PROFESSIONAL FREE FIGHTING

Rules
The current rules for the free Fighting Championship were originally established by world free fighting organization the becoming mandatory for all countries that have adopted the rules, and so have become the standard de facto set of rules for professional and amateur across the country.

Rounds
Every round in WFFO competition is five minutes in duration. Title matches have five rounds, and non-title matches have three rounds. Tournaments have 4 rounds: 2 X5 minutes and 2X3 minutes.
There is 2 minutes rest period between rounds.

Weight divisions
The WFFO use 6 weight classes: (professional)
Light weight under132.28 lb (60 kg)
Welterweight:: 146 to 155 lb (70 kg)
Middleweight: 156 to 176.37 lb (80 kg)
Light Heavyweight: 176.38 198.42 to 185 lb (90 kg)
Heavyweight: 198.42 to 205 lb (100 kg)
Super Heavyweight: 0ver 205 lb (+100 kg)

The Hexagon or octagon.
The WFFO uses a Hexagon or octagon caged enclosure, the walls consisting of metal or rope chain-link fencing coated with white vinyl, with a diameter of 6 m of space from point to point. The fence is 40 cm high. It has foam padding around the top of the fence and between each section. It also has an entry-exit gat.
The mat, painted with sponsorship logos and art, is replaced for each event.
Equipment All competitors must fight in approved pants, without shoes or any other sort of foot padding. Fighters must use approved light gloves (100 to 150 g / 3 to 5 ounces) that allow fingers to grab. These gloves enable fighters to use tremendous punching power with less risk of an injured or broken hand, while providing capability in grabbing and grappling.
Matches usually end via:
Submission: a fighter taps on the mat or his opponent three times (or more) or verbally submits.
Knockout: a fighter falls from a legal blow and is either unconscious or unable to immediately continue.
Technical Knockout: stoppage of the fight by the referee if the referee determines a fighter cannot "intelligently defend" himself; if warnings to the fighter to improve his position or defense go unanswered (generally, two warnings are given, about 5 seconds apart); or by ringside doctor due to injury.
Judges' Decision: Depending on scoring, a match may end as:
Unanimous decision (all three judges score a win for one fighter),
split decision (two judges score a win for one fighter with the third for the other),
majority decision (two judges score a win for one fighter with one for a draw),
Unanimous draw (all three judges score a draw),
majority draw (two judges score a draw).
split draw (the total points for each fighter is equal)
A fight can also end in a technical decision, technical draw, disqualification, forfeit or no contest.

Fouls
The WFFO Commission currently lists the following as fouls
Butting with the head.
Eye gouging of any kind.
Biting.
Hair pulling.
Fish hooking.
Groin attacks of any kind.
Putting a finger into any orifice or into any cut or laceration on an opponent.
Small joint manipulation.
Striking to the spine or the back of the head.
Striking downward using the point of the elbow.)
Throat strikes of any kind, including, without limitation, grabbing the trachea.
Clawing, pinching or twisting the flesh.
Grabbing the clavicle.
Kicking the head of a grounded opponent.
Kneeing the head of a grounded opponent.
Stomping the head of a grounded opponent.
Kicking to the kidney with the heel.
Spiking an opponent to the canvas on his head or neck throwing an opponent out of the ring or fenced area.
Holding the pants or gloves of an opponent.
Spitting at an opponent.
Engaging in unsportsmanlike conduct that causes an injury to an opponent.
Holding the ropes or the fence.
Using abusive language in the ring or fenced area.
Attacking an opponent on or during the break.
Attacking an opponent who is under the care of the referee.
Attacking an opponent after the bell (horn) has sounded the end of a round.
Flagrantly disregarding the instructions of the referee.
Timidity, including, without limitation, avoiding contact with an opponent, intentionally or consistently dropping the mouthpiece or faking an injury.
Interference by the corner.
Throwing in the towel during competition.
Using a foreign object in the ring to your advantage.
When a foul is charged, the referee in their discretion may deduct one or more points as a penalty. If a foul incapacitates a fighter, then the match may end in a disqualification if the foul was intentional, or a no contest if unintentional. If a foul causes a fighter to be unable to continue later in the bout, it ends with a technical decision win to the injured fighter if the injured fighter is ahead on points; otherwise it is a technical draw.

Match conduct
The referee has the right to stop the fighters and stand them up if they reach a stalemate on the ground (where neither are in a dominant position, nor are working towards one) after a verbal warning. This rule is codified in Nevada as the stand-up rule.

If the referee pauses the match, the match is resumed with the fighters in the position they were before.
Any grabbing of the cage will result in a verbal warning, followed by an attempt by the referee to release the grab by pulling on the grabbing hand. If that attempt fails or if the fighter continues to hold the cage, the referee may charge a foul.
Early WFFO events disregarded verbal sparring / "trash-talking" during matches themselves. Under unified rules, antics are permitted before events to add to excitement and allow fighters to express themselves, but abusive language during combat is strictly prohibited.
The Free Fighter
Fights that occur on the free Fighter are technically classified as exhibition matches under WFFO sanctioning, and thus do not count toward the professional record of a fighter. Match outcomes also do not need to be immediately posted publicly, which allows for fight results to be unveiled as the series progresses.

