Codes & Policies

PREAMBLE

The fundamental purpose of the USMF Code of Ethics is to assist the USMF members in making consistent choices when faced with ethical dilemmas and to set out ethical principles and standards, that are in-line with the International Olympic Council’s (IOC) ideals and therefore applicable throughout the Muaythai community and sport governed by USMF.  The USMF members herein undertake at all material times to respect and to ensure compliance of the following principles:

Fairness: Operating within the spirit of the rules, never taking an unfair advantage and making informed and honorable decisions at all times.

Respect: Recognizing the contribution which all people make to sport, treating them with dignity and consideration, as well as caring for the property and equipment they use.  Respect is for all irrespective of age, sex, religion or race.

Responsibility: Taking responsibility for one’s actions and being a positive role model at all times.

Safety: Encouraging healthy and safe procedures, preventing and reporting dangerous behavior, while demonstrating concern for others.

Integrity: A set of principles derived from honesty, fairness and consistent respectability of good character.

Equity: Practicing fairness and applying social justice to all situations and decision making processes. Ensuring that all individuals are respected, have equal opportunities and have their rights protected.

Transparency: This is a fundamental principle of any form of modern governance.  To ensure that any and/or all transactions, events, decisions and practices are fully transparent so as to ensure fairness and equity.

Accountability: This principle encourages responsible decision making and ensures sound decisions.  USMF members can play a vital role in such decisions and hence accountability is an important precept.

Scope of application

Art. 1

The present Code applies to USMF and each of its members and staff, including but not limited to members of the Executive Committee, members of Commissions, the affiliated National Federations and their members and staff, and all officials, athletes, coaches and referees (hereinafter the “Parties”).

The Parties shall pay particular attention to observing the USMF Ethical Principles, including but not limited to fair play and sportsmanship, when participating in USMF’s championships and all other activities.

Principles

Art. 2

The Parties must comply with the following principles:

1. Human dignity – a fundamental requirement of Olympism is to safeguard the dignity of the individual.  All doping practices at all levels are strictly prohibited.  The provision against doping in the World Anti-Doping Code shall scrupulously be observed. 
2. Nondiscrimination, either on the basis of race, gender, nationality, ethnic origin, religion, philosophical or political opinions, sexual preference or any other grounds.
3. Nonviolence, including abstaining from any kind of pressure and harassment, whether physical, mental, professional or sexual.
4. Friendship, mutual aid and fair play.
5. Integrity – the parties shall respect the rules concerning conflicts of interests and used due care and diligence in fulfilling their mission.
6. Good Governance and Resources – principles of good governance of the IOC movement – transparency, responsibility and accountability.
7. Priority to the interests of the sport of Muaythai and the athletes in relation to financial interests. 
8. Protection of the environment.
9. Universality and Political neutrality – to maintain harmonious relations with state authorities.
10. Promotion of the Olympic Movement ideals.

Art. 3

The Parties shall use due care and diligence in fulfilling their mission. They shall, on all occasions and to the best of their ability, serve the interests of Muaythai and USMF.  They shall refrain from any behavior which might jeopardize Muaythai, and they must not act in any manner likely to tarnish the reputation of USMF.

Integrity

Art. 4

The Parties shall refrain from asking, accepting or proposing, either directly or indirectly, any payment or commission, any advantages or services of any kind, in exchange for the performance of their duties for USMF or for their work carried out for USMF, unless they have previously obtained an express authorization in writing from the competent USMF authority.  USMF must be informed of any offers of this kind which are made to a Party. USMF shall adopt proper measures to ensure protection of such Parties, so that they can inform USMF without risk of reprisal.

Art. 5

The Parties may receive or accept gifts only as a mark of respect or friendship and of nominal value in accordance with prevailing local customs.  Any gifts offered to a third party must have been previously authorized by USMF.  Gifts may only be offered by USMF or on behalf of USMF; the Parties shall refrain from offering any gifts in their personal names.  Any gifts received must be reported to USMF.  Any gifts exceeding US$ 150 in value must be immediately sent to USMF and shall become the property of USMF.  An overall sense of moderation should prevail concerning hospitality and accommodation.

Art. 6

The Parties must not be involved nor have relationships with any organizations, firms or persons whose activities are incompatible with the USMF Ethical Principles.

