Rules : Glory Kickboxing

All Glory World Series matches and events are organized under the auspices of and with the consent of the Glory Sports International and are subject to the GLORY World Series regulations.

1.1.2. Match license

To organize matches and events under the auspices of GSI, the written permission of the management of GSI is required, known as the match license.

1.1.3. Promoter

Matches and events can only be organized by GLORY as the main promoter affiliated with GSI or promoters recognized as such by GSI that have been granted a so-called promoters license by GSI or by third parties to whom incidental written consent has been granted.

1.1.4. Contestants

Those who wish to participate in matches organized by promoters recognized by GSI should be registered with GSI as fighters or contractually associated with GLORY Sports International and thus automatically registered as fighters with GSI. Upon application or contractual obligation, fighters must always provide GSI with a copy of their passport, their current address and the so-called record list and two passport photos.
A distinction is made between the following categories of participants:

Aspirants aged 12 up to and including 15
Juniors aged 16 up to and including 18
Seniors aged 19 up to and including 49.

Contestants in matches should at all times be deemed to take part voluntarily and entirely at their own risk.
A novice contestant taking part in a match for the first time may not be older than 30.
Weight classes of contestants: The GLORY World Series organizes fights in the following weight classes:

Featherweight: max 65 kg. max 143 lbs.
Lightweight: max 70 kg. max 154 lbs.
Welterweight: max 77 kg. max 170 lbs.
Middleweight: max 85 kg max 187 lbs.
Light Heavyweight: max 95 kg max 209 lbs.
Heavyweight: over 95 kg over 209 lbs.

1.2 Match regulations

1.2.1. The match

The match is a stand-up fight subject to the following regulations fought between two equally matched fighters at the same level and in the same specified weight class.

1.2.2. The match ring

Matches take place in a square ring surrounded by four ropes interconnected by means of vertical cords or bands. The dimensions of the square of ropes should be at least 5 m x 5 m for minor events and no larger than 6 m x 6 m for large events.
The ring floor should be a safe construction and covered by canvas that should not be slippery before and/or during a fight. The ring floor is raised not less than 90 centimeters (3 feet) and not more than 122 centimeters (4 feet) above the ground.
The floor can have two sizes: Small size 6.40 x 6.40 square meters or large size: 7.00 x 7.00 square meters.
For International competition the large size ring shall be used. The ropes should be wrapped in a soft material and may not cause damage or injury to fighters moving alongside them. The ropes shall be at least 3 centimeters (1 inch) but not more than 5 centimeters (2 inches) thick. There shall be at least 4 ropes positioned 40, 80, 120 and 150 centimeters (16, 32, 48, 60 inches) respectively above the ring floor. The ropes shall be held rigid by 2 pieces of strong cloth, equally spread, so that the rope spacing shall not vary during the contest.

The opposite corners of the ring should be equipped with a black post for the contestants with two grey neutral corners in between. The white corner must always be on the left hand side of the main jury table (The Chief Official). The other two corners are the grey corners.

The following items must be present in the white and black corners:

A bucket for water;
A bottle of drinking water;
A towel;

- A second or “replacement” mouth guard for the fighter that may be used if the original mouth guard lost or misplaced

A round iron container for water with a stool/seat for the fighter on which he sits during the intervals between rounds
A small iron container/bucket with water close to the official in charge, to quickly wash mouth guards if they fall on the ground to minimize the delay.
One set of steps each at the white and black corners are provided for the competitors and the cornermen.

A third set of steps shall be provided at the neutral corner near the time keeper, provided for the referee, the MC and the doctor.

1.2.3. Match attire

Contestants will wear kickboxing or other approved trunks that stop above the knee and have no pockets. In the case of male contestants the upper body is uncovered. Female contestants must wear an approved sports top (no t-shirts). Fighters are permitted to wear a short legging under the kickboxing trunks as long as the legging to not extend significantly below the hem of the trunks.

Logos and/or the names of sponsors on the short or clothing from the fighter and/or his cornermen are permitted provided that prior approval has been requested from the promoter and has been granted. Writing on the bare torso is not permitted. The kickboxing trunks should be checked for possible harmful materials before the match starts.

Contestants are obliged to wear mouth guards and groin guards during the fights. The mouth guards and groin guards need to have been approved by a regulation official.
Contestants will wear boxing gloves of equal weight. The primary color of the gloves should be the same as the color of the contestant’s corner (white or black). If the gloves colors that both fighters will wear are the same, then the tape color that secures the gloves shall be black or white, matching the contestant’s corner. The gloves should be taped in such a way that no laces or other loose ends are visible and should bear a regulation official’s stamp of approval.
The weight of the gloves is determined as follows:

Featherweight max 65kg / 143 lbs. or lighter shall wear 8 oz. gloves
Lightweight max 70 kg / 154 lbs. or heavier shall wear 10 oz. gloves

Corner men must be dressed in clean, undamaged sportswear and shoes. Jeans and shirts other than team shirts are not allowed.

