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CSAC approves ambulance‑waiver for United States Fight League in jurisdictions with EMS response ≤20 minutes
Summary
The California State Athletic Commission approved a waiver allowing the United States Fight League to run youth events without an on‑site ambulance where local EMS response times are 20 minutes or less, after testimony from promoter Joe Stevenson and debate over response‑time metrics.
The California State Athletic Commission voted to let the United States Fight League (USFL) seek an ambulance waiver for amateur tournaments in jurisdictions where emergency medical services can reach the venue within 20 minutes.
The motion, brought forward after staff presented USFL’s safety record, passed unanimously. Executive Officer Andy Foster told commissioners the USFL had requested the waiver because it had a “very, very low injury rate” and historically few ambulance transports. Joe Stevenson, representing the league, said the USFL has run events since 2014 with 5,390 competitor exposures and 76 minor injuries, uses age‑restricted techniques, headgear and no head strikes, and asks that ambulance requirement be placed at the discretion of the lead official when certain response‑time and transfer‑time criteria are met.
Several commissioners pushed back on using bout counts as the primary metric. One commissioner urged focusing instead on local EMS response times, citing a 2025 report that placed California’s average EMS response near 17.8 minutes and noting substantial variance across jurisdictions. That commissioner proposed, and later moved, approval for waivers only in jurisdictions with a 20‑minute or shorter response time; another commissioner seconded and the body voted in favor.
The commission also heard from an online public commenter who asked whether ambulance rules might be made optional for all amateur full‑contact events; commissioners clarified decisions would remain case‑by‑case, and Chair Villegas reiterated the commission considers each request on its own facts.
The waiver includes expectations that events remain under medical supervision (doctor and first responder) and that the commission will monitor outcomes. The commission recorded the motion as carried and directed staff to implement the guidance.
The decision does not change statewide ambulance rules; it creates a narrowly framed waiver standard tied to local EMS response time and event‑by‑event medical staffing.
Next steps: staff will document the waiver conditions and apply the 20‑minute response‑time threshold when evaluating future USFL requests.
