Commission Clarifies "Back of the Head" Rules for MMA
by Kid Nate on Aug 5, 2009 10:59 AM EDT
in MMA News
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From MMA Junkie:
The Association of Boxing Commissions recently held its annual conference in New Orleans, and a number of revisions and clarifications to the Unified Rules of Mixed Martial Arts were approved by the attending members.
...
Among the topics addressed were the addition of weight classes first discussed on 2008, a clearer definition of "the back of the head," and the place of downward striking elbows in the sport.
In short, the ABC elected to keep the weight classes as they are, discarding a previous recommendation to greatly expand the number of weight classes. This is probably a good thing as the expansion was pretty radical, but it's still a disappointment to those of us who would like to see a 206-230lb cruiserweight class open up.
More important was the clarification on which areas of the back of the head are illegal to strike. The debate had been between refs who followed a "headphones" line that prohibited strikes anywhere between the ears on the back half of the head, and those who protected only the narrower "mohawk" zone -- a thin stripe down the back of the head. The ruling was a Solomonic compromise:
"Strikes are not permissible in the nape of the neck area up until the top of the ears. Above the ears, permissible strikes do not include the Mohawk area from the top of the ears up until the crown of the head. The crown of the head is found where the head begins to curve.
In other words, strikes behind the crown of the head and above the ears are not permissible within the Mohawk area. Strikes below the top of the ear are not permissible within the nape of the neck area."
They also ruled that only downward elbow strikes -- "12 to 6" or "ceiling to floor" -- are illegal and strikes to the top of the head from guard are allowed.
Image via MMA Junkie.
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Not too shabby.
Don't believe a word I say, I don't train BJJ. -- I blog at TangleBones - you should follow me on Twitter here.
Agreed – I like these
When a true genius appears in the world, you may know him by this sign, that the dunces are in a confederacy against him. - Jonathan Swift
by Derek Suboticki on Aug 5, 2009 2:26 PM EDT up reply actions
strikes behind the crown of the head and above the ears are not permissible within the Mohawk area
does this matter only on the ground, I can’t remember seeing a back of the head warning when standing, for obvious reasons? But, I am thinking of Lesner’s punch that dropped Couture. That was obviously clean and Couture ducked into it, but it was in this danger zone if I’m understanding it right.
those are considered accidental
I believe, since they usually result from the opponent ducking into them or moving his head.
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Ah cool, so not a foul, but then shouldn’t it be treated like an accidental groin strike where you get 5 minutes to compose yourself?
by Stanlee on Aug 5, 2009 11:16 AM EDT up reply actions 1 recs
eh...
the head thing is usually unnoticed until a replay, and isn’t as cut and dry as a nut shot lol.
I'm like PacMan fightin you silly kids... throw ya Hatton the ring, and get knocked outlike Ricky did.
lol.
From where the ref was, he probably couldn’t tell on that particular punch, you’re right about that.
if you duck
youre going to get hit in the back of the head. Refs usually dont enforce it if you put your head down like that. Tyson used to bitch about it all the time, but he would look at the floor when he ducked. Good technique is to continue looking up/forward.
yeah
I can’t really complain about these. Although I don’t agree with banning the downward elbow strikes.
Nor do I entirely understand the need for the top stripe on the back of the head.
Follow me on Twitter @KidNate
I just remember Silva-Lutter
When Couture and the rest of the booth were confused as to why Anderson’s elbows were legal. If this cleans up some of that ambiguity, I’m all for it.
This seems aimed at Sanchez-Guida to me. Those elbows that opened up the top of Guida’s head looked 12-6 to me, then I read afterwards that 12-6 is determined in relation to the room and not the person throwing the elbows. So this doesn’t seem to be a change, just a clarification.
I think it is the weak part of the skull, but I don’t understand the specification either, really. It is easier and clearer to just disallow all strikes to the back of the head. i.e. the headphones rule.
I don’t know if it matters, but the main part of the skull is actually 3 bones. The borders are pretty much like you’re wearing headphones and the mohawk.
The mohawk rule at the top just stops strikes from hitting that point, I’m not sure what part of the brain is back there or why it matters, but it might be useful.
This is probably a good thing as the expansion was pretty radical, but it’s still a disappointment to those of us who would like to see a 206-230lb cruiserweight class open up.
You really want a cruiserweight today?
I see it ultimately, but right now there isn’t enough depth in the HW division.
I think a cruiserweight is the next class that should be added, before 195, but we don’t need it yet.
The I think that elbow rule should be thrown out entirely.
From what I understand, the only one’s that would be illegal would be if you took the top gif, and rotated both fighters clockwise 90 degrees, and I can’t imagine many situations where those would even be possible in a fight.
In the first gif, he hits him in the mohawk, it’s not the strike that busted him open, but it wasn’t because Joe moved either. illegal.
I dunno. I don’t thinks this makes things any easier. Why not just say any shots to the back of the head from the ears back – behind the headphone area, just be completely illegal? Why partition it off to bits and pieces being allowed, and other parts not?
I love me some Sexyama!
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