Judges to Test Half-Point Scoring at MFC 31

“In Edmonton, we have two key stipulations regarding the event Friday night,” said Pat Reid, executive director of the ECSC, in the release. “We will only use COMMAND-certified judges who are familiar with the half-point system.

“As we know, being down a full point in a three-round fight is significant for the fighter who loses the first round,” he added. “Our judges have experimented with this system for the past few competitions -- using the 10-point-must system officially but recording scores by the half-point system unofficially -- and only one fight would have been affected had the half-point system been applied. We would not have had a draw in one fight; we would have had an actual winner if we had been using the half-point point system.”

The half-point concept is actually part of a larger system designed by longtime judge and referee Nelson “Doc” Hamilton. Aside from the addition of half points, Hamilton’s Mixed Martial Arts Specific scoring also calls for a fourth judge to record referee-called submission “catches” and score the bouts based on independent technical criteria to decide the winner in the event of a draw.

However, Sherdog.com confirmed with Reid on Friday that a table judge will not be used at MFC 31.

“I spoke with Doc Hamilton and discussed the table judge addition. What I surmise is that if you have experienced highly qualified judges -- in this case, COMMAND-certified is our requirement -- then you don’t need the fourth judge at a table,” Reid told Sherdog.com. “Our judges have experimented with the half-point system and are quite comfortable with it.”

Headlined by a light heavyweight title confrontation between Ryan Jimmo and Rameau Thierry Sokoudjou, MFC 31 airs live on HDNet at 10 p.m. ET.