New Mexico Register / Volume XXXVII,
Issue 18 / September 22, 2026
This is an
amendment to 15.6.6 NMAC, Sections 7, 8, 10, 11, and 14, effective 09/22/2026.
15.6.6.7 DEFINITIONS: “Officials” [refers to
the event referees, announcers, timekeepers, and judges.] Means any
individual licensed by the commission to perform duties at a sanctioned unarmed
combat event, including but not limited to referees, judges, timekeepers, and announcers.
The term also includes any other person designated or approved by the commission
to perform official functions or assume a position of authority during an
event.
[15.6.6.7 NMAC
- N, 03/23/2002; A, 08/26/2012; A, 09/22/2026]
15.6.6.8 [REFEREES AND JUDGES ARE ASSIGNED] OFFICIALS
APPROVED BY THE COMMISSION:
A. Commission assigns officials for bouts and exhibitions: [The]
Upon submission of event permit application, the commission shall [assign]
review and approve list of event coordinators, deputy inspectors, physicians,
timekeeper, referees and judges to each professional unarmed combat, bout,
program, match, or exhibition conducted by a licensed promoter in New Mexico.
(1) In making assignments, the commission will consider an
official’s past performance, safety record, experience, knowledge, and
judgement. The assignment of officials will be made at the will of, and in the
sole discretion of, the commission.
(2) Licensure does not guarantee that
the commission will assign a licensed individual as an
official.
(3) All officials shall execute an
acknowledgement and signing Code of Conduct form affirming that they have read,
understand, and agree to adhere to, comply with, and be bound by the New Mexico
Athletic Commission Code of Conduct.
B. Officials paid by promoter: All officials assigned
and directed by the commission to be in attendance at
any event, bout, program, match, or exhibition shall be paid by the licensed
promoter for the event in accordance with the fee schedule furnished by the
commission to the promoter. Official fees may be reviewed and amended
annually at the discretion of the commission, including adjustments based on
changes in the cost of living.
C. Number and substitution of officials: The number of officials
required to be in attendance, or the substitution of officials for any reason
or at any time during the event, bout, program, match, or exhibition, shall be
solely within the power and discretion of the commission. Once the
commission has approved number of bouts on the event permit, the following number
of officials will apply:
(1) eight bouts or less: one physician. two referees, three
judges, one timekeeper, minimum of eight deputy inspectors;
(2) nine to 14 bouts: one physician, three referees, four
judges, one timekeeper, minimum of ten deputy inspectors;
(3) 15 to 24 bouts: two physicians, three
referees, four judges, one timekeeper, minimum of 10 to 12 deputy inspectors.
[15.6.6.8 NMAC
- N, 03/23/2002; A, 08/26/2012; A, 01/15/2015; A, 09/22/2026]
15.6.6.10 THE
UNARMED COMBAT REFEREE:
A. License required: [A referee must be licensed by
the commission before he will be permitted, assigned, or directed by the
commission to assume the duties and powers of a referee.]
(1) No person shall act as a referee in a match held
in New Mexico without first having obtained a referee license.
(2) A referee must be licensed by the commission
before he will be permitted, assigned, or
directed by
the commission to assume the duties and powers of a referee.
(3) A referee shall also not be licensed as a promoter,
matchmaker, unarmed combatant,
representative of a promoter,
second, or trainer.
(4) No referee shall have a financial
or pecuniary interest in any participant.
B. Duties and powers: The unarmed combatant referee shall
have the following duties and powers:
(1) Inspecting
the ring cage or fighting area per 15.6.7 NMAC.
(2) To
instruct the contestants.
(3) To
inspect each unarmed combatant gloves and make sure that no foreign, harmful,
or detrimental substances have been applied to either the gloves or to the
bodies of the boxers.
(4) To
stop a bout or contest at any stage on the grounds that it is too
one-sided. In such an event, the referee
may award the bout to the superior contestant as a technical knockout.
(5) To
stop a bout or contest at any stage if he determines that one or both of the
unarmed combatant are not competing in earnest.
In such an event, the referee may disqualify one or both of the
contestants. If only one contestant is
disqualified, the referee may award the bout as a technical knockout to the
other contestant.
(6) To stop a bout or contest at any stage
on account of a major foul being committed by either contestant. In such an event, in a boxing contest the
referee may award the decision to the boxer who was fouled.
(7) If, during the course in a match, the referee receives an
injury or is unable to continue
acting in the capacity as referee,
the commission representative shall:
(a) Select
another qualified person to act as referee for the remainder of the match and program
of matches; or
(b) If
no qualified person is available, cancel the remainder of the match and program
of matches.
(8) Enforce
discipline and the rules, as set forth herein, pertaining to the conduct and
behavior
of participants, manager, trainers, and seconds.
[15.6.6.10
NMAC – N, 03/23/2002; A, 08/26/2012; A, 09/22/2026]
15.6.6.11 [RESERVED] THE JUDGE:
A. License required:
(1)
No person shall act as a judge in a match held in New Mexico without first
having obtained judge license.
(2) A judge shall not also be licensed as
a promoter, matchmaker, participant, representative of promoter, second, or
trainer.
(3) No judge shall have a financial or
pecuniary interest in any unarmed combatant.
B. Duties:
(1) Be
fully informed of and conversant with the rules, regulations, standards,
guidelines and policies of New Mexico Athletic Commission and ABC Boxing
Commission.
(2) Observe carefully at all times during
the match the performance of the participants.
(3) Appraise such performance fairly, accurately
and professionally in accordance with the ABC Boxing Rules and Guidelines.
(4) Record the results of each appraisal
after every round on the round score card in accordance with the ABC Boxing
scoring criteria.
(5) Complete and sign the round card and
deliver it to the referee at the conclusion of each round.
[15.6.6.11
NMAC - N, 09/22/2026]
15.6.6.14 THE
TIMEKEEPER:
A. License required: A timekeeper must be licensed by the
commission before [he will be] being permitted by the commission
to assume the duties of a timekeeper.
Unlicensed persons may not be employed by the promoter to act as
timekeepers for an event being conducted by the promoter.
B. Location of the timekeeper: The
timekeeper must sit outside the ring, cage or fighting area and close to the
gong.
C. Tools of the timekeeper: Each
timekeeper must have either a whistle or a gong and a stopwatch, which must be
submitted for approval by the commission representative in attendance at the
unarmed combat event.
D. Knockout protocol: In the event that a bout terminates
by a knockout during any round, the timekeeper shall inform the announcer of
the exact duration of the round.
E. Ten-second signals required: The timekeeper shall signal 10
seconds prior to the beginning of any round.
At such signal, all seconds must leave the inside of the ring, cage or
fighting area and all stools and equipment must be removed from the ring, cage
or fighting area. The timekeeper must
not signal during the progress of a round except to indicate that only 10
seconds remain in the round.
F. Signal end of round: The timekeeper must use the
appropriate [time keeper] timekeeper signal to indicate the
ending of each round.
[15.6.6.14
NMAC - N, 03/23/2002; A, 08/26/2012; A, 09/22/2026]