§ 3.3. Physicians.
(a) A physician licensed to practice in this Commonwealth will be assigned by the Executive Director to every contest, weigh-in and exhibition. A physician so assigned in the case of professional events shall also be licensed by the Commission under sections 905(a) and 910 of the Athletic Code (relating to other licenses required; and standards for issuance of licenses and permits). In emergencies or unusual circumstances, the Commission may waive the requirement that the physician assigned be licensed under sections 905(a) and 910 of the Athletic Code. Physicians are not required to be licensed under the Athletic Code in the case of amateur events.
(b) The physician assigned to the weigh-in shall file a complete written report on each person examined upon a form prescribed by the Commission. Examinations shall be conducted in accordance with procedures prescribed by the Commission as approved by the Medical Advisory Board of the Commonwealth, which are set forth in the Medical/Safety Manual published by the Commission. Each boxer shall be so examined before the start of each event in which he is scheduled to participate, and may not participate if pronounced physically unfit by the examining physician.
(c) The physician assigned to an event shall be seated at the immediate ringside throughout the event and may not leave the ring untended while the event is in progress. An event may not commence or continue without an assigned physician in attendance. An assigned physician may not leave the premises of the event without notice to and approval of a commissioner, the Executive Director or an inspector. The physician shall remain on the premises after the event until satisfied that no further need of medical service remains.
(d) While on duty at an event, the assigned physician shall render emergency assistance inside and outside the ring to persons under the jurisdiction of the Commission and shall be especially prepared to minister to the injuries and illnesses that are to be anticipated under the circumstances of the event.
(e) The attending physician shall have full authority to determine and to pass upon the physical condition of participants and officials in the ring. For that purpose he shall have access to the ring at all times and shall be empowered to direct the referee to interrupt action pending determination of and decision upon the physical condition of a participant or official apparently in need of attention because of injury. The decision of the physician in attendance with respect to the ability of a participant or an official to continue in action shall be conclusive and shall be enforced by the referee in all cases. The attending physician shall be empowered to direct the referee to terminate action when a participant is evidently in jeopardy from exhaustion or punishment. In case of termination, there may be no resumption of action thereafter.
(f) In case of injury to a participant covered by insurance, the attending physician shall execute and file with the Commission the appropriate form of report for the injury to the insurance carrier on the form prescribed by the insurance carrier.
(g) When injury to or illness of a person occurs under the jurisdiction of the Commission, the attending physician shall have complete charge of the person while on the premises and shall be accorded the full cooperation of Commission personnel and licensees present.
(h) When a knockout or technical knockout of a boxer occurs, the attending physician shall follow up ministration in the ring, at ringside or in the dressing room and shall take measures and give instructions that may be appropriate. After the event, the attending physician shall complete a post-fight check on each boxer who competed in the event on the form prescribed by the Commission in the Medical/Safety Manual.
(i) The attending physician is empowered to inspect and pass upon first aid and safety equipment provided for the event and to inspect and pass upon equipment intended to be used by seconds in ministering to boxers.
(j) When it appears to a ringside physician that a boxer or referee is no longer safely able to continue competitive or official activity, the physician shall immediately so report to the Commission and recommend the temporary or the permanent retirement of the person if appropriate.
Authority The provisions of this § 3.3 amended under the Athletic Code, 5 Pa.C.S. § 103(b)(1).
Source The provisions of this § 3.3 adopted March 11, 1946; amended through November 1, 1966; amended November 10, 1978, effective November 11, 1978, 8 Pa.B. 3094; 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 (251517) to (251518).
Notes of Decisions Guidelines for assigning a physician at ringside and setting the fee which a wrestling promotor must pay to the physician, and which have no promulgated schedule of fees, create potential for abuse, by failing to safeguard against the assignment of arbitrarily large fee for physician. Thus, before a license may be revoked for failure to pay a set fee, fee must be sufficiently definite. Tattrie v. State Athletic Commission, 521 A.2d 970 (Pa. Cmwlth. 1987).
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