Fight night is the product of months of work, and it can still unravel in an hour. This checklist is organised by time of day. Adapt it to your event, your discipline and local law.
Morning and setup
- Ring or cage inspected: ropes, padding, canvas, corner stools.
- Medical area set up with equipment; ambulance or emergency plan confirmed.
- Scoring tables positioned with a clear view; devices charged.
- Officials' briefing time and location confirmed.
- Changing rooms clean, secure and separated appropriately.
- Signage and stewarding in place.
Before doors open
- Ringside doctor and medical team present and briefed. No bout starts without them.
- Rules meeting with fighters and coaches: ruleset, fouls, stoppage procedures.
- Officials briefed on the running order and any special rules (title bouts, tournament brackets).
- Final check-in of all fighters: licence, medical clearance, suspension status.
- Running order confirmed and shared with the MC, officials and corners.
During the event
- Keep to the running order, but never rush a fighter or official for time.
- Judges score in the KBN referee app; scores appear on the live centre.
- The doctor checks each fighter after their bout, and records medical suspensions.
- Final results are entered by officials immediately after each bout.
- Keep a paper backup of scorecards and results.
Safety
- Nobody enters the ring apart from authorised officials, fighters and corners.
- Corners know the procedure for stopping a bout.
- Emergency routes are clear throughout.
- Any serious incident is documented with times and names.
After the last bout
- Collect all scorecards and result sheets; have them signed by the officiating supervisor.
- Publish official results on your website or the federation's site.
- Make sure the final results in the referee app match the paper record.
- Share results and contacts with the national branch, so pending bouts can be verified quickly.
How results are verified after an event →
The next week
- Answer verification questions from the branch promptly.
- Pay fighters and officials on time, as contracted.
- Review what went wrong and what went well.
| Who | Needs |
|---|---|
| National branch | Official results, signed sheets, contacts |
| Fighters | Official result, confirmation of payment, medical suspension notices |
| Officials | Payment, feedback |
| KBN World HQ | Anything requested about the event's standard or level |
Roles on the night
| Role | Responsibility |
|---|---|
| Event director | Overall running, decisions, contact with the branch |
| Officiating supervisor | Officials, scoring, results |
| Ringside doctor | Medical checks, stoppages, suspensions |
| Stage manager | Running order, fighters to the ring on time |
| Safety lead | Crowd safety, emergency routes |
| Results officer | Result sheets, entry into the app, publication |
Myths and facts
| Myth | Fact |
|---|---|
| The app replaces paper scorecards | Keep paper as backup |
| Results can be published next month | Publish within days; athletes need them for verification |
| The doctor can be on call rather than ringside | Medical cover must be present for every bout |
| Verification is KBN's problem | Organisers supply the results and contacts verification depends on |
After-action review
Within a week, meet with your officiating supervisor, doctor and stage manager. List three things that went well and three to improve, and keep the notes for your next sanction request.
Handling a serious incident
If an athlete is seriously injured:
- The doctor leads; everyone else supports.
- Keep the ring and routes clear for medical staff.
- Pause the event if needed; do not rush the next bout.
- Record times, names and actions.
- Inform the branch and KBN afterwards as required.
Communicating with the audience
Keep the audience informed of delays without speculation about an athlete's condition. Respect the athlete's privacy and their family.
Timing the running order
Build buffers into the schedule: medical checks between bouts, ring cleaning, walkouts and any broadcast breaks. A realistic running order keeps officials fresh and avoids pressure to rush corners or doctors. Share it in advance so fighters can plan their warm-ups.
Frequently asked questions
QCan a bout start if the doctor has stepped away?
No. Medical cover must be present for every bout.
QWhat if the scoring app fails?
Use paper scorecards as backup. The app queues rounds offline, but always keep a paper record.
QWhen will results appear in the ranking?
Once administrators verify them. Pending results never count.
QWho publishes the results?
The organiser publishes official results; KBN verifies them for the ranking.
Figures in this article are computed from the KBN register at the time of reading. View, like and share counters on this demo site are sample values.