Judges to Test Half-Point Scoring at MFC 31

Ringside judges at MFC 31 on Friday will score fights using a half-point system, a first in the Maximum Fighting Championship. The Edmonton Combative Sports Commission announced the news in a press release.

“In Edmonton, we have two key stipulations regarding the event Friday night,” said Pat Reid, executive director of the ECSC, in the release. “We will only use COMMAND-certified judges who are familiar with the half-point system.

“As we know, being down a full point in a three-round fight is significant for the fighter who loses the first round,” he added. “Our judges have experimented with this system for the past few competitions -- using the 10-point-must system officially but recording scores by the half-point system unofficially -- and only one fight would have been affected had the half-point system been applied. We would not have had a draw in one fight; we would have had an actual winner if we had been using the half-point point system.”

The half-point concept is actually part of a larger system designed by longtime judge and referee Nelson “Doc” Hamilton. Aside from the addition of half points, Hamilton’s Mixed Martial Arts Specific scoring also calls for a fourth judge to record referee-called submission “catches” and score the bouts based on independent technical criteria to decide the winner in the event of a draw.

However, Sherdog.com confirmed with Reid on Friday that a table judge will not be used at MFC 31.

“I spoke with Doc Hamilton and discussed the table judge addition. What I surmise is that if you have experienced highly qualified judges -- in this case, COMMAND-certified is our requirement -- then you don’t need the fourth judge at a table,” Reid told Sherdog.com. “Our judges have experimented with the half-point system and are quite comfortable with it.”

Headlined by a light heavyweight title confrontation between Ryan Jimmo and Rameau Thierry Sokoudjou, MFC 31 airs live on HDNet at 10 p.m. ET.