Half points are not enough: Why changing the scoring system changes little
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It seems like every month there is a fight that goes to a decision, and the decision makes people raise their eyebrows. This has led to calls to change the way MMA is scored.
MMA uses the 10 point must system that boxing has been using for years. A big problem with the system is that there is no difference between a razor thin margin of victory and a dominating, but not overwhelmingly dominant victory where rounds are concerned. A 10-9 round is scored both for close rounds and rounds that are not so close. Judges tend to use 10-8 only when one opponent is completely dominating and close to finishing an opponent. Scores of 10-10 are rarely called. To use a practical example, in the Rich Franklin vs Yushin Okami fight at UFC 72, Franklin had a little more offence than Okami in rounds 1 and 2. In round 3, Okami dominated in all respects, though not enough for a 10-8 round. Franklin won the fight, scoring 29-28 on all 3 judges’ scorecards.
One of the most popular proposals comes from judge Nelson “Doc” Hamilton. The main change he advocates is the use of half-points. A very close round would be scored 10-9.5, a round where one fighter clearly wins would be scored 10-9, a round where one fighter dominates but is still a ways off from a finish would be scored 10-8.5.
For reference, let’s look at what exactly the Unified Rules say about scoring:
(j) The following objective scoring criteria shall be utilized by the judges when scoring a round;
1. A round is to be scored as a 10-10 Round when both contestants appear to be fighting evenly and neither contestant shows clear dominance in a round;
2. A round is to be scored as a 10-9 Round when a contestant wins by a close margin, landing the greater number of effective legal strikes, grappling and other manoeuvres;
3. A round is to be scored as a 10-8 Round when a contestant overwhelmingly dominates by striking or grappling in a round.
4. A round is to be scored as a 10-7 Round when a contestant totally dominates by striking or grappling in a round.
How often is this actually applied in practice? Changes to the scoring system may be beneficial, but it misses the crucial point. Without better judging and indeed, better athletic commissions, the new system will simply end up being used improperly by the judges. It may also confuse judges. There is a lack of knowledge and training of personnel hired by athletic commissions to judge MMA events. This is displayed by judges who regard leg kicks, positional changes, etc. as being irrelevant. If judges understood the entire game, there would be far fewer problems. Perhaps after each round, the judge should record their score, and give a brief synopsis as to why they scored the round the way they did.
Unfortunately, athletic commissions tend to be filled with old school boxing people, many of whom are openly disdainful of MMA. Many commissions openly tell judges not to score 10-10 or 10-8 rounds as this makes it more likely there will be a draw. The mentality is that a judge should be able to tell who has won a fight when an average person cannot. This is an incredibly ridiculous mindset: there are fights and rounds in fights where it really is a toss-up as to who won. Unfortunately, if you are a judge and you score 10-10 and 10-8 rounds, you may find yourself not judging many events in the future. Changing the scoring system is not going to change structural problems like this.
Replacing the current scoring system with something else does not change the issues that plague the current system- sometimes judges can’t even see the fight properly. Judges need to be trained on all aspects of MMA, they need to be able to score more 10-10 and 10-8 rounds, and they need to be accountable for the decisions they make. Implementing an improved scoring system is secondary to this.
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