1.2.4. The match

Forms of matches:

Single match :

The match consists of three rounds of two minutes for class C matches, three rounds of three minutes for class B contests, three or five rounds of three minutes for class A matches, two or three rounds of two or three minutes for tournament matches. Class A matches may be extended by one or two extra rounds. One-minute intervals take place between the rounds. Additional rules may be applied to tournaments, the so-called ranking tournament rules as indicated in appendix A1, A2 and A3.

Tournament match :

The match consists of two or three rounds of two or three minutes in accordance with the tournament form, ranking tournament, Contender 4 man Tournament, World Championship 4 man Tournament, Slam or Grand Slam. One-minute intervals take place between the rounds. If after the scheduled rounds have been completed the judges’ decision is a draw, an extra “sudden-victory” round will be contested. The Tournament’s Final bout may be extended by as many as two extra rounds. In the event of an extra round or rounds, the scores of the previous rounds are cancelled out and only the score of the final round is used to determine which fighter advances, or in the case of the tournament final, which fighter is awarded the championship. Judges may not score the extra round(s) even (a draw). In the event that the extra round(s) fail for any reason to determine a winner, each judge will be provided a ballot on which to select an overall winner based on their impressions of the bout in its’ entirety.

Title matches :

A GLORY World Series International World Title fight always consists of five rounds of three minutes each. In exceptional cases of a draw after five rounds, the champion remains the champion. In the event of a vacant title, the title remains vacant unless a tie-breaking method is approved in advance by the presiding regulatory body. The rest interval time for title fights of five three-minute rounds is one minutes.
Titles with a maximum weight can only be won or defended if both fighters are at or under the proper weight. If the champion cannot reach the right weight within two hours following the official weighing and he is obliged to defend his title, he loses his title. If the match is then won by the challenger, he is the new champion. If the reigning champion wins the match, the title becomes vacant as the champion cannot retain his title as he did not achieve the title weight. If the challenger is too heavy and the fight continues and the champion was at the required weight, then the latter will remain the champion irrespective of the result of the fight. If both fighters are too heavy and the champion is obliged to defend his title, the title is vacant after the match.
The champion is obliged to defend his title at least once a year if an official title defense offer is made. If an official title defense offer is made and the champion cannot defend the title within a year, it may become vacant.
Anyone challenging the champion must be among the first 5 fighters in the official GSI ranking.
All disputes concerning the title which have not been included in these regulations will be presented for arbitration to the GSI arbitration committee.

For reasons of safety, a fighter may never fight more than 13 three-minute rounds in one day. The rule for so-called ranking tournaments is that the total effective match time may not last longer than a total of 27 minutes on one and the same day.

1.2.5. Ranking

GSI has an official ranking that is based on the performance of a fighter. During the ranking year, ranking is determined by winning or losing so-called ranking points:

Fighters can earn points through regular fights, and tournaments
In a regular fight, the winner scores points equal to 25% of the loser's current points, or 35% for a (T)KO
If a fighter loses to a lower-ranked opponent, he loses 25% of the points difference between him and his opponent
For instance, at GLORY 49 Rotterdam, Michael Duut (491) fought Danyo Ilunga (207). Ilunga won by knockout to score 172 points (35% of 491). Duut lost 71 points (25% of 284)
In tournaments, fighters score points for how far they progress. In a four-man Contender tournament, the winner scores 250 points, the runner-up 125 points, and the two semi-finalists 35 points each.
To keep the rankings accurate, the points steadily expire over the next three to four years, or earlier if the fighter exceeds a cap of ten fights in that period.

In addition to the match regulations, there are also ranking regulations; see appendix A4.

1.2.6. Match Results

The match can be decided in the following ways:

Points Decision : Three or Five judges will evaluate the relative effectiveness of each fighter’s performance using a “10-Point-Must” system and record their scores for the fighters after each round. After the completion of the scheduled rounds the scores are tallied and the victory is awarded by the majority decision of the judging panel.

Knockout : If a contestant is struck in such a way that he or she is incapable of resuming the fight within the referee’s ten-count or if the referee declares a knockout before the count of 10 in order to bring in immediate medical assistance.

Technical Knockout : If a contestant shows no will to resume the fight or if the referee is of the opinion that the contestant is incapable of resuming the fight or has failed to intelligently defend themself.

Technical Knockout : If in a single-bout-match or a tournament final match a contestant has been knocked down three times in one and the same round or four times in one and the same bout. If in a tournament match including the reserve bouts a fighter has been knocked down twice in one and the same round or three times in one and the same bout.

Technical knockout : If a contestant is no longer capable of taking part in the fight owing to an injury not caused by a prohibited technique.

Technical knockout : If the contestant does not leave his corner to take part in the fight following the sounding of the bell.

Technical knockout : If the referee is of the opinion that a contestant is totally outclassed or is physically far less fit.

Technical knockout : If the doctor ascertains that a contestant has sustained an injury or damage, not caused by a prohibited technique, of such a serious nature that it is no longer safe for the contestant to resume the fight (Doctor’s stoppage).

Technical knockout : If a contestant or his coach/corner man gives up the fight. The contestant or his coach/corner man will indicate this to the referee or the regulatory representative assigned to his corner (The corner “throws in the towel”).

Disqualification : If the opponent is disqualified for reasons warranting disqualification.

