One of the most prominent referees in the sport of MMA has launched a program to teach people how to judge and officiate fights.
Marc Goddard recently launched his online training series, which aims to offer a “line by line” breakdown of the Unified Rules of Mixed Martial Arts. The videos look at the rules through the lens of officiating a fight or being a judge for a fight.
Goddard hopes that the series can help people understand the rules that MMA utilizes. The unified rules are free online and accessible to anyone. However, Goddard thinks his series can further people’s understanding of the information.
“There is a huge difference between reading something and actually understanding something,” Goddard said on The MMA Hour. “Having the sit-down, the classroom environment, getting that theoretical knowledge explained to you and broken down in great detail. That’s essentially what the training is.”
“Refereeing and judging, it’s something people think you can just have a go at, and it’s not. It’s the same as any other profession”
Goddard: Program Can Help Anyone Involved With MMA
Goddard’s program does not make fighters qualified to officiate or judge upon completion. However, that’s not the point of the program. As Goddard explained in a video posted on his website, the series can help enlighten people on the systems that MMA operates under no matter what angle they are coming from.
“The content is available for just about everybody and anybody. Of course, would be officials, but [also] coaches and fighters in the sport, promoters, commentators, and media members,” said Goddard in a Q&A video. “The unified rules for mixed martial arts should be more accessible, and that is exactly what this program offers and does.”
Goddard is one of the bigger names in the MMA refereeing community. He frequently appears at UFC events and oversees some of the bigger fights in the sport. Last month, he officiated the upset win for Julianna Peña over Amanda Nunes.
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