California State Athletic Commission adds new rule for combat sports officials traveling out of state

The California State Athletic Commission has added a new rule for officials following a recent controversy involving judge Doug Crosby.

On Friday, CSAC executive officer Andy Foster issued a memorandum that places restrictions on out-of-state travel for combat sports officials. With this new rule in place, judges and referees may travel no further than Nevada if they intend to work an event in California within one day of an assignment. MMA Fighting’s Ariel Helwani was first to report the news.

MMA Junkie obtained the full memorandum, which includes the update for CSAC officials regarding out-of-state assignments that can be read below:

While the Commission understands that, as Officials you may also work in other states. It is imperative that you be at your best for those assignments and keep in mind the travel distance between locations when accepting consecutive assignments. If you work in California on a Friday, the Commission finds it acceptable for you to work as far as Nevada on Saturday or vice versa. If you accept an out of state assignment that is within one day of an assignment in California, you may be removed from the California assignment if you are being required to travel further than the state of Nevada.

This change comes just days after Crosby’s controversial scorecards at consecutive events held on opposite sides of the country.

Crosby submitted a highly-criticized 50-45 scorecard in favor of Danny Sabatello over Raufeon Stots in the co-main event of Bellator 289 on Dec. 9 in Uncasville, Conn. Stots won the fight on the other two judges’ scorecards with scores of 48-47.

The Mohegan Tribe Department of Athletic Regulations has since announced it intends to review the fight with all three judges. Commission director Mike Mazzulli acknowledged that scoring every round for Sabatello is incorrect, and a “learning moment” for the officials.

The next night, Crosby flew across the country to Las Vegas to work UFC 282 on Dec. 10, where he submitted another controversial scorecard. Crosby scored the first and second rounds in favor of Paddy Pimblett in the co-main event against Jared Gordon. Pimblett won the fight unanimously, but many disagreed with the decision, especially the scoring of the opening round.