AMATEUR FREE FIGHTING

The event will consist of limited rules amateur Free Fighting matches.
Only fists are allowed to head.

Match Area:
All matches will be held within a minimum of a six-meter matted square, called the 'fighting area'. This area is surrounded by a one-meter safety zone or or Hexagon or octagon caged enclosure, the walls consisting of metal or rope chain-link fencing coated with white vinyl, with a diameter of 6 m of space from point to point. The fence is 40 cm high. It has foam padding around the top of the fence and between each sections. It also has an entry-exit gat.

Fight Wear:

T-shirts, Gi, wrestling singlet, suitable vest and shorts or any combination of these.
Bare top permitted.
Wrestling boots, trainers and martial arts shoes permitted.

Compulsory Safety Equipment:
League Fights: gum shield, groin guard, gloves, and shin & instep pads.
Gloves: Harbinger, Viper, Rogue and most Free fighting specific gloves.*
Shin & instep pads: Viper and most styles of soft shin pad suitable for foot pads with shin pads will be allowed. Shin pads that include any form of plastic or metal fastening will not be permitted*.
Optional Equipment: Kneepads
Kneepads: Most soft styles of kneepad are permitted*

*Equipment has to be approved on competition day by an official.

Match Duration:

All matches are 1 x 5 minute round.

Ways to Win:

You can win a match by:
Forcing your opponent to submit (to tap-out), or to quit.
The referee stopping the match or disqualifying your opponent.
By knock-out or technical knock out.


Weight Categories:

Men
- 60 KG - Straw weight
- 65 KG - Flyweight
- 70 KG - Lightweight
- 75 KG - Super Lightweight
- 80 KG - Welterweight
- 85 KG - Middleweight
- 90 KG - Super Middleweight
- 95 KG - Light Heavyweight
+ 95 KG - Heavyweight


Women
- 55 KG – Flyweight
- 60 KG – Lightweight
- 70 KG - Light Heavyweight
+ 70 KG - Heavyweight


Legal Techniques:

Standing
All punching and kicking techniques to the body or legs.
All knee strikes to the body or legs.
All throws & takedowns.
On the ground
Punches and knees to the body only.
All permitted submissions.
Restarts

The match will be restarted in the case of the following
Competitors are in danger of leaving the matted area
The referee needs to check a cut
The referee needs to re-position or replace safety equipment
In the case of this type of a restart the fighters will be restarted in the same basic strategic position in the center of the area.

If there is a restart due to a prolonged lack of action from grounded fighters, the fighters will be restarted standing.

ILLEGAL TECHNIQUES:
No hair-pulling, biting, eye gouging, head-butting, ear pulling or fish-hooking.
No elbow strikes permitted.
No manipulation of small joints (fingers, toes).
No striking directly to joints.
No holding of gloves or other safety equipment.
No heel-hooking or any other technique that places a twisting motion on the ankle or knee joint.
No standing submission attempts
No pulling of clothing permitted except to opponent's belt, or to opponents wearing GI's.
No striking directly to spine.
No neck cranking attacks such as Can-opener, Crucifix etc.
No groin strikes permitted.
Striking not permitted for fighters at different levels (e.g., one grounded, one standing).
Directly attacking the nose is not permitted.
Any technique which results in, or is liable to result in, your opponent being spiked (dropped directly on to his/her head).
Throat strikes of any kind, including without limitation, grabbing the trachea or clavicle.
Clawing, pinching or twisting the flesh.
Kicking to the kidney with the heel.
Throwing the competitor out of the fighting area.

RULES:
All league matches that go the full 5 minutes will be classified as a draw - there is no judge's decision.
All matches are full-contact.
The referee can warn or disqualify any competitor for disobeying the rules.
If a fighter is not intelligently defending himself then the referee will stop the match.
The referee's instructions must be adhered to and his or her decisions are final.
Gum Shields must remain in the mouth at all times. The referee may pause the action to replace gum shields that have fallen from a competitor's mouth.
Safety equipment must remain properly attached to the body. The referee can pause the action for required adjustment of any safety equipment.
A fighter is classed as 'grounded' if any part of their body, except for the soles of the feet, comes into contact with the mat.
Fighters must remain within the fighting area. Failure to do so could result in a warning for standing fighters or a re-start for grounded fighters.
The referee can stand grounded fighters if there is a prolonged 'lack of action' on the ground.
One coach is allowed in the fighting area. Coaches must keep outside the matted area.
All competitors are expected to behave in a 'sportsman-like' manner.
Competitors who wish to retire at any stage must communicate this to the competition host.
No oils (including Vaseline) may be applied to any part of the body.

Competitors Disallowed Entry:

In the interest of maintaining safety and fairness within amateur competition, competitors who have fought in two or more 'professional' Free fighting bouts within the last twelve months will not be permitted to compete in League matches. For the sake of this rule, the term 'professional bout' will be deemed to describe a bout in which head strikes are permitted both whilst standing AND on the ground. Amateur' bouts (head strikes permitted standing but not whilst on the ground) are not considered as a 'professional bout' for the sake of this exclusion.