§ 21.11. Referees.
(a) Professional boxing referees shall be licensed by the Commission and will be appointed by the Executive Director to officiate in each professional contest and exhibition under the jurisdiction of the Commission except exhibitions conducted solely for training or instruction purposes.
(b) To qualify as a professional boxing referee and to obtain a license in that capacity, an applicant shall conform to the following requirements:
(1) Be at least 21 years of age, of good moral character and reputation, of sound physical health and of a level of intelligence and degree of attainment as a student of boxing satisfactory to the Executive Director.
(2) Serve an apprenticeship of at least 3 months during which he shall diligently study the Athletic Code and this part, especially the portions that pertain to boxing and to the duties of boxing referees, and shall work with and undergo instruction under the direction of licensed officials under conditions and occasions the Commission designates.
(c) The powers and duties of a professional boxing referee shall be as follows:
(1) To exercise immediate authority, direction and control over each contest and exhibition to which he is appointed.
(2) To submit to physical examination at the discretion of the Executive Director.
(3) To wear in the ring apparel of a type, style and color approved by the Commission.
(4) To determine the identity of the chief seconds of the respective boxers and to give final instructions to the boxers and to their seconds as he deems appropriate before the start of each contest and exhibition under his direction; to hold the chief seconds responsible for their own conduct and for the conduct of their respective assistant seconds in all matters pertaining to the contest; and to remove or cause to be removed from the ring or the vicinity a manager, second, trainer or other person who interferes with the conduct of the contest. In addition to ejecting the individual, a referee may also deduct points from a boxer during a contest. Furthermore, the Commission may suspend or fine the manager, second or trainer or impose both a suspension and a fine.
(5) To check the gloves, equipment and persons of the boxers before the start of each contest and exhibition and as he sees fit throughout to assure that no unsafe or improper condition exists.
(6) To observe carefully and continually the physical condition of the participants and have full and final responsibility either at his own discretion, or upon direction from the attending physician, for the immediate halting of a contest when the safety of a boxer would be, for any reason, jeopardized by continuance.
(7) To exercise his full authority to interrupt the progress of a round in the event of injury to a participant by directing the timekeeper to stop the clock and calling the attending physician into the ring to examine and rule upon the condition of the injured boxer. If the physician determines that the boxer is fit to continue, the referee shall direct the timekeeper to start the clock and resume the round from the point of interruption. When an injury has resulted from an accidental or intentional foul by the opposing boxer, as listed in § 21.16(b) (relating to Safety Code), the referee upon advice of the attending physician may order a rest period not to exceed 5 minutes.
(8) To enforce the rules of professional boxing in Subpart B of the Athletic Code (relating to boxing), the referee’s manual and this part.
(9) To take away points from the score of the boxer in the event of foul tactics by the boxer at any time during a round in which the foul tactics have occurred. When he has taken action, he shall inform the judges, a Commissioner or the Executive Director and the chief seconds of the participants.
(10) To disqualify either or both participants in a contest for failure to perform according to due standards of effort, ability or conduct and to recommend the withholding of compensation otherwise payable to the disqualified boxer or the imposition of a fine, suspension or other penalties, or one or all of these penalties, as he deems appropriate.
(11) To collect and deliver the completed, signed, official scorecard of each judge to the Executive Director or an inspector after each round.
(12) To decide whether or not a boxer has been knocked down during the course of a round and indicate that decision to the timekeeper, whose count shall be accordingly continued or discontinued. If the count is to be continued, the referee shall pick it up verbally and by gesture after first making sure that the opponent of the fallen boxer has retreated to the neutral corner of the ring.
(13) To confirm the official result and whether it has been reached by decision on points, by knockout, by technical knockout or by disqualification to the Commission at the conclusion of each contest under his direction.
(d) A referee while officiating shall wear disposable latex hygienic gloves to be paid for and provided by the promoter.
Authority The provisions of this § 21.11 amended under the Athletic Code, 5 Pa.C.S. § 103(b)(1).
Source The provisions of this § 21.11 adopted March 11, 1946; amended through November 1, 1966; amended April 10, 1992, effective April 11, 1992, 22 Pa.B. 1760; amended May 17, 2002, effective May 18, 2002, 32 Pa.B. 2443. Immediately preceding text appears at serial pages (242857) to (242859).
Cross References This section cited in 58 Pa. Code § 23.6 (relating to referees).
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