Art. 7

The Parties who represent USMF in an outside body shall be obliged to intervene and to vote in accordance with any instructions that they have received from the competent authority at USMF. They shall not accept any instructions as to how to vote from any third-party.

Confidentiality

Art. 8

The Parties shall refrain from disclosing any information concerning USMF or its activities that has not been made public, unless such a disclosure has been authorized by the competent authority at USMF or is required by law.

Art. 9

The disclosure of information must not be aimed at making profit or taking any personal advantage, nor may it be motivated by malicious intent to damage the reputation of any person.

Conflict of interests

Art. 10

A situation of a potential conflict of interests arises when the opinion or decision of a Party may be reasonably considered as liable to be influenced by relations that such Party has, has had or is on the point of having with another person or organization that would be affected by the Party’s opinion or decision.  A case of conflict of interests is constituted when a Party, having abstained from declaring a situation of a potential conflict of interests, expresses an opinion or takes a decision in the circumstances described in the above paragraph.

Art. 11

In assessing the situations described in Article 10 above, direct as well as indirect interests must be taken into account. This also includes the interests of a third person or entity (e.g. parent, spouse, relation, dependent, contractor, or contractee).  The circumstances in which a conflict of interests could arise are, for example:

– a personal or material involvement (salary, shareholding, other various benefits) with suppliers of USMF;

– a personal or material involvement with sponsors, broadcasters, various contracting parties;

– a personal or material involvement with an organization liable to benefit from the assistance of USMF (e.g. subsidy, approval clause or election).

Art. 12

It is the responsibility of each Party to avoid any case of conflict of interests.

Faced with a situation of a potential conflict of interests, the Party concerned must refrain from expressing an opinion, from making or participating in making a decision or from accepting any form of benefit whatsoever. However, if the Party wishes to continue to act or is uncertain as to the steps to take, the Party must inform the Ethics Commission of the situation.

Art. 13

The Ethics Commission shall propose to the Party concerned a solution as, for example:

– registering the declaration without any particular measure;

– removal of the Party from expressing the opinion or from making or participating in making the decision at the root of the conflict;

– relinquishment of the management of the external interest causing the conflict.

In the event that a Party neglects to declare a situation of potential conflict of interests or refuses to act according to the solution proposed by the Ethics Commission, the Ethics Commission shall propose to the USMF President and to the Disciplinary Commission a decision that may include the measures provided in the above paragraph, as well as possible sanctions.  The USMF President and the Disciplinary Commission are responsible, in the final instance, for taking decisions and/or sanctions concerning conflicts of interests.

Mission and composition

Art. 14

An independent USMF Ethics Commission (hereafter the “Commission”) is charged with the following mission:

1. to assist USMF in developing and updating a framework of ethical principles, including the USMF Code of Ethics, based upon the values and principles enshrined in the USMF Code of Ethics, Statutes, Bylaws, Disciplinary Code, Procedural Rules, Technical & Competition Rules and in the Olympic Charter, all such values and principles being hereafter referred to as “USMF Ethical Principles”;
2. to help ensure compliance with the USMF Ethical Principles in the policies and practices of USMF;
3. to provide assistance, including advice or proposals, upon request by the USMF President, the Executive Committee, the Disciplinary Commission or the Congress, in order that the USMF Ethical Principles are applied in practice;
4. to investigate complaints or other issues submitted to the Commission by the USMF President, the Executive Committee, the Disciplinary Commission or the Congress, and raised in relation to the non-respect of the USMF Ethical Principles, and, if necessary, to recommend sanctions or other action to be taken by USMF, its President, its Executive Committee, its Disciplinary Commission or its Congress;
5. to bring to the attention of whatever entity it finds appropriate, including but not limited to the USMF President, the Executive Committee, the Disciplinary Commission or the Congress, any matter infringing the USMF Ethical Principles and recommend actions or sanctions;
6. to advise on how to avoid or resolve conflicts of interests;
7. to pursue any other tasks relating to the development and implementation of the USMF Ethical Principles, as requested by the USMF President, the Executive Committee, the Disciplinary Commission or the Congress.

Art. 15

The Commission shall be composed of five members, designated as follows:

– a Chairman and a Vice Chairman, appointed by the USMF President;

– three members appointed by the Executive Committee.

Neither the Chairman, nor the three members to be appointed by the Executive Committee shall be members of USMF. The Vice Chairman can be chosen among members of USMF.

