Not everybody is in shape to climb into the ring or the octagon to compete.
But the growing interest of Mixed Martial Arts competitions, and the enduring legacy of boxing, means the sports need judges and referees, too.
The Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation’s Combative Sports program is offering in-person classes in Austin next month for fans of MMA and boxing that will put them on a path to becoming a licensed referee or judge in both sports.
“The way they have it set up, the Saturday and Sunday classes, if you take both of them, then you would have training in judging for MMA and boxing, and refereeing for MMA and boxing,” said Tela Mange, public information officer for TDLR. “Folks who are interested in becoming judges or becoming referees, when they’re at the course, they would let the TDLR staff who are going to be there know that is something they are interested in pursuing.
“For MMA, we let them do some shadow-judging and do some additional training if they want to do refereeing,” she added. “We would evaluate their background and what other things they’ve done and how familiar they are with the sports.”
Mange stressed that taking the classes is merely the beginning of the journey, and no licensing as a referee or judge will be conferred on attendees.
“We would get them on a path to getting licensed,” she said. “For boxing, before they can get licensed as judges or referees, they would have to take this course and then have to have experience in the amateur ranks,” she said. “So they would get involved with USA Boxing and do some judging or do refereeing with them, and get some experience built up before they would be able to get licensed with TDLR.”
Each of the classes is four hours, and Mange said many people stay for double sessions, meaning boxing judge and referee, and MMA judge and referee roles, are covered by taking classes both Saturday and Sunday.
“The folks taking the classes are responsible for their own hotel arrangements,” she said. Each of the classes is limited to 30 participants.
