2005 California Business and Professions Code Sections 18700-18748 Article 7. Regulation of Contests

18700.  All buildings or structures used or intended to be used to
conduct, hold, give a contest or match, or exhibition shall be safe
and shall conform to the laws, ordinances, and regulations pertaining
to the buildings in the jurisdiction where the building or structure
is situated.
18701.  There shall be posted in public view at every place that a
contest is held a notice in English and Spanish which states that it
is unlawful to throw any object in the direction of the ring.
18702.  No person under the age of 18 years shall participate as a
contestant in any contest or match or exhibition, except that any
person 16 years  or over may be licensed as an amateur and may
participate in an amateur contest or match.
18703.  All admission tickets to any contest or exhibition shall
have printed clearly upon the face thereof the purchase price of the
ticket, and no ticket shall be sold for more than that price.  The
tickets shall have the number of the ticket printed clearly on both
ends of the ticket.
18705.  Every promoter shall have at its own expense in attendance
at every contest, a licensed physician approved by the commission who
has had not less than three years experience in the practice of
medicine since licensure, who shall perform the physical examination
of the contestants and observe the physical condition of the
contestants during the contest or match.
   The services of the physician shall be paid according to a
schedule of fees adopted by the commission.  The fees shall be paid
by the club to the commission, and it shall remit the payment to the
physician.
18705.5.  The commission shall adopt regulations detailing the
criteria for approval of a licensed physician pursuant to Section
18705.
18706.  No later than one hour before the contestants enter the
ring, the physician provided for in Section 18705 shall certify in
writing as to the contestant's physical condition to engage in such
contest or match.  A report of the medical examinations shall be
filed with the commission not later than 24 hours after the
termination of the contest or match.  The physician's report of the
examination shall include specific mention as to the condition of the
contestant's heart, nerves and brain.
18707.  A physician in attendance at any contest or match pursuant
to Section 18705 shall have the authority to stop any contest or
match that is conferred upon the referee.  The physician's authority
shall be limited to a medically related injury and the physical
condition of a contestant.
18710.  In its discretion, the commission may order a special
medical examination to be undertaken by any licensee, the report of
which shall be made to the commission.  The cost of the examination
shall be shared equally by the commission and the licensee.
18711.  (a) The commission shall require, as a condition of
licensure and as a part of the application process, the examination
by a licensed physician and surgeon who specializes in neurology and
neurosurgery of each applicant for a license as a professional boxer
or, if for the renewal of a license, this examination every year, in
addition to any other medical examinations.  The physician may
recommend any additional tests he or she deems necessary.  On the
basis of that examination and any additional tests that are
conducted, the physician may recommend to the commission whether the
applicant may be permitted to be licensed in California or not.  The
executive officer shall review these recommendations and report any
denials of licensure.  If, as a result of these recommendations, the
executive officer refuses to grant the applicant a license or to
renew a license, the applicant shall not box in California until the
denial has been overruled by the commission as provided in this
chapter.
   (b) In the event that an applicant for licensure as a professional
boxer undergoes a neurological examination for purposes of licensure
within the 120-day period immediately preceding the normal
expiration of that license the applicant shall not be required to
undergo an additional neurological examination within the following
calendar year unless the commission, for cause, orders that the
examination be taken.  The commission shall notify all commission
approved physicians and referees that the commission has the
authority to order any professional boxer to undergo a neurological
examination.
   (c) The cost of the examinations required by this section shall be
paid from assessments on any one or more of the following:
promoters of professional boxing matches, managers, and professional
boxers in California.  The rate and manner of assessment shall be set
by the commission, without the requirement of adoption of
regulations, and shall cover all costs associated with the
requirements of this section.  This assessment shall be imposed on
all professional boxing matches which occur on and after January 1,
1986.  As of July 1, 1994, all moneys received by the commission
pursuant to this section shall be deposited in and credited to the
Boxers' Neurological Examination Account which is hereby created in
the General Fund.
18712.  (a) Notwithstanding any other provision of law, any person
applying for a license or the renewal of a license as a professional
boxer or as a professional martial arts fighter shall present
documentary evidence satisfactory to the commission that the
applicant has been administered a test, by a laboratory in the United
States that possesses a certificate under the Clinical Laboratory
Improvement Act (42 U.S.C. Sec. 263a), to detect the presence of
antibodies both to the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) and to
hepatitis C virus (HCV) and to detect the presence of the antigen of
hepatitis B virus (HBV) within 30 days prior to the date of the
application and that the results of all three tests are negative.  A
negative report for all three tests shall also be required of a
professional boxer or professional martial arts fighter prior to
competing in a match that will occur 180 days or more after the date
of the tests submitted for the issuance or renewal of his or her
license.
