisfies an exemption provision.

It is the role of the matchmaker to match the combatants and the attending medical practitioner to determine if they are fit to engage in the contest after conducting a pre-contest medical examination. As outlined in clause 47(c) of the Regulation, the approved amateur body for the contest must also implement its risk management policies and procedures in relation to the contest.

It is not the role of the Authority to give any special or additional permission for contests to occur once it has approved the combatants on the finalised fight card.

For the purposes of section 42 (2) of the Act the following conditions are imposed on a permit to hold a combat sport contest

(a)     the promoter of the combat sport contest must finalise the names of combatants and lodge the fight card with the Authority, in the manner and form approved by the Authority, not less than 5 days before the day of the combat sport contest, or within any shorter period that the Authority may approve,

(b)     the promoter of the combat sport contest must ensure that only combatants that are included on the fight card, and approved by the Authority, engage in the combat sport contest,

(b1)   the promoter of the combat sport contest must provide the Authority with the title of the particular sports rules relating to each combat sport involved in the combat sport contest, in the manner and form approved by the Authority, not less than 5 days before the day of the combat sport contest, or within any shorter period that the Authority may approve,

(c)     the promoter of the combat sport contest must advise the Authority if the combat sport contest is not to be held, as soon as this information becomes available to the promoter,

(d)     the promoter of the combat sport contest must appoint the attending medical practitioner for the combat sport contest, and provide the name of the practitioner to the Authority, 5 days before the combat sport contest, or within any shorter period that the Authority may approve,

(d1)   the promoter of the combat sport contest must provide to the Authority, in the manner and form approved by the Authority, not less than 5 days before the day of the combat sport contest, a plan for evacuating any injured combatant from the premises where the combat sport contest is held, being a plan prepared in the manner and form approved by the Authority,

(e)     the promoter of the combat sport contest must ensure that the combat sport contest is covered by the insurance policies determined by the Authority and is held in accordance with the requirements of the insurance policies that cover the contest,

(f)      the promoter of the combat sport contest must ensure that each combatant at the combat sport contest complies with any requirements of this Regulation or the rules regarding the wearing of protective clothing or equipment,

(g)     the promoter of the combat sport contest must ensure that the contest area, including the ring or cage, complies with any requirements of this Regulation or the rules,

(h)     the promoter of the combat sport contest must ensure that any announcements required by the Authority are made at the combat sport contest,

(i)      the promoter of the combat sport contest must supply the clean, serviceable and appropriate weight gloves (if any) required in accordance with the rules for each contestant on the fight card at the combat sport contest,

(j)      the promoter of the combat sport contest must provide the weigh-in scales, a bed or plinth in each dressing room for use by the attending medical practitioner and the hammer and bell for use by timekeepers at the combat sport contest,

(k)     the promoter of the combat sport contest must communicate to persons associated with the combat sport contest their responsibility to comply with the Act, this Regulation and the rules,

(k1)   the promoter of the combat sport contest must ensure that any contest does not commence unless the promoter, each referee, and the attending medical practitioner, appointed for each contest have attended a briefing with the combat sport inspector at which the following are communicated to the referee, attending medical practitioner and combat sport inspector -

• (i) the rules made by the Authority under section 107 of the Act that relate to the particular combat sport (which must be communicated verbally),
• (ii) a title of the sports rules that relate to the particular combat sport involved in the combat sport contest and an explanation of when the rules made by the Authority will override those sports rules (which must be communicated verbally),
• (iii) the plan that the promoter provided to the Authority for evacuating any injured combatant from the premises used for the combat sport contest (which must be communicated both verbally and in writing),

(l)      the promoter of the combat sport contest must ensure that the contest does not commence, or continue, unless a referee is present in the ring, cage or mat area in which the contest is to occur,

(m)    the promoter of the combat sport contest must ensure that the first contest does not commence, or continue, unless a combat sport inspector is present and must ensure that a combat sport inspector is present for the whole contest,

(n)     the promoter of the combat sport contest must not be listed as a combatant on the fight card for the contest that he or she promotes,

(o)     the promoter of the combat sport contest must not act as a judge, referee or timekeeper at the contest that he or she promotes.

For the purposes of section 42 (2) of the Act, the following conditions are imposed on a permit for an amateur combat sport contest (in addition to those imposed by clause 23

(a)     the promoter of the amateur combat sport contest must not carry out any of the functions of an approved amateur body that are specified in clause 47 in relation to that contest,

(b)     the promoter of the amateur combat sport contest must ensure that combatants engaged in the contest will not compete for a monetary prize, or other material gain or reward (other than a trophy),

(c)     the promoter of the amateur combat sport contest must ensure that all promotional material for the contest clearly states that the contest is an amateur combat sport contest and does not use images that are inconsistent with the rules made by the Authority under section 107 of the Act that apply to amateur combat sport contests or with the sports rules relating to the specific combat sport involved in the amateur combat sport contest.