Section 1370.730  Attire and Equipment

a)                  Attire and Equipment for Contestants

All contestants shall comply with the following:

1)         Contestants shall wear athletic shorts that do not extend below the knee, such as mixed martial arts shorts, grappling or fighting shorts, boxing shorts or kickboxing shorts, or as specified in the bout agreement.

2)         Each contestant shall have available for the contest 2 uniforms of contrasting colors, consisting of athletic shorts as described in subsection (a)(1).  No leotard or other such costume is permitted.

3)         Shirts or gis shall not be worn by a contestant during a bout, unless approved by the Division.

4)         Knee pads, elbow pads, chest protectors (for male contestants), shin guards, headgear, or closed toe shoes shall not be allowed.

5)         All contestants shall wear an individually fitted mouthpiece, which shall be subject to examination and approval by the Division.

A)        All contestants shall have available 2 mouthpieces; and

B)        A round will not begin until both contestants have their respective mouthpieces in place.

6)         Male contestants shall wear a foul-proof groin protector.

7)         Female contestants:

A)        shall wear a breast protector during the contest with both contestants wearing the same type.  The breast protector shall be subject to examination and approval by the Division; and

B)        may wear a pelvic protector at the option of the contestant.

8)         Taping of hands, wrists and ankles will be subject to approval by the Division. 

9)         A contestant shall be prohibited from wearing any attire or equipment that contains any abrasive material, metal substance, or other hard material such as plastic or buckles.

10)         All equipment and attire, such as neoprene ankle or knee sleeves, or other emerging market materials that comprise equipment and attire, are subject to approval by the Division.  An inspector or other Division representative may direct a contestant to change any attire or equipment that he or she determines gives unfair advantage or is a threat to the health, safety or welfare of the other contestant or the public or could be deemed a detriment to the sport.

b)         Bandages/Handwraps

In all weight classes, seconds must adhere to the following for wrapping hands:

1)         The bandages/handwraps shall consist of soft gauze type cloth that is no more than 15 yards in length and not more than 2 inches in width and held in place by no more than 10 feet or one winding of surgeon's tape not over 2 inches wide.  Up to one 20 yard roll of bandage may be used to complete the wrappings for each hand;

2)         The surgeon's tape shall be placed directly on each hand for protection near the wrist.  The tape may cross the back of the hand twice but may not extend within three-fourths of an inch of the knuckles when the hand is clenched to make a fist;

3)         Bandages shall be evenly distributed across the hand;

4)         Bandages and tape shall be placed on the contestant's hand in the dressing room prior to the bout in the presence of the inspector.  The opposing contestant for a title may also witness the bandaging of the opponent's hands.  This privilege may be waived; and

5)         The Division official shall approve all bandages and taping prior to gloves being placed on any contestant and after gloves are removed.  Under no circumstances are gloves to be placed on the hands of a contestant before approval by the inspector.

c)         Gloves for Contestants

1)         Contestants competing against each other in the same bout shall wear the same weighted gloves.  Gloves shall be clearly marked or have sewn into the lining stating the official weights by the manufacturer.  When gloves are manufactured with a size mark or tag (e.g. Small, Medium, Large or Extra Large) rather than the official weight of the glove, the promoter must provide the glove manufacturer's documentation reflecting the size to weight ratio of the gloves. 

2)         Gloves shall be whole, clean and in good condition.  Broken gloves are prohibited during any bout or contest.

3)         Gloves that are padded in the palm or fingertip area are prohibited.

4)         All gloves shall be inspected and approved by the Division or sanctioning body prior to each bout.  The designee of the Division may inspect gloves at any time.

5)         Promoters must have extra sets of gloves in each size used during the contest to be used in case gloves are broken or in any way damaged during the course of a bout.  Promoters are prohibited from furnishing gloves to the Division that were provided by a contestant.

6)         Gloves shall be appropriate in size for the contestant and shall be no less than 6 ounces and no more than 8 ounces in weight.