| (a) Bond and Insurance Requirements for Promoters
(1) At the time of licensure and upon each renewal,
a promoter applicant must submit to the department proof of financial
responsibility by:
(A) submitting a $15,000 surety bond written by a bonding
company authorized to do business in the State of Texas guaranteeing
payment of all obligations, except gross receipts taxes, arising out
of events promoted by the applicant which shall remain in effect for
four years after the effective cancellation date; and
(B) submitting a $15,000 surety bond, written by a
bonding company authorized to do business in the State of Texas, guaranteeing
payment of gross receipts taxes owed for promoted events, which shall
remain in effect for four years after the effective cancellation date.
(2) The promoter shall provide insurance and pay all
deductibles for contestants, to cover medical, surgical and hospital
care with a minimum limit of $50,000 for injuries sustained while
participating in a contest and $100,000 to a contestant's estate if
he dies of injuries received while participating in a contest. The
insurance premium and deductibles shall not be deducted from the contestant's
purse. At least ten calendar days before an event, the promoter shall
provide to the department for each event sponsored, a certificate
of insurance showing proper coverage. The promoter shall supply to
those participating in the event the proper information for filing
a medical claim.
(b) A promoter shall:
(1) Bear all financial responsibility for the event.
(2) Provide the department written notice of all proposed
event dates, ticket prices, and participants of the main event, at
least 21 days before the proposed event date and obtain written department
approval to promote the event before advertising or selling tickets.
Promoters who have cancelled or postponed two events in sequence after
having obtained department approval for the events will be required
to pay the permit fee set out in §61.80(c) at the time the 21
day notice is filed. The fee will not be refunded.
(3) Obtain written department approval for the fight
card at least 10 working days before the event date in a manner prescribed
by the department. The request shall contain the full legal name,
address, date-of-birth, Texas contestant license number, Federal Identification
number, weight, previous fight record (by supplying current results
from the contestant's boxing registry recognized by the Professional
Boxing Safety Act of 1996, 15 USC §§6301-6313 or from Mixed
Martial Arts, LLC the national registry for MMA contestants), and
number of rounds to be fought for each contestant. In addition, the
department may require submission of certified birth certificates
or other official evidence of identification.
(4) Provide written notice to the department of any
change in the card before the scheduled weigh-in. Notices announcing
changes or substitutions in the card must also be conspicuously posted
at the box office and announced from the ring before the opening bout.
(5) Provide to the department, written notice of any
change in the announced or advertised location, time or card cancellations
before the scheduled weigh-in.
(6) Provide two ringside physicians, to be assigned
by the department, for each event.
(7) Provide at least one physician to conduct pre-fight
physicals. The department may require additional physicians depending
on the event size. Provide a private area for the ringside physician
to perform pre-fight examinations.
(8) Assure that beverages are only allowed in paper
or plastic cups at the event.
(9) Immediately after the event, compensate the ringside
physicians, timekeepers, judges, referees and contestants. Payment
of percentage contracts shall be made when the amount can be determined.
Payments that do not require additional accounting or auditing, shall
be made in the presence of an authorized department representative.
(10) Provide no less than two private dressing rooms
of adequate size for the contestants, their licensed managers, and
seconds, and separate dressing rooms for male and female contestants.
Only working department employees, contract inspectors, media, physicians,
working ring officials, promoter staff, manager, and seconds will
be allowed in the dressing rooms.
(11) Ensure that no alcoholic beverages or illegal
drugs are in the dressing room.
(12) Ensure the safety of the contestants, officials,
and spectators.
(A) There shall be a pre-fight plan and route to remove
an injured contestant from the ring and arena. The promoter shall
inform the department of the plan which shall include the name and
location of a local hospital emergency room.
(B) A sufficient number of security personnel shall
be retained to maintain order.
(13) Schedule no less than 24 or more than 60 rounds
for each boxing event. No bout shall exceed 10 rounds, except a championship
or title bout which shall not exceed 12 rounds. A sparring or exhibition
bout shall not exceed three rounds.
(14) Schedule no less than 6 or more than 15 bouts
for each mixed martial arts event.
(15) Ensure that the rules in §61.106 regarding
equipment and gloves that apply to a particular type of event are
followed and that each event is conducted in compliance with the following:
(A) The ring apron shall be kept clear at all times
of objects including, but not limited to: cameras, microphones, and
advertisements. A separate camera platform at a neutral corner of
the ring for use by camera operators may be provided. Camera operators
may be allowed on the ring apron during rest periods, between bouts,
or at the discretion of the executive director, or his designee.
(B) No seats may be sold at the ring apron or within
the technical zone.
(C) The technical zone shall be set up for the department,
according to the instructions of the executive director or his designee;
provided that the guests of working officials may not enter the technical
zone.
(D) All emergency medical personnel and portable medical
equipment shall be located within the technical zone during the event.
There must be a resuscitator, oxygen, stretcher, a certified ambulance,
neck brace, defibrillator, backboard, portable suction, and an emergency
medical technician on site for all contests. The executive director,
or his designee, may require additional medical personnel and equipment
depending on the number of matches scheduled.
(E) The judges' chairs shall be high enough that their
shoulders shall be no lower than the ring floor. Physician ringside
seats shall be in the neutral corner(s).
(F) There shall be at least one, but no more than three,
authorized promoter representative(s) at ringside at all times. Only
the promoter's representative(s), department officials, the press,
physicians, representatives of sanctioning bodies, and judges shall
sit at the ringside tables. For purposes of this subparagraph, assignees
are not representatives of the promoter.
(16) Pay by check or money order the licensing fee
of any contestant or manager who intends to participate in a scheduled
combative sports event and who is not licensed at the time of the
event weigh-in.
(17) Supervise the activities of employees to ensure
that promoted events are conducted in compliance with this chapter
and applicable statutes.
(18) Ensure that all advertising concerning an event
he promotes accurately describes the event and does not include the
names of any person or entity, other than the promoter, as a presenter
of the event.
(c) Contract requirements between Promoter and Contestant.
(1) The promoter for an event shall have contracts
with contestants executed in triplicate on department forms showing
the amount of guarantee or percentage promised the number and time
limit of rounds, when and where the contestants are scheduled to appear,
weight category, and other pertinent details governing the event.
If applicable, the compensation section must include the specifics
of television, radio and cable rights. The contract must define and
provide for agreement on compensation if the opponent fails to appear
at the weigh-in or bout. All contracts must state the dollar amount
or percentage withheld for expenses, taxes, advances, sanctions or
any other items the promoter seeks to subtract from a contestant's
purse.
(2) The promoter shall furnish one executed copy of
the contract to the contestants or their managers, retain one, and
submit one to the department.
(3) All required information must be typed or legibly
printed, and the contestant and promoter shall initial any changes
or addenda.
(d) Tickets
(1) All tickets shall have printed on each half, the
price including any service surcharge or handling fee, and event date.
Cont'd... |
