38 Neb. Admin. Code, ch. 2, § 004 - PROMOTERS

004.01 The promoter is responsible for organizing, arranging, and conducting all bouts held at an event and is responsible for meeting all required deadlines for event permit applications and other requirements.

004.02 The promoter must post a compliance bond with the Commission in the amount of $5,000 before a license will be issued. Bonds not meeting the requirements will be returned. All bonds will expire simultaneously, along with the license, on June 30 of each year.

004.03 The promoter must collect all required medical information from each contestant and submit the information to the Commissioner in accordance with the timeline established in this regulation.

004.04 Regulated sports events will be approved only when the following terms and conditions have been met:

004.04(A) At least 30 days prior to the scheduled date of the event, the promoter's license application, bond, and all required fees must be received by the Commission;

004.04(B) At least 21 days prior to the scheduled date of the event, the event permit application must be received by the Commission;

004.04(C) At least 14 days prior to the scheduled date of the event, the schedule of contestants must be received by the Commission;

004.04(D) At least 14 days prior to the scheduled date of the event, any signed contracts and addendums, on forms supplied by the Commission, must be received by the Commission;

004.04(E) For all professional contestants, all required medical information for each contestant, including diagnostic blood tests showing negative test results for the hepatitis B virus, the hepatitis C virus, the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), an annual physical examination, and an eye examination, must be received by the Commission at least 14 days prior to the contestant's first event of the licensing year;

004.04(F) For all amateur contestants, all required medical information for each contestant, including diagnostic blood tests showing negative test results for HIV, the hepatitis B virus, the hepatitis C virus, and an annual physical examination, must be received by the Commission at least seven (7) days prior to the contestant's first event of the licensing year;

004.04(G) The promoter must provide verification by the insurance provider that the required medical insurance and the death benefit have been issued at least seven (7) days prior to the scheduled date of the event; and

004.04(H) Prior to the event, the promoter must verify that an attending physician, law enforcement officers, security personnel, and emergency medical technicians (EMTs) are present and the occupancy permit and fire inspection is current. The certificate of occupancy, indicating verification that the facility passed the inspection, must state that the certificate is a true and accurate copy of the most current fire inspection conducted. Government owned and operated facilities and school gymnasiums that have annual fire inspections are exempt from this requirement.

004.05 Weigh-ins must be completed on the day of the event, except that weigh-ins may be conducted up to 24 hours prior to an event's scheduled start with approval of the Commissioner and upon the payment of a fee set by the Commissioner.

004.06 All applicable requirements must be met before any license will be issued or before contracts will be recognized or enforced. Each license issued is subject to the conditions and agreements set forth in the application, the statutes relating to boxing, bare-knuckle boxing, professional kickboxing and MMA, and the rules and regulations of the Commission.

004.07 Falsification, in whole or part, of a material fact or representation on any application for a license may result in a license being denied, cancelled, suspended, or revoked, as determined by the Commissioner.

004.08 Any promoter, matchmaker, or other person who uses or causes to be used any amateur contestant in any bout without first ascertaining whether the participant is at least 18 years of age and can compete as a qualified amateur will be subject to disciplinary action as determined by the Commissioner.

004.09 Not more than two (2) events may be held on the same day. No two (2) events of the same regulated sport shall be held within 24 hours if occurring within 100 miles. In addition, the Commissioner may deny any event if there will not be sufficient personnel available.

004.10 For purposes of coordinating event regulation and ensuring sufficient personnel availability and coverage, the Commissioner may maintain a system that allows promoters to reserve future event dates. The Commissioner may:

(1) limit the number of reserved dates that any promoter has at any one time;

(2) limit how far in advance dates may be reserved; and

(3) disregard any date reservation that, in the opinion of the Commissioner, is designed to act merely as a placeholder.

004.11 Mixed professional and amateur boxing events will only be approved after the requirements for amateur and professional boxing are met, including the approved amateur sanction and other applications, permits, and forms.

004.12 The promoter must verify to the Commissioner each competitor's competence and ability to compete.

004.13 It is the duty and responsibility of the promoter to ensure that no licensee connected with the event is under the influence of drugs or alcohol.

004.14 An ambulance and EMT personnel must be at the venue as long as bouts are held. In the event that the ambulance or EMT personnel have to leave the venue, the promoter cannot conduct any bout until another ambulance or EMT personnel arrives.

004.15 The promoter is responsible for ensuring that public safety is maintained at all events. At least two (2) state-certified, uniformed law enforcement officers must be furnished by the promoter and must be in attendance. Additional officers or other security personnel as required by the facility manager or the Commissioner must also be furnished if deemed necessary for adequate public safety. Failure to comply with this regulation may result in the cancellation of the event at the discretion of the Commissioner.

004.16 The promoter must ensure there are separate dressing rooms for both male and female contestants and that a separate room is provided for physical examinations conducted by the attending physician. The dressing and examination rooms must provide a degree of privacy and security and be kept clean. No one is allowed in the contestant's dressing rooms except Commission officials, managers, seconds, representatives of the promoter, attending physicians, and other individuals as permitted by the Commissioner. The promoter will, when required by the Commissioner, furnish a security guard in dressing room areas to enforce this rule.

004.17 The promoter is responsible for and must correct any violations of Commission regulations, rules, or applicable local health department requirements regarding sanitary conditions of dressing rooms, showers, gloves, water bottles, towels, or other equipment.

004.18 The promoter must ensure that the ring is kept clean. The promoter must have at least one (1) person assigned to maintain the sanitation of the ring area. This individual must have, at his or her disposal, a cleaning solution of bleach and water and appropriate cleaning equipment such as mops, towels, and disinfectants. A commercial cleaning agent such as wrestling mat cleaner may be used provided it does not irritate the skin, eyes, or lungs of the contestants or anyone else associated with the event.

004.19 Following each bout and between rounds, when directed by the referee or by a Commission official, a representative of the promoter must clean and dry the ring floor.

004.20 The ring area must be completely cleaned and disinfected prior to the start of the first bout and again during any scheduled intermission.

004.21 The promoter is required to provide all equipment necessary to conduct the event, including the ring, a bell for boxing and bare-knuckle boxing events, a weigh-in scale (unless the scale is provided by the Commissioner), and all other associated material and equipment essential to the event. If the promoter provides the weigh-in scale, it must be examined and approved by a Commission official.

004.22 The promoter must provide Commission-approved gloves to all contestants except in bare-knuckle boxing events.

004.23 The promoter must provide bio-hazard bags or containers in each corner and in the dressing rooms.

004.24 The promoter is responsible for the collection of athletic tax, city and state sales tax, and any tax on the sale of television rights.

004.25 The promoter is solely liable for all contractual obligations entered into with professional contestants, except that if the promoter utilizes a licensed matchmaker, the promoter and matchmaker are joint and severally liable.

004.26 The promoter is required to publicly announce any and all substitutions for professional contestants advertised for bouts as soon as substitutions are known. Prior to the announcement of a substitution, the substitute contestant must be approved by the Commissioner.

004.27 The fee for services of referees, judges, and timekeepers will be set by the Commissioner and paid by the promoter.

004.28 The failure of the promoter to abide by any requirement in this section may result in disciplinary action.

Notes

38 Neb. Admin. Code, ch. 2, § 004

Sections 81-8,128, 81-8,129, 81-8,130.01, 81-8,132, 81-8,135, 81-8,136, 81-8,137, 81-8,139, and 81-8,141, R.R.S., 2014. Amended effective 3/21/2022