For athletes, the most important question about an event is whether it counts. For organisers, sanctioning is how you make your event count: KBN World HQ recognises it, assigns a level and multiplier, and verified results from your card enter the world ranking. This guide explains the process.
Who does what
- The organiser runs the event and provides documentation.
- The national branch creates the event for its country as a draft and prepares the sanction request.
- KBN World HQ sanctions the event and sets its level and multiplier. Only HQ can do this.
If there is no branch in your country, contact KBN at holdingkbn@gmail.com.
The sanction checklist
| Item | What HQ looks for |
|---|---|
| Venue | Ring or cage, capacity, safety certificate |
| Medical officer | A named ringside doctor and medical team |
| Officials | Certified KBN referees and judges assigned |
| Insurance | Event and athlete insurance |
| Weigh-in plan | Time, scales, tolerance |
| Anti-doping | Arrangements appropriate to the event |
Each item can be marked ready or, where genuinely not applicable, not applicable, with notes and supporting files. HQ can request changes before approving.
Step by step
- 1. Contact your national branch early, ideally three months before the event.
- 2. Agree the discipline(s), categories and ruleset(s).
- 3. The branch creates the event as a draft with name, city, date and organiser.
- 4. Complete the checklist items and upload documents.
- 5. The branch submits the sanction request to HQ.
- 6. HQ reviews, may ask questions, and sanctions the event with a level.
- 7. Build the bout card, with referee and judge assignments.
- 8. On the night, officials use the KBN referee app for check-in and scoring.
- 9. After the event, results are verified by administrators before they count.
Fees
Where sanctioning fees are charged, they relate only to the administrative work of sanctioning. No fee sets, raises or protects an event's level or multiplier, and nothing an organiser pays affects any athlete's points.
Choosing the level
The level reflects the event's real competitive standing, from National (×1.0) to World Championship (×3.0). HQ sets it; organisers can propose. A local show with fighters from one country is a national event, whatever its name.
Choosing the right event level →
On the night
- Referees and judges check fighters in by scanning the QR code on their licences: licence status, medical clearance, suspension status and weigh-in weight against the class limit.
- Judges score rounds in the app; scores appear on the live centre.
- The final result entered by officials creates pending bouts for both fighters.
After the event
Publish official results promptly. Administrators verify each result before it enters the ranking. Keep signed result sheets and make yourself or your officiating supervisor available to confirm results. A well-documented event gets its results verified quickly, which athletes notice.
How results are verified after an event →
A sanctioning timeline
| Before the event | Task |
|---|---|
| 12 weeks | Contact the branch; agree disciplines, categories, rulesets |
| 10 weeks | Branch creates the draft; start the checklist |
| 8 weeks | Venue, medical, officials and insurance confirmed |
| 6 weeks | Sanction request submitted to HQ |
| 4 weeks | HQ decision; bout card building starts |
| 1 week | Final card, officials' assignments, weigh-in plan published |
| Event | Check-in, live scoring, results entered |
| After | Results published; verification questions answered |
Myths and facts
| Myth | Fact |
|---|---|
| Paying a fee guarantees sanction | Sanction depends on the checklist and standards |
| Sanction sets the level automatically to what I ask | HQ sets the level on the event's real standard |
| Referee results count immediately | They enter as pending until verified |
| A level cannot change after the event | HQ can reduce or reject after review |
Multi-discipline events
Many events run kickboxing, Muay Thai and MMA bouts on the same card. Each bout's discipline comes from its ruleset, and each result counts in its own discipline's tables. Declare every discipline and ruleset in the sanction request so officials and weigh-ins can be planned properly.
Frequently asked questions
QCan I sanction my event directly with KBN World HQ?
Normally through your national branch, which creates the draft and prepares the request. Where there is no branch, contact KBN.
QHow long does sanctioning take?
It depends on how complete your documentation is. Start early; HQ may ask for changes.
QCan my event's level be changed after it happens?
Yes. HQ can reduce a multiplier or reject an event after review if standards were not met. Changes are logged and rankings recalculated.
QDo referee-entered results count immediately?
No. They enter as pending and count only after an administrator verifies them.
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.