Art. 16

Members of the Commission must all be familiar and acquainted with the values and

Ethical Principles of the Olympic Movement, preferably through personal experiences; one member at least of the Commission shall have a background in the legal profession and another member at least in the carrying out of high level executive office or public service.

Art. 17

The duration of the term of a member of the Commission shall be four years. Such term is renewable twice.

Art. 18

A member of the Commission may only be removed from office by a unanimous decision of the Executive Committee or, in the absence of such decision, by decision of the Congress.

Art. 19

In the event of vacancy due to death, resignation, incompatibility or inability of a member to perform his functions, the member shall be replaced. The new member shall complete the term of the member he replaces and may be appointed for one new four year term.

Art. 20

Members of the Commission may not take any measure nor exercise any authority in relation to a matter where any conflict of interests or any other form of conflict exist or is perceived to exist.

Indemnification and expenses

Art. 21

Members of the Commission shall be indemnified by USMF in relation to any claim by any third party deriving from the carrying out of their duties as members of the Commission.

Art. 22

Members of the Commission serve as volunteers. They are entitled to be reimbursed by USMF for all their travel expenses as well as to a per diem allowance to cover their other costs.

Art. 23

The Commission shall be assisted by a secretary designated by the Chairman of the

Commission, whose costs will be reimbursed by USMF.

Procedures

Art. 24

The Commission establishes its own rules of procedure.

Art. 25

The Ethics Commission shall forthwith make a report to the Disciplinary Commission. The Disciplinary Commission shall then assess and make it’s recommendation(s) to the Executive Management Committee.  A written decision shall then be made by the Executive Management Committee based on the report and recommendation(s) of both the Ethics and Disciplinary Commissions.

Art. 26

The Commission shall present ever

This Policy defines commitments of USA Muaythai to support a safe and enjoyable environment throughout USA Muaythai events and daily operation of the national federation, that safeguard welfare of athletes and USA Muaythai family members from any kind of discrimination, harassment and abuse. 

The USA Muaythai Safeguarding Policy reflects the commitment of USA Muaythai Constitution Article II that all members of the USA Muaythai family do not face discrimination of any kind such as race, ethnicity, skin-tone, gender, sexual orientation, language, religion, political or other opinion,  national or social origin, property, birth or other status.

Click the following link to download the full policy in which we have adopted from our parent organization – IFMA
Safeguarding Policy PDF

As the sole appointed national Muaythai federation for the United States, USA Muaythai’s vision is to unify the sport of Muaythai by providing a unified rule set, education system, and opportunities for athletes, coaches and officials to further grow in the sport. By providing these opportunities for education and growth, our athletes will be able to compete at the Olympic level.

As a representative* of the USA Muaythai you are responsible for upholding the 5 pillars of Respect, Honour Tradition, Excellence and Fair Play; act in accordance with the IFMA Code of Ethics; respect the rights and well-being and not discriminate against others. This responsibility does not cease at the end of competition, but continues throughout the appointed term and as long as a USA Muaythai description is included in any website or social media bio/profile.

Given the heightened political, cultural, and economic environment we all find ourselves living in, we wanted to pass along some basic guidelines for all USA Muaythai representatives to follow on social media, especially for those that have USA Muaythai titles posted to their social media platform biographies/pages. We also recommend athletes, both existing and prospective, to adhere to these guidelines in the spirit of excellence, respect and friendship.

Postings must not be made for the purposes of demonstration or any form of political, religious or racial propaganda. They must be dignified and not be discriminatory, offensive, hateful or defamatory. 

All social media postings should not uplift, promote, or tolerate harassment of any kind. This includes the following: 

• Intimidation or threats, verbal or physical;
• Inappropriate disruption of events;
• Abusive language;
• Physical assault of any type;
• Inappropriate physical contact;
• Unwanted sexual attention;
• Unwanted photography or video recording;
• Bullying or stalking.

Especially in connection to:

• Race or ethnicity;
• National origin;
• Sexual orientation, gender identity or expression;
• Age
• Politics
• Disability, medical condition or pregnancy
• Religion
• Citizenship status 
• Any other protected class

When using social and digital media, persons must not:

• Intrude upon the privacy of others;
• Infringe any intellectual property rights, or other rights of the USA Muaythai, IFMA, or any other person or organization;
• Disclose any confidential information or another person’s or organization’s private information;

Reported violations of these social media guidelines will be investigated and reviewed by the USA Muaythai Ethics and Compliance committee and disciplinary action can include termination of duties.

