An Act to Regulate Sparring or Boxing Exhibitions in the Philippine Islands, Repeals Act Numbered Five Hundred and Fifty-Seven of the Philippine Commission, and for Other Purposes

February 23, 1921

ACT NO. 2984

AN ACT TO REGULATE SPARRING OR BOXING EXHIBITIONS IN THE PHILIPPINE ISLANDS, REPEALS ACT NUMBERED FIVE HUNDRED AND FIFTY-SEVEN OF THE PHILIPPINE COMMISSION, AND FOR OTHER PURPOSES

SECTION 1. Every sparring or boxing exhibition organized or held by any person, club, or organization formed or existing for the purpose, shall be unlawful unless the annual tax hereinafter established is paid and the rules fixed in this Act are observed. TSHEIc

SECTION 2. Every person, club, corporation or organization engaged in promoting sparring or boxing exhibitions shall pay an annual privilege tax of six hundred pesos, payable quarterly in advance, to the Collector of Internal Revenue or his deputy, as the case may be, in addition to such tax as each municipality may fix by ordinance.

SECTION 3. Upon application signed by the person requesting permission to hold sparring or boxing exhibitions or by the representative of the club, organization or corporation applying for such permission, and upon presentation of evidence of the payment of the tax established in the preceding section, the proper municipal authority shall issue the necessary license.

SECTION 4. The license or permit referred to in the preceding section shall be revoked upon proof of violation of the provisions of this Act.

SECTION 5. Sparring or boxing exhibition meetings shall be held not oftener than once a week and on Saturdays only, and shall be subject to the following rules: aSIHcT

(a) No boxing contest shall be of more than twenty rounds and no round be of more than three minutes duration.

(b) There shall be an interval of one minute between each round.

(c) No boxer shall be allowed to wear gloves weighing less than four ounces.

(d) The ring or inclosure in which sparring or boxing exhibitions are held shall be square and shall measure not less than sixteen feet each way. The floor of the ring shall be covered by canvas or other suitable material, and between the canvas and the floor of the ring there shall be a layer of padding not less than one-half inch in thickness of some material sufficiently resilient to minimize or obviate the possibility of serious injuries to a contestant in case he shall fall or be knocked down. The ring shall be protected on all sides by not less than three ropes of sufficient strength.

SECTION 6. The boxers shall —

(a) Separate whenever the movements of the fight bring them together and not seize, clinch or hug each other during the fight.

(b) Not butt or strike with head or shoulder, nor wrestle, nor make improper use of the elbows, nor act in an unsportsmanlike manner. The use of abusive or insulting language shall be considered as unsportsmanlike conduct. CSEHcT

(c) Not direct malicious and dangerous blows on the lower abdominal region.

(d) Use soft and completely dry bandages of tape not more than two inches wide and twenty feet long for each hand.

(e) Not place inside the tape any foreign body hardening the same or liable to cause serious injury to the adversary.

SECTION 7. Any person, club or corporation desiring to hold sparring or boxing exhibitions in accordance with the terms and of this Act shall have an official physician, and official referees with a technical knowledge of this sport. The official physician shall be a person duly qualified to practice medicine in these Islands.

SECTION 8. Every boxer, before entering the ring, shall be examined by the club physician who shall certify in writing as to the physical condition of the boxers and their fitness at the time to engage in the contest.

SECTION 9. Any person, club or corporation directing, holding or taking part in the holding of, or consenting to or tolerating, any simulated, feigned or fraudulent sparring or boxing exhibition, or convicted of having violated any of the provisions of section five, shall lose its license granted under this Act, which shall be cancelled and be declared null and void. In addition to the cancellation of the license, such person, club, corporation or organization shall thereafter not be granted any other license under the terms of this Act.

SECTION 10. Any boxer participating in a feigned, simulated or fraudulent fight shall be punished as follows: IASTDE

For the first offense he shall be prohibited for one year, beginning with the date of the commission of such offense, from taking part in any sparring or boxing exhibition held by any person, club or corporation duly authorized under this Act, and shall be sentenced to a fine of not less than two hundred pesos nor more than one thousand pesos, or to imprisonment for not more than six months, or both, in the discretion of the court. For a repetition of the offense, such boxer shall be totally prohibited from entering the ring and shall not be permitted to enter or participate in boxing contests held by any person, club or corporation authorized under the provisions of this Act, and shall be sentenced to a fine of not less than five hundred pesos nor more than two thousand pesos or imprisonment for not more than one year, or both, in the discretion of the court.

SECTION 11. Any boxer violating the provisions of subsection (a) of section six shall be temporarily disqualified from participating in any ring fight or boxing contest for a period of not more than six months.

SECTION 12. Any boxer violating any of the provisions of section six, with the exception of those of subsection (a) thereof, shall be punished by perpetual disqualification from participating in any boxing contest.

SECTION 13. Any boxer or other person who by gifts, promises or a money consideration shall induce a boxer to give up the fight in any boxing exhibition or refrain from displaying all his strength and skill, in order that his contestant may be given the decision or that there may be a draw, shall be punished by a fine of not less than two hundred pesos nor more than one thousand pesos, or by imprisonment for not more than six months, or both, in the discretion of the court.

SECTION 14. The provisions of sections one, two, and three to the contrary notwithstanding, the payment of a tax shall not be required when the sparring or boxing exhibitions are held by and under the auspices of an amateur athletic society and no fee or fees or other compensation is charged as admission to the exhibition. AECIaD

SECTION 15. It shall be unlawful to bet directly or through an intermediary upon the result of any boxing contest. Any person betting or acting as intermediary in a bet, shall be punished by a fine of not more than two hundred pesos or imprisonment for not more than six months, or both, in the discretion of the court. All money seized as a bet shall be confiscated.

SECTION 16. Any person violating any of the provisions of this Act for the violation of which no penalty is specified, shall be punished by a fine of not less than five pesos nor more than one hundred pesos.

SECTION 17. Act Numbered Five hundred and fifty-seven, entitled "An Act punishing prize fighting and sparring or boxing exhibitions," and all other acts inconsistent with the provisions of this Act are hereby repealed.

SECTION 18. This Act shall take effect on its approval.

Approved, February 23, 1921.