Disqualification results if:

A fighter deliberately uses a prohibited technique and the referee disqualifies him for that reason.
A fighter uses a prohibited technique as described in Article 9 for which the referee disqualifies him.
If a corner man enters the ring during the fight or touches one of the fighters during the fight.

Draw : If the match is allowed to end in a draw and if, following the end of all rounds, at least two of the three judges (or three of the five judges) do not pronounce one of the fighters a winner.

Draw : If both fighters go down at the same time and neither can resume the fight within the referee’s ten-count.

No contest : In a single-match-bout, if a fighter cannot continue as the result of an accidental foul and the bell has not yet sounded completing the second round of a three round bout, or the third round of a five round bout.

No contest : If the referee decides both fighters must be disqualified

If a bout ends prematurely due to an injury resulting from a foul:

If a tournament bout other than the final ends due to an accidental foul, the fighter who is in condition to continue will advance unless the referee has good reason to disqualify him.
If a tournament final ends due to an accidental foul the referee may assess a penalty point, the partial round is scored by the judges and the scorecards are tallied for a technical decision (regardless of the round). If the injury from the accidental foul is not severe enough to stop the bout but then later is further aggravated by legal techniques enough to warrant an end to the match, the partial round is scored and the score cards are tabulated for the technical decision (regardless of the round). If a majority of the judges have not agreed on a winner (a draw) the tournament champion will be determined by a comparison of their combined method of victories in the Reserve, Quarter Final & Semi Final Rounds as reflected in the points system below.

o Each KO or TKO will earn fighter 2 points.

o Each decision will earn a fighter 1 point.

o Each victory via survivor rule will earn a fighter 1⁄2 point.

If this method fails to determine a winner, the tournament victory shall be awarded to the fighter according to the following prioritized criteria:

The fighter who contested the most bouts on the way to the finals.
The fighter who secured their victories through knockout in the shortest amount of fighting time
The fighter who earned their combined victories by the greatest scoring margin (this would only apply to point decisions).
The fighter who was listed highest in the official ranking prior to the tournament

If a tournament bout other than the final ends due to an intentional foul, the fouling fighter will be disqualified and the winner of the first reserve match will advance. (Please refer to Appendix A2 for tournament rules regarding the Order of Substitution)
If a tournament final ends due to an intentional foul, the fouled fighter will be declared the winner by DQ. If the injury from the intentional foul is not severe enough to stop the bout but then later is further aggravated by legal techniques enough to warrant an end to the match, the partial round is scored and the score cards are tabulated for the technical decision (in any round). If the fouled fighter is ahead on the score cards, the fouled fighter will be declared the winner by technical decision. If the fouling fighter is ahead (or it is even) the tournament winner will be determined by the same methods described in the section above regarding a final that results in a draw.
If a single match (non-tournament bout) ends due to an injury from an accidental foul: If it occurs after the bell sounds ending the 2nd round of a three round bout, or, after the bell sounds ending the 3rd round of a five round bout, the partial round is scored and the jury go to the score cards for the technical decision. If it occurs at any earlier time, the bout will be declared a “no contest”  If the injury from the accidental foul is not severe enough to stop the bout but then later it is further aggravated by legal techniques enough to warrant an end to the match, if it occurs after the bell sounds ending the 2nd round of a three round bout, or, after the bell sounds ending the 3rd round of a five round bout, the partial round is scored and the judges go to the score cards for the technical decision. If it occurs at any earlier time, the bout will be declared a “no contest”.

Only in rare instances, such as subsequent to repeated warnings for the same foul, will the referee take a point or points from a fighter for an accidental foul.

If a single-match (non-tournament bout) ends due to an injury from an intentional foul, the injured fighter will win by Disqualification. If the injury from the intentional foul is not severe enough to stop the bout but then later is further aggravated by legal techniques enough to warrant an end to the match, the partial round is scored and then we go to the score cards for the technical decision (the bout does not need to have progressed past a minimum number of rounds). If the fouled fighter is ahead on the score cards, the fouled fighter will be declared the winner by technical decision. If the fouling fighter is ahead or it is tied, the bout will be declared a “no contest”. An intentional foul which causes injury but does not cause disqualification requires a two point deduction.

1.2.7. When a fighter is ‘DOWN’

A fighter is deemed to be down when according to the referee’s evaluation, if as the result of a damaging attack any part of a fighter’s body other than their feet touch the floor or would have touched the floor if not for the ropes or holding the opponent. A fighter may also be considered “down” if a fighter goes down for another reason and fails to rise at the command of the referee.

If the referee decides that he is DOWN, then he will indicate this by the so called DOWN call and gesture. The referee starts the DOWN count after he has sent the opponent to the farthest removed neutral corner. The opponent waits in his neutral corner until the referee gives him permission to leave this corner and resume the fight. If the opponent leaves his neutral corner before the referee gives the sign, the counting stops and only starts again once the opponent has returned to his neutral corner.

During the DOWN count it is not permitted for either of the corner men to approach his fighter in any way.

The referee is obliged to continue counting until the eighth count and then assesses whether the fighter is capable of resuming the fight in a responsible manner. If that is the case, the referee gives the command FIGHT.

