Section 2: Equipment
Mandatory Safety Equipment
- Mouth Guard: All participants must wear a mouth guard at all times during competition. No participant may compete without a properly fitted mouth guard.
- Cotton Inner Ear Protectors: All participants must wear cotton inner ear protectors to reduce the risk of ear injury from impact.
Prohibited Items
- No head, facial, neck, arm, hand, or finger jewelry of any kind
- No headgear or hats
- No equipment on the hands, arms, or shoulders (such as braces or wraps) on the striking hand. Non-invasive wraps and athletic tape may be permitted on the non-striking hand, arm, or shoulder only.
- No body grease, gels, balms, lotions, oils, or other substances applied to the hair, face, or body. Excessive amounts of water are also prohibited.
Exceptions
Petroleum jelly may be applied solely by an authorized cutman if the cutman or supervising physician determines it is necessary for the safety of the participant. The Promoter may permit additional equipment if it has a health and safety function or is used to collect performance data, in consultation with the Executive Director and/or the Commission.
Grooming Requirements
- Fingernails must be cut below the fingertips and rounded without sharp edges
- Hair must be pulled back such that it is not in the Permitted Target Area
- Facial hair is permitted; the Promoter may set beard length restrictions
Chalk
Chalk provided by the Promoter must be used by participants on their striking hand prior to their first strike. Additional chalk is required thereafter only at the referee's instruction, based on whether the striking hand has sufficient chalk to indicate where the strike lands. Towels are provided for wiping excess chalk. The referee retains discretion to determine when chalk use is excessive.