Last year the Athlete’s Voice Committee asked all Athletic Commissions to share brain health education materials as part of licencing.
The Ali Act actually tells commissions to do so. Few do. But it appears ongoing advocacy is working and commissions are starting to listen.
Ontario is in the process of overhauling how combat sports are regulated in the Province. And in a very positive step their proposed regulation is calling for the commission to provide concussion resources not only to fighters but to all licenced stakeholders. Some of the regulations, which hopefully will be in force later this year, read as follows:
Application requirements, professional contestant’s licence
12. (1) In addition to satisfying the requirements set out in section 7, an applicant for a licence to participate as a contestant in a professional combative sport contest or exhibition shall submit the following:
3. An attestation that the applicant has reviewed concussion awareness resources and any other resources provided by the Commissioner.
Acting as second
20. A person who is the holder of a licence to provide services as a manager may act as a second for a contestant managed by them without being the holder of a second’s licence if they submit an attestation that they have reviewed the concussion awareness resources provided by the Commissioner.
Application requirements, professional second’s licence
22. In addition to satisfying the requirements set out in section 7, an applicant for a licence to provide services as a second shall submit an attestation that the applicant has reviewed concussion awareness resources provided by the Commissioner within 90 days before the date of application.
Application requirements, professional official’s licence
23. (1) In addition to satisfying the requirements set out in section 7, an applicant for a licence to provide services as an official shall submit the following…
An attestation that the applicant has reviewed concussion awareness resources provided by the Commissioner within 90 days before the date of application.
Application requirements, single contest or exhibition, tournament-style contest or exhibition permits
35. In addition to satisfying the requirements set out in section 34, an applicant for an event permit for a single amateur combative sport contest or exhibition shall submit the following:
6. An attestation that the applicant will ensure that all contestants have reviewed concussion awareness resources and that a removal-from-sport and return-to-play protocol is followed.
Combat Sports Law 