If, during the course of the count as described above, the time of the round ends, the timekeeper may not sound the gong/bell signaling the end of the round, but must wait until the referee has counted to the eighth count; if the referee gives the “fight” command, the timekeeper must immediately sound the gong/bell signaling the end of the round. If at the eighth count a fighter is incapable of resuming the match, the referee will then continue to count to ten, which means the fighter will lose on the grounds of TKO/KO. The timekeeper will then sound the gong/bell indicating that the official match time has ended (you may not be “saved by the bell” in any round).

If at the eighth count the fighter in question is, for whatever reason in the opinion of the referee, not standing in the proper position to resume the fight, the referee will continue to count to ten, which means the fighter will lose the match on the grounds of a technical knockout.

While the referee is counting it is not permitted for the coach or one of the seconds of the fighter who is down to throw in the towel or indicate in any way that the fight is being given up.

In the exceptional case of both fighters being knocked DOWN, the referee will begin counting for both fighters at once. After the eighth count, the referee will assess whether both fighters are deemed capable of resuming the fight. If, in the opinion of the referee, this is the case, then the match can be resumed. If one of the two fighters is still deemed incapable of resuming the match after the eighth count, but his opponent is deemed capable when the referee reaches the count of ten, then the latter wins by technical knockout. If neither contestant is capable of resuming the fight at the eighth (8th) count, then the referee will complete the count to ten (10) and if neither fighter can resume than the bout will be declared a draw.

The referee ensures that in counting to eight (8) or ten (10) that a full second must pass between each count.

1.2.8. Legitimate techniques for scoring

Punches – striking with the padded part of the glove to a legal target: i.e. straight punches, hooks, uppercuts, spinning back-fist (only if executed with the padded, back of the glove);

Kicks – striking with the foot or lower leg to a legal target: i.e. front kicks, low kicks inside and outside the leg, middle kicks, high kicks, sidekicks, back kicks, ax kicks, spinning kicks, jumping kicks;

Knees – striking with the knee to a legal target: i.e. front knee, round-house knee, jumping knee, knee on the leg inside and outside. (please note the clinch limitations explained below regarding the use of knee strikes).

1.2.9. Prohibited techniques, moves and conduct

Head butts, or coming in too low with one’s head
All techniques targeting the back of the head or back or the torso
Techniques targeting the groin;
Linear or thrusting kicks directed at knee (i.e. front kick, side kick, back kick)

. Biting

Elbow strikes; Striking with any part of the arm or wrist above the padded portion of the glove
Hitting or punching with open gloves or the palm side of the glove or jabbing an opponent’s eye with the thumb of the glove
Wrestling or judo techniques, strangulation techniques or submissions;
Throws, leg sweeps, foot sweeps or pushing of any kind as an effort to off-balance or down an opponent; any attempt to off-balance or down an opponent with anything other than a legal strike may be considered a foul.
Grabbing, or holding for any reason other than to immediately attack with a knee strike (or strikes) is a foul; this includes holding to rest, or grabbing an opponent in order to stop them from striking.
A fighter may clinch in order to immediately attack with a legal knee strike (or strikes). If the knee attack and/or counter attack by the opponent is continuous and productive the referee may allow it to continue for in his estimation up to five seconds; otherwise the fighters should disengage the clinch and continue to fight. If a fighter clinches and fails to immediately attack with a legal knee strike or completes the knee attack and does not release the clinch this may be considered “holding” which is a foul and will result in a caution, warning or penalization.
Holding on to an opponent’s leg without striking; a fighter may grab an opponent’s leg in order to immediately execute a single legal strike that may be accompanied by a single step in any direction. The leg must be released immediately after that single legal strike.
Pulling an opponent towards one with both arms in the lower back

-Pushing or pushing off an opponent without following up with a strike or strikes

Continuing to fight if someone has any other part of his body other than his feet on the ground
Techniques used following the command “Break” or “Stop” by the referee
Techniques used if the opponent is outside the ring or tied up in the ropes
Throwing or pushing an opponent backwards over the ropes
Holding on to the ring ropes for any reason; including as an asset for offense or defense or locking in an opponent.
Actions/moves that are used to evade or hold off the fight; this includes but is not limited to continuously pulling up the front leg or stretching out the front arm without carrying out a particular technique
Passivity; this includes but is not limited to fighting only when the opponent attacks.
Continuously allowing oneself to fall to the ground
Deliberately falling on the opponent in any way
Deliberately evading or deliberately halting the fight
Voluntarily leaving the ring during the match;
Unsportsmanlike conduct including but not limited to spitting, cursing, talking, making rude sounds or obscene gestures
Insulting the referee, officials, opponent or his team
Deliberately ignoring the referee’s commands;
Undisciplined conduct of any kind
Unnecessarily causing danger to oneself or an opponent
Simulating being hit too low
Deliberately spitting out the mouth guard

1.2.10. Penalizing prohibited techniques, moves or conduct

Caution ; A caution is given in the event of a minor violation. It may occur without stopping the action of the bout.

