Issue 065

August 2010

In this monthly column, UFC referee Marc Goddard will explain the obstacles a referee must overcome, clarify questions on rules and regulations and comment on high-profile incidents relating to officiating. 

PRACTICE MAKES PERFECT

Touching on last month’s feature of just what a referee may be expected to encounter in the days and hours leading up to a show – time, travel and distances, coupled with the physical aspect – hopefully gave an insight into the practical side of what an official might encounter in the line of duty. Self-learning and development is an area that many a casual observer or fan may not realize both myself and my peers undertake. 

It’s not just what goes on in the cage that counts, or only that which we must concern ourselves about – as officials we have a basic responsibility to stay one step ahead of the game, to be the very best we can be both physically and mentally. The physical aspect is fundamental and forms a vital part of any referee’s game, but something often misunderstood and overlooked is the extracurricular activities undertaken in order to stay sharp. 

We must keep abreast of current Unified Rule changes and understand our subject matter both inside and out, all to the finest detail – we never know what we may be presented with from one fight to the next, but each and every occurrence has to be (at the very least, should be) applied to the letter of the law with no room for error.  

I take it upon myself to stay on top of my game as often as I can, and this encompasses many forms. From my competition and coaching past I am fortunate that I can fully comprehend a technical, transitional chess match played out on the mat (which requires and deserves my understanding as a referee) so that I can determine and fully understand just exactly what I am watching unfold. The latest set-ups and techniques – and their application within a fight scenario – require my understanding. Knowing your subject matter is vital in the role of an MMA official. You can never have too much knowledge.  

Incidents, occurrences and fight endings require my time and scrutiny, both for matches that I have been involved in directly and others that I have not. There are so many variables and different endings that may occur in any given fight, studying as many as you can means you can add to your library of mental notes – you never know just when in the future you may need them.  

Something that I have suggested to fighters that I have worked with is that it is all too easy to sit down and study your losses, but what about your wins? I will watch many of the fights that I have officiated, including fights that may have had a question raised and, perhaps more importantly, the vast majority that pass without incident. This is so I can study my movements – could I have been better placed? Was my timing correct? Did I make the right call? And what, if anything, could I have done to further underline the protocol of being the best that you can be 100% of the time? 

IN THE CAGE...

Those who saw the recent Dream 14 matchup between Japanese legend Kazushi Sakuraba and Brazilian jiu-jitsu standout Ralek Gracie would have noticed the referee’s disturbing intervention as the fight drew to a close. 

Sakuraba was working for his trademark kimura. As they jostled for position, Ralek was swept to his back. Sakuraba worked for mount with the kimura still firmly locked on, and his legs pulled Ralek’s shorts down past his buttocks (fortunately for Gracie, a pair of compression shorts prevented any blushes). What resulted was one of the most bizarre interventions that you could hope to see. 

The ref moved in on Ralek’s wayward shorts and tried to pull them back up around his waist. What resulted was a holy mess (that lasted some 30 seconds) with the hapless ref pulling on Ralek’s shorts like an over attentive mother tucking in a child’s clothing outside the school gates. The referee then ‘reset’ the fighters as he thought they were, only for Ralek to counter the kimura with a deep armbar. Gracie won by unanimous decision. 

‘Falling shorts’ is not actually covered in the rule set. I have had a similar situation before; a fighter’s shorts started to fall, but not so dramatic as the above fight. If I was reffing this fight, I would have let the fighters continue as long as possible. If the shorts had continued to fall, I would have looked to take them off and allow the fight to continue without any other unnecessary intervention. 

The fact that a possible fight-ending submission was being worked makes the decision to act even more difficult. Had the referee left it and Sakuraba had gone on to get the tap, then you can imagine the uproar! It’s a tough one, and thankfully not a situation seen very often. 

ASK THE REF Q&A

Don’t know your DQ’s from your decisions? Each issue, Marc will answer your questions on the ‘Unified Rules’ used in MMA. 

I was thinking about Rousimar Palhares and his leglock during UFC 111. If a fighter holds onto a submission and causes injury when a fighter is tapping, can he be disqualified?  

Great question. The simple answer is yes, a fighter can be disqualified. This falls into a couple of areas, mainly failing to adhere to the referee’s instruction. When a fighter taps, it is up to the referee (not the fighter) to stop the contest. All too often people misunderstand this. Of course, it is very sportsmanlike to release a submission upon feeling or seeing the opponent tap. But there have been instances where a fighter has claimed he did not tap – the referee did not see it or call a stop to the action, and it can cost a fighter a win. If a fighter submits I yell, ‘Stop, stop, stop.’ If after I shouted stop, the ‘winner’ ignores my call and holds the submission, he would be disqualified no question – once I have ripped him from his opponent.  

What was wrong with the elbows that Jon Jones used when he got DQ’d against Matt Hamill? We see fighters use the point of the elbow all the time, like when Diego Sanchez fought Clay Guida. Why is one illegal and the other not?  

The point of the elbow is fine to the legal areas – the only illegal elbow in unified MMA is when you strike from above your opponent with your hand at 12 o’clock and the elbow at six, thus striking directly down with the point of the elbow. Most commonly this will occur in the mounted position, or very rarely sometimes a jumping Thai-style elbow. This is relative to the ground, not your opponent – if I am on my back with my opponent in my guard, I am fine to bring the point of the elbow to the face and legal target area of the head, so long as it is not in a downward motion.  

Is the twister legal in the UFC?  

Yes, the twister is a totally legal submission in professional unified MMA. Any manipulation to the spine (twisters, can openers, etc) are legal submissions. Only direct striking to the spine (and back of the head / neck) is illegal. Due to the obviously very sensitive area that they are applied, it is imperative that a referee understand exactly what is going on in front of him so that when the tap comes he can prevent any damage to the fighter. It is a very rare move and very difficult to pull off in an MMA match. I think that Joe Rogan would have a seizure live on air if anyone ever pulled that off – he would most likely implode!