   (b) Information received under this section and any other medical
information about an applicant or licensee shall be confidential and
not subject to discovery or subpoena.  If the commission denies a
license or the renewal of a license or suspends or revokes a license
because of a licensee's HIV or HCV antibody status or HBV antigen
status, it shall state only that the action was taken for medical
reasons.  An applicant or licensee may appeal the commission's
denial, suspension, or revocation of a license under this section.
The commission shall notify each person in writing of his or her
right to a closed hearing for that appeal.  An applicant or licensee
must make a request for a hearing to the commission within 30 days of
receiving notification from the commission of the applicant's or
licensee's right to a hearing.
18714.  For the purpose of studying and recommending medical and
safety standards for the conduct of boxing and martial arts, the
commission may call meetings of those licensed physicians and
surgeons as it deems necessary at such times and places it deems
appropriate.  The commission is authorized to pay the necessary
traveling expenses and per diem, as provided in Section 103, to the
committee members in attendance at these meetings.
18720.  No boxing contest or match shall be more than 12 rounds or
not more than three minutes each in length, except that championship
contests may, if the written approval of the commission if first
obtained, be 15 rounds of not more than three minutes each in length.
  The commission may limit the number of rounds in a contest within
the maximum.
   There shall be one minute rest between consecutive rounds.
18721.  The commission may by rule specify the frequency with which
boxers may participate in a contest.
18723.  All gloves used by contestants in professional and amateur
boxing contests or matches shall be approved by the commission and
constructed so that:
   (a) The thumb is not detached from the glove in such a manner that
injury could result.
   (b) The soft padding between the outside coverings shall be evenly
distributed over the back of the gloves, and cover the knuckles and
back of the hands.
   (c) All paddings shall be consistent with the best available
material and technology in order to reduce the cumulative effects of
repetitive impacts.
18724.  All professional and amateur boxing contests or matches
shall be performed on a ring floor and padding which meet at least
the following specifications:
   (a) The ring floor shall be constructed of 11/4 inch plywood.
   (b) The ring floor padding shall be of 13/4 inch thickness
consisting of closed cellular foam in combination with high density
polyvinylchloride (PVC) bonded together in solid sections, or
equivalent covering.
18725.  In addition to the requirements of this act, the commission
may establish glove weights, equipment standards, safety standards,
and the length of rounds in order to protect the health and safety of
contestants.
18728.  The commission shall establish by rule the weight spreads
and classes of contestants.
18730.  A referee shall be in attendance and direct and control at
every boxing contest.  Referees shall enforce the rules of the
commission at every boxing contest.
18731.  No referee or physician shall be assigned to a boxing
contest who has not participated in a clinic sponsored by the
commission in accordance with this section in the preceding six
months.
   Clinics shall include, among other things, the subjects of the
rules of the commission, the recognition and diagnosis of serious or
life-threatening, boxing-related and neurological injuries and
disorders, and refereeing a bout.
   The commission is authorized to pay any necessary and authorized
travel expenses of referees and physicians who attend such clinics.
18732.  Before starting a contest, the referee shall ascertain from
each contestant, the name of his or her chief second, and shall hold
such chief second responsible for the conduct of assistants during
the contest.
18733.  The referee shall stop a contest when a contestant shows a
marked superiority, or is apparently outclassed.
18734.  (a) The commission shall designate the scoring officials for
each contest.
   (b) The referee may render a decision at the end of a boxing
contest if authorized by a representative of the commission.
   (c) The commission may require that judges be used in conjunction
with the referee at any boxing contest.
18735.  Referees and other boxing officials appointed by the
commission while performing duties required under this chapter by the
commission shall be entitled to the same rights and immunities
granted to public employees by the provisions of Article 3
(commencing with Section 820), Chapter 1, Part 2, Division 3.6, Title
1 of the Government Code.  The provisions of this section shall not
be construed to affect, create, or destroy any rights or obligations
of any public or private employer of a referee or other boxing
official.
18738.  (a) A boxer who intentionally hits a contestant with a
rabbit punch or with a punch on that part of the body over the
kidneys shall be penalized by the loss of a point for each such
punch.
   (b) Determination that a boxer has violated this section shall be
made at the end of the round in which the violation occurred and
prior to the next round by the referee or, if judges are used in
conjunction with the referee, by any two officials.  Upon such a
determination, each such official shall penalize the boxer pursuant
to subdivision (a).
   (c) Upon a determination that this section has been violated, the
referee shall inform both boxers and their managers at the end of the
round in which the violation occurred and prior to the next round,
and inform the audience of the penalty thus assessed.  In any such
case, the rest period may be extended by the referee.
18748.  Recognizing the need for uniformity in championship
contests, the commission may exempt championship contests from any
provision of this chapter and authorize alternate provisions as long
as the safety and welfare of the boxers and the public are not
jeopardized.