Official Warning ; In the event of repetition or a more significant violation, the referee will issue an official warning. The referee will stop the action and make it clear and obvious that that the fighter has been warned for their infraction.

Penalty ; In the event of violation the referee may assess a penalty point or points. The referee will stop the action and send the fighter who will not be penalized to the farthest neutral corner. He will than indicate to the fighter and to the officials the nature of the reason for the penalty and the point(s) deduction.

Disqualification ; At the referee’s discretion he may disqualify a fighter based on repetitive or severe fouling.

The referee has the discretion to issue Cautions, Warnings, Penalties or Disqualification based on the nature, severity and repetition of the fouling behavior. In doing so, the referee must have thoroughly considered whether the fighter has, through his violation, damaged his opponent’s chances of victory and if the violation was deliberately committed;

1.2.11. Criteria on which the composition of the score by the judges is based

The minus points accrued from penalization are first deducted from the points scored before the final score is made known. Three or five judges will evaluate the relative effectiveness of each fighter’s performance according to the following prioritized criteria.

Number of knockdowns.
Damage inflicted on the opponent.
Number of clean strikes with spectacular techniques (flying and spinning techniques, etc.)
Number of clean strikes with normal techniques.
Degree of Aggressiveness or Ring Generalship (whichever has greater impact on the round)

It should be noted that in assessing the general impression, attack is valued higher than defense.

1.2.12. Examples of scores awarded

10-10: Not even a marginal advantage can be determined according to the established criteria
10- 9: One fighter has demonstrated an advantage in effectiveness
10- 8: One fighter has demonstrated an advantage in effectiveness by merit of a knockdown
10- 7: One fighter has demonstrated an advantage in effectiveness by merit of two knockdowns

For more thorough explanation of the scoring criteria please refer to the Official GLORY Judges Manual

1.2.13. Extra round

In the event that a completed match other ends in a draw, the match is extended by one, “sudden victory” round. The scores of the previous rounds are cancelled out and only the score of the sudden victory round is used to determine which fighter earns the win. Judges may not score the extra round even (a draw). If for any reason the “sudden victory” round fails to determine the winner, the judges will be provided an additional ballot on which they will select the fighter that they feel have earned victory by merit of the match in its’ entirety. A tournament final match may be extended by a maximum of two sudden victory rounds if necessary to determine the winner before the emergency ballot would be used.

Other rules apply to the so-called ranking tournaments and are specified in appendix A1, A2, A3.

1.2.14. Referee Stops Contest

The referee must suspend the match if:
The discrepancy between the strength or skill of the participants is so great as to make it unreasonably dangerous for the weaker fighter who is outclassed. In that case, the best fighter becomes the winner by way of intervention. (Referee Stops Contest).
The referee is of the opinion that to continue the match between the two participants would be unreasonably dangerous due to exhaustion.
The match between the two participants escalates into a common brawl within the ring with no regard for the regulations. No result is made known. (NO CONTEST).
In his opinion continuation of the match for other reasons could be unreasonably dangerous for one of the contestants. His opponent is pronounced the winner by (Referee Stops Contest).
The referee must suspend the match for medical reasons if:
One or both contestants has sustained a more or less ostensibly serious injury, and if, after consulting with the ring doctor, the latter advises him to suspend the match.
The ring doctor, without having first been consulted, advises him to stop the match.
A contestant sustains an injury such that continuation of the match would put the sport in a negative light.

In the event the referee wishes to consult the ring doctor regarding an injury sustained by one of the fighters, he will stop the match and refer the uninjured fighter to a neutral corner. He will then request the ring doctor to enter the ring in order to examine the injury. The trainer must not enter the ring. The ring doctor will advise the referee whether or not to continue the match. The referee is obliged to follow the ring doctor’s advice.

If the referee decides to suspend the match, he must inform the regulatory supervisors of his decision and provide the reasons for this decision.
The referee is the responsible person during the match. Overseeing the match is the exclusive task of the referee.
If a match must be terminated prematurely owing to irregularities in the hall, a defect in the ring, lighting failure and other such circumstances; if the bell has already sounded ending the 2nd round of a 3 round bout or the 3rd round of a 5 round bout the judge’s score cards will be evaluated for the technical decision otherwise the bout will result in a No Contest.
The referee is authorized to suspend the match if language and/or shouting can be heard from the hall that is/are in conflict with the morals, values and standards of society.

1.2.15. Injuries

In the event an injury occurs during a match not as the result of a foul; if the injury is the result of a legal strike or strikes, and the injured fighter can or should not continue, the injured fighter will lose by TKO. If the injury was accidentally self-inflicted and the fighter’s safety is at risk in that he fails to intelligently defend himself, the referee may stop the bout by TKO or treat it like a knockdown by sending the uninjured fighter to the neutral corner and administer the mandatory eight-count. If after the eight-count the referee determines that the fight can continue he will restart the bout. If the referee determines that the injured fighter cannot continue then the injured fighter will lose by TKO.

1.2.16. Stimulants and doping

The use of stimulants before or during matches is forbidden. Fighters are, if desired, obliged to take part in a doping test. Stimulants and doping include, among other things, cerebral stimulants, amphetamines and anabolic steroids.

