MMA RULES 101 With Herb Dean

[HammerFist]

Referee Herb Dean recently spoke with MMAWeekly.com explaining several rules that all mixed martial arts fans should know. The nine-year professional MMA referee broke down the rules for strikes to the back of the head, illegal elbows, allowing fighters five minutes to recover from illegal techniques, intelligently defending yourself, spiking and strikes to downed opponents.

Probably the most misunderstood rule in mixed martial arts is the illegal elbow strike. There is only one illegal elbow in MMA, and you can impact with the point of the elbow.

Dean explained, "The only illegal elbow is the one coming from noon to six, and what we mean by noon to six, because people start talking about the clock. 'Where's the clock? Is the clock as I see it, or if I'm on my back, or if I'm looking this way?' What we mean is from the actual sky to the floor.

"Say you're on your back, the clock isn't in front of your face. That would be coming from wall to wall if you were to do that same motion. We're actually talking about ceiling to floor is an illegal elbow. Any other elbow is fine."

Strikes to the back of the head are illegal, but what is considered the back of the head? With the illegal area recently being modified, there's a lot of confusion surrounding what constitutes a prohibited blow.

"Ears back is considered the back of the head," said Dean. "Like if you're wearing headphones and they're going up over the top of the head, so anything that's behind the ears would be the foul area... It can be on the side of the head, but if it's behind the ears it's considered the back of the head."

"That's something we've only been enforcing in MMA as the back of the head for about the last two years. That started when MMA became legalized in California," Dean explained. "Dr. Paul Wallace came to a referee seminar that we were doing and explained to us, diagrammed and explained to us what is supposed to be the back of the head. I talked to him in detail about it and then I talked to Armando Garcia, who is executive director, and he said, 'that's what we want to be enforced for the back of the head, from the ears back.’"

"When I went to Nevada, I told them about it so we would be all on the same page. They said that they were okay with that as the back of the head. That's what they want us to enforce, so that's what I enforce everywhere.

"That's not what I've always enforced in MMA," he added. "I've been refereeing for nine years. Most of the time I was enforcing the flat of the neck going up to the top. But when the sport became regulated, we need to enforce what the athletic commissions tell us to enforce."

Rest of story - - MMA RULES 101 WITH HERB DEAN - MMA WEEKLY - Mixed Martial Arts & UFC News, Photos, Rankings & more

[Frag x 3]

Good read. It's good to get a breakdown of what the ref is personally looking for in a fight. Reffing is an art, not a science yet.

[Beowulf]

This must be old, I remember reading where big John said Herb Dean was wrong when he compared the back of the head to wearing earphones, and that its a center line down the back of your head thats illegal

[Qball1974]

Didn't GSP get TKO'ed starting from a shot behind the ear?.....more side of the head eh.

[SHUA]

yeah these guys get flamed for making a judgement call that happens in a split second and they are looking for fighter safety not making an exciting fight turn into a blood bath or worse by letting a fight go or letting strikes to the back of the dome go unchecked. herby has had some questionable calls tho.

[thumper]

Originally Posted by GetKnockedOut

This must be old, I remember reading where big John said Herb Dean was wrong when he compared the back of the head to wearing earphones, and that its a center line down the back of your head thats illegal

I remember that, but he was referring to Rogan being wrong when I heard it.

But you're right.