*USA Muaythai Representative is any individual holding an elected, appointed, contracted, or volunteer role including but not limited to:  national team member/associate, USA Muaythai Board of Directors, officers, athletes, technical officials, media, USA Muaythai event promoter/host, etc.

Doping Control, the terminology in sport that refers to drug testing for performance enhancing substances, is the process of collecting samples for analysis as described in the international standards of the World Anti-Doping Agency and specific International Federations.

All Athletes, Officials, Managers, Coaches, and other Participants must agree to and comply with the provisions of the current version of IFMA Anti-Doping Code. It is the personal responsibility of each participant subject to the provisions of The Code to ensure that he/she does not use or allow the use of any prohibited substance or prohibited method.

In order to participate in our National Championships, all athletes and adjudicators are required to sign the Form of Consent, which is part of The Code. The Organizer of the competition must refuse entrance to any athlete or adjudicator that has not completed and signed the Form of Consent.

At the National Competition level, prior to check in with the registrar, both members of the partnership must complete and sign the Form of Consent, in person, with the anti-doping official on site or his/her representative. In the case of a minor athlete, a parent or designated guardian must also sign the Form of Consent. Once the “Form of Consent” is completed by both members of the partnership, the registrar may then complete the registration process and issue the competitor number.

Use of substances on the World Anti-Doping Agency’s (WADA)  Prohibited  List for medical reasons requires an approved Therapeutic Use Exemption (TUE) form  or a Declaration of Use. To gain approval, an athlete must submit the appropriate application form along with substantial medical justification for the use of the prohibited substance at least 30 days in advance of the event. To determine if a TUE is needed, WHEN to apply for a TUE, and HOW to submit a TUE, please follow the procedure found on the National Anti-Doping Agency’s web site at USADA.org under the athlete tab.

The following athletes must obtain a TUE from IFMA: Athletes in the IFMA International Registered Testing Pool (IRTP) and Athletes participating in an International Event and/or included in the top 250 of the WDSF Ranking List for which a TUE granted pursuant to the WDSF Rules is required. Completed forms are to be submitted to the Chair of the IFMA Anti-Doping Commission. Athletes that don’t belong to the aforementioned category must obtain a TUE from USADA.org.

Tested Muaythai Athletes will be sent the confidential test results. In the case of a negative result, the Anti-Doping Chairperson will promptly pass on the results via first class US Mail. In the case of Adverse Analytical finding or Atypical Findings, the Anti-Doping Chairperson will inform the Muaythai Athlete via Registered mail. Muaythai Athletes must accept the registered letter notifying them of the results of doping tests. All letters will be sent to the address furnished to the Doping Control Officer at the time of testing. A failure of the Muaythai Athlete to accept delivery of this notice will result in disciplinary action.

Refusal to comply with the administration of doping controls will result in the immediate suspension of the Athlete. If the refusal to comply occurs at a competition the Athlete will be disqualified from all events, lose claim to all awards and titles, and must return all awards to the organizer. For a doping violation, the Athlete and partner will be disqualified from all events at the competition where the test was administered and will lose claim to all awards and titles and must return all awards to USA Muaythai. An Athlete is ineligible to continue to be registered as, or to compete as an Athlete if found by the Muaythai Council to have violated any provision of the Anti-Doping Code. An anti-doping violation, in connection with an IN-COMPETITION test automatically leads to the DISQUALIFICATION of the individual’s and partnership’s result obtained in that COMPETITION with all resulting consequences, including forfeiture of any medals, points, and prizes, irrespective of any other sanction that may be applied, subject to the provisions of this article. In the event of a dancer from a formation team being disqualified, this DISQUALIFICATION extends to the entire formation team.

We encourage all Muaythai Athletes, Adjudicators, Trainers, Officials, and social practitioners to explore the following websites to further your understanding of Anti-Doping Controls at USA Muaythai Competitions.

• United States Anti-Doping Agency
• World Anti-Doping Agency
• International Federation of Muaythai Associations

ALL MUAYTHAI ATHLETES AND OFFICIALS PARTICIPATING IN USA Muaythai COMPETITIONS ARE ELIGIBLE TO BE SELECTED FOR DOPING CONTROL. AS A MUAYTHAI ATHLETE AND OFFICIAL, YOU ARE BOUND BY THE CODE.