1.2.17. Bandages and tapes

Fighters and coaches are required to only tape the hands the under supervision of an authorized official. The application of bandages and/or tape on the hands is solely intended to prevent injury. The tape is used, among other things, to keep bandages in place. Building up layers of tape to pad the knuckles is forbidden. It is permitted to tape the bandages around or on the knuckles but the thickness of the layer of tape applied must not exceed 1 mm (3 strips).

Normal soft bandages bound around the wrist and hands are allowed to be taped up to around 2 cm under the knuckles. Bandages and tapes on a contestant’s hands must be examined and approved by an official. Only if these bear and official’s stamp or print may the match gloves be donned. Bandages on places other than the hands must be approved by the ring doctor and requests to this end must be submitted in advance to the head juror after the rules meeting. It is forbidden to hold any object on or in the hands or fingers and the use of inner gloves is also prohibited. Taping ankles for reinforcement is allowed provided no hard materials are located on or under the tape and the tape is covered by an ankle stocking. A taped ankle without ankle stocking is not permitted.

Please note that the regulations addressing the taping of the hands and feet vary from state to state in the US. Please be certain to acquire a copy of the regulations for each specific state in which you will compete

1.2.18. Other materials

All other materials contestants wish to use to protect limbs or avoid injuries are only permitted with the consent of the presiding regulatory body or state athletic commission. Request for consent should be submitted after the rules meeting and monitoring and initialing of all materials is always carried before the match begins.

1.2.19. Vaseline and oil

The use of Vaseline on the face is permitted to a limited extent. The referee determines whether or not this is the case. The presence of oils on fighters’ bodies is prohibited.

1.2.20. Monitoring gloves

All fighters must put their gloves on in the presence of an official who then tapes and initials them. The gloves may only be taken off when the match is over and not in the ring but only once the fighter has left the ring.

1.2.21. Medical examination

All fighters must submit their medicals prior to the match date. The organization will indicate which medical tests and blood tests have to be completed. On either the day before, or the day of the match, fighters must also undergo a doctor’s check prior to the match, carried out by the ring doctor. Fighters participating in tournaments will also be examined by a ring doctor between each phase of competition.

KNOCK OUT: In the event that a fighter has been knocked out by strikes to the head during his fight, GSI will ask the fighter to undertake an MRI head scan as soon as possible after the fight. The MRI scan must be presented as soon as possible to GSI. The fighter will not be given his next fight by GSI until GSI has possession of the MRI scan and can see that the fighter is fit to compete. No exceptions will be made for this rule. Matchmakers are instructed to disregard any fighter who has not submitted MRI scan post-knockout.

1.2.22. Weight check

The weight of all fighters is monitored on the day prior to the match. Fighters are obliged to be at their agreed weight. If a fighter has excess weight, he will be given the assignment to achieve the proper, agreed weight within a time limit established by the presiding regulatory body or state athletic commission. If he fails to achieve the agreed weight, then he will be penalized according to the regulations established by the state athletic commission which may include fines, disqualifications or other measures.

1.2.23. Trainers and seconds

Each participant may be supported by a trainer/coach and two seconds. Only one second is allowed to administer care in the ring inside the ropes. In total, the fighter may be assisted by three corner men. The names of these three corner men must be submitted during the licensing process.
The trainer, seconds and the contestants must be present at least two hours before the matches start, and for the weighing in and medical examination.
The trainer must ensure that a contestant is entirely kitted out in match attire, is wearing the mandatory mouth guard and groin guard and the permitted boxing gloves.
The trainer and seconds are forbidden from entering the ring during the match. The ring may only be entered on the instructions of the referee and in the rest intervals of the match.
By means of notifying the regulatory official in their corner or throwing the towel or sponge into the ring, the trainer can prematurely end his contestant’s participation in the match.
When the signal “seconds out” is given by the timekeeper or announcer before the beginning of a round, the trainer and seconds must immediately leave the ring and not enter it before the end of the round has been announced.
The trainer and the seconds must ensure the timely positioning and removal of their contestant’s chair.
It is strictly forbidden to deform or break the gloves in any way. Hitting the ring mat as a gesture of encouragement is forbidden. Throwing refreshing substances such as water and other objects at contestants is also forbidden.
Trainers and seconds must conduct themselves in accordance with the regulations. They may be given a warning by the referee if they fail to observe the regulations. In the event of persistent violation, they may be removed. The referee also has the option of issuing a caution, warning or penalty, or to disqualify the contestant whose trainer is in violation.
The trainers and seconds must be dressed in sportswear that is sportsmanlike, clean and undamaged.
During the match the trainers and seconds must sit on the designated seats in the designated area.
The head coach is also responsible for the conduct of his seconds.
If the referee wishes to consult with the ring doctor during the match owing to an injury and requests the ring doctor to enter the ring for that purpose, the relevant trainer or second may not accompany the doctor into the ring. Trainers or seconds are prohibited from entering the ring in such cases.
Trainers and seconds are prohibited from approaching the officials during the matches or to protest against a decision made by the referee or match management. All Glory events are independently regulated. As such, any protests must be directed to the presiding regulatory body supervising the event and be submitted according to their rules and regulations.
During the entrance/walkout of the fighter to the ring, no corner man is allowed to accompany him. The corner men will be escorted to the ring by production and or regulatory staff.

1.2.25. Additional matches

For tournaments other than ranking tournaments, one or two additional matches may be added to ensure a fighter is on standby for the tournament if, owing to circumstances, one of the final eight qualified fighters is unable to participate further in the final tournament.

The additional match or matches will at any rate be fought before the final tournament matches.

For tournaments other than ranking tournaments, the following rules apply regarding the order of the substitution options if a fighter in the qualifying round who would have advanced to the next round in compliance with the regulations is unable to continue participating owing to circumstances:

The fighter’s opponent who is entitled to proceed further unless this right is withdrawn based on convincing reasons.
The winner of the first reserve match.
The winner of the second reserve match.
The loser of the first reserve match.
The loser of the second reserve match. If only one reserve match was held, the right of substitution falls to the loser of this reserve match if the winner waives this right.

If circumstances prevent having a reserve match contested, the tournament may proceed with a designated “alternate fighter” who may earn placement into the tournament at position “B” listed above in place of the winner of the reserve match.

For the ranking tournaments please see the ranking tournament rules in appendix A1, A2 and A3.

1.2.26. Officials

Referees:

Each event is led and supported by at least two referees. One enters the ring for each bout.
Referee commands: FIGHT – STOP – BREAK
The command “break” is used by the referee to interrupt an action of the fighters and to separate the fighters after which they must take a step backwards. The referee steps in between both fighters. As soon as he steps back the fighters resume the fight with or without the instruction “fight”.
The command “stop” is used by the referee in order to stop the fight, at the end of a round or prior to a caution or public warning.
The referee begins or resumes the fight with the command “fight”.

Judges Jury:

The matches are adjudicated by a minimum of three and a maximum of five judges. The jury members are authorized to award points and submit an assessment for each round of a match.

Ringside Officials:

The ring officials are responsible for ensuring circumstances in, around and outside the ring are in accordance with the rules as well as supervising the corner men. There must be a minimum of two and a maximum of four ring officials. The ring officials accompany the fighters to the ring check prior to the event.

Ring doctor:

A doctor must be present at all times at matches under the auspices of GSI.
The ring doctor can take measures he considers necessary from a medical viewpoint before and during the matches or have these carried out on his behalf.
The measures prescribed by the ring doctor are set out in the match report and the ring doctor also communicates his findings to the incumbent referee.
Before the start of the match, the doctor must verify that no changes have occurred to any contestant since the time of the annual, mandatory medical examination which would make participation irresponsible.
During the match or the intervals between the bouts, the ring doctor is obliged at the request of the referee and/or trainer to examine any wounds or the seriousness of a fighter’s injury and, if necessary, to advise the referee and/or trainer to suspend the match. Only the referee may make such a request during the match. The advice given is binding.
If the referee wishes to hear the ring doctor’s advice with regard to the seriousness of a fighter’s injury, he stops the match and requests the ring doctor to examine the fighter. Only the ring doctor enters the ring during this examination. The trainer is forbidden from accompanying the ring doctor. Only the ring doctor and the referee are present during this examination.
Where applicable, the ring doctor will set out a proposal with respect to the duration of an appearance ban for a fighter in the medical report immediately after the match, in accordance with the provisions drawn up by the medical commission.
Based on the medical report submitted, the medical commission will take a decision and communicate this to the management. The management will immediately inform the fighter, association and manager in question of this decision. This decision must be recorded in the appearance booklet of the fighter in question.
The ring doctor should include contestants’ experiences in the medical report insofar as medically relevant. The knockouts to the head and/or body, significant injuries, RSCs and RSCHs must always be recorded.
The medical report must be detailed, specifying details such as the nature of the KOs, duration of loss of consciousness, retrograde amnesia, the nature of injuries and medical findings at the end of the match. For the purpose of an accurate medical report, consultation with the jury members and/or the referee will in many cases be necessary.
If the ring doctor ascertains that a contestant is experiencing functional disorders during the course of the match such that, in his/her opinion, continuing the match would be irresponsible, he/she is authorized to stop the match.
The ring doctor sends the medical documents to the medical commission of GSI. The ring doctor must, if he/she considers this necessary from a medical viewpoint, give the contestant a letter for his/her general practitioner stating the nature of injury and the ring doctor’s own findings and recommendations in order to assure adequate medical follow-up and aftercare.
The ring doctor will not leave his place in the ring during the match; if the ring doctor must nevertheless leave the ring he must inform the head juror and/or announcer of this in order for the referee to either interrupt or stop the match; no matches may continue during the absence of the ring doctor.

GLORY advises the presence of at least two doctors.

Backstage Officials :

The backstage officials are taxed with monitoring the bandages and gloves and must ensure that the fighters are ready on time for the upcoming fight.

Timekeeper :

The timekeeper is responsible for monitoring the duration of the rounds of a match. The timekeeper checks the duration of the rounds and the intervals by means of clock/stopwatch. Ten seconds before the end of the interval the timekeeper signals twice on the gong or by another approved method, and the announcer or the referee then issues the command “Seconds Out”; at that point, the coaches and seconds must leave the ring immediately, taking their care supplies with them. By sounding the gong, the timekeeper signals the beginning and end of the rounds for the referee. The gong is therefore an instruction for the referee.

Scorekeeper :

The scorekeeper/main juror monitors the score sheets and keeps a record of the total scores of points per round and the total scores of points per match. The score is communicated to the announcer and the coordinators so it can be displayed on the score board. The scorekeeper keeps and archives the score sheets for the GSI.

Ring Announcer :

The announcer is responsible for announcing the match, warnings and the scores. Ten seconds before the beginning of a round the announcer, in conjunction with the timekeeper, issues the command “seconds out” and clearly indicates the number of the round.

1.2.27. Familiarity with Rules

All fighters and coaches are deemed to be familiar with the GSI rules. Appeals pleading unfamiliarity with the rules will not be accepted. Each event must be preceded by a rules meeting.

1.2.28. Protest

Protests that address either a misapplication of a rule or regulation, or an irregularity or impropriety regarding the conductance of a contest or event should be submitted directly to the presiding government regulatory commission or agency that supervised the event, and be presented in accordance with their procedures regarding protests. If the event occurs in a location where no government commission or agency has jurisdiction, the protest should be directed to the independent arbiter or sanction organization contracted to provide impartial regulatory supervision of the event, and in accordance with their procedures regarding protests. Protests limited to questioning a judgment made by an official or officials risk being summarily dismissed. Raising protests or bringing a dispute to the attention of an official during the event can be penalized either with immediate consequences or future consequences in the form of a reprimand equivalent to a yellow card and the accompanying financial sanction.

1.2.29. Over-ruling and unwritten rules

The above rules of the GLORY World Series will always be subordinate and consequently may be revoked or modified depending on the applicable laws and/or ethical standards of the country or state where the event is organized, or by the presiding regulatory body supervising the event.

All affairs or disputes that have not been provided for in the foregoing rules will be addressed and resolved by the on-site supervisor representing the presiding regulatory body.

House rules or Code of conduct: These are the rules which are added depending on the event and are related only to this specific event. These rules will be determined separately for each event.

Appendix A

GLORY FOUR MAN TOURNAMENT FORMAT

Four Man Contender Tournament

Tournament Bouts :

Each bout is scheduled for three rounds of three minutes each with one minute rest intervals.

In the event of a draw, an extra “sudden-victory” round will be contested. The Tournament’s

Final bout may be extended by as many as two extra rounds. In the event of an extra round or rounds, the scores of the previous rounds are cancelled out and only the score of the final round is used to determine which fighter advances, or in the case of the tournament final, which fighter is awarded the championship. Judges may not score the extra round(s) even (a draw).

Bout Scores and General rules :

For the Bout Scores and other rules, tournaments will fall under the general GLORY rules.

Tournament Maximum Knockdown Rules :

The following rules will apply to all tournament bouts EXCEPT THE TOURNAMENT FINAL

A contestant will be declared defeated by technical knocked out if knocked down two times in one and the same round
A contestant will be declared defeated by technical knocked out if knocked down three times in one and the same bout.

The following rules will apply to THE TOURNAMENT FINAL

A contestant will be declared defeated by technical knocked out if knocked down three times in one and the same round.
A contestant will be declared defeated by knocked out if knocked down four times in one and the same bout.

Fighter Selection for a Four Man CONTENDER Tournament:

Four fighters are selected for a contender tournament based on GLORY rankings. If available, the 4th, 5th, 6th and 7 th ranked fighters in that division will be chosen and matched for the opening stage according to the seed match-placement system.

Reserve Bouts:

One Tournament Reserve Bout will be contested to determine the order of standby fighter availability in the event that a tournament fighter is not in condition or allowed to continue and advance to fight in the next stage.

The reserve bout is contested between the fighters ranked #8 and #9 for a CONTENDER tournament or #5 and #6 for a WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP tournament (or the next highest ranking fighter(s) if they are not available). NOTE: A “wild card” fighter may be selected from a pool of the best fighters from the country where the tournament takes place or chosen by other criteria. Or an “alternate fighter” may be designated in lieu of contesting a reserve bout.

Tournament Fighter Substitution Rules:

For tournaments, the following rules apply regarding the prioritized order of substitution options if a fighter in a qualifying round who has earned advancement to the next stage is unable to continue participating.

1st Option: The opponent of the fighter who earned advancement will be entitled to advance unless this right is withdrawn based on convincing reasons.
2nd Option: If the opponent of the fighter who earned advancement does not qualify, the winner of the reserve bout will be placed in the tournament (or the designated “alternate fighter”).
3rd Option: If the winner of the reserve bout does not qualify, the loser of the reserve bout will be placed in the tournament.  If circumstances occur that require substitution beyond the parameters described above, that decision will be made by the GLORY tournament supervisor in conjunction with the presiding athletic commission.

The Winner:

The Winner of a GLORY 4 Man CONTENDER Tournament will be referred to as The Contender