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Combat Sports Authority and NVB clarify agreements
Talks between the VA, the NVB and NOC*NSF showed that there was a need for more clarity about the division of tasks and roles between the regulator VA and the sports federation NVB. Together, these parties have worked out a clarification, as an addition to the covenant they concluded earlier.
The Dutch Combat Sports Federation (NVB) was founded in 2024, partly on the initiative of the Dutch Combat Sports Authority (VA). That marked a new division of tasks within organised combat sports. The NVB is a sports federation, the VA a regulator. In the absence of a central federation, the VA had taken on a number of federation tasks since 2017, which were gradually transferred to the young federation over the past two years. We published this article about the new division of tasks last year: VA and NVB: this is the division of roles
The Dutch Combat Sports Federation has a policy-making and executive role in sporting matters. Competition rules, the issuing of licences, the requirements for officials, matchmaking: everything that concerns the sport itself is a federation responsibility.
The Combat Sports Authority has a supervisory role and an enforcement function. Together with the federation, the VA sets the frameworks within which the sport must be organised, and leaves everything that happens within those frameworks to the NVB. If the frameworks are exceeded, however, the VA steps in. That, in essence, is the division of tasks.
In daily practice it turned out that the agreements were not equally clear to everyone. In consultation between the VA, the NVB and NOC*NSF it was decided that it would be good to clarify a number of them. That has now been done in good cooperation.
Disciplinary law
There are subjects that could be placed with either organisation, such as disciplinary law, which is intended to protect people in and around combat sports against misconduct. To prevent any differences of interpretation, the agreements on this have been clarified. The NVB adheres to the disciplinary regulations of the VA. Disciplinary cases are handled by the VA. The NVB handles and assesses sporting offences entirely independently, through its sanctions policy. The VA does not involve itself in sporting offences, and the NVB does not involve itself in disciplinary proceedings.
Risk assessments
Two different risk assessments are made for safety at events. The NVB draws up a sporting risk assessment: it looks at the number of bouts the participants have fought, their weight, their class and other factors that can influence the course of a match. In addition, the VA draws up a risk assessment with a view to public order and safety. Are fighters facing each other whose followings bring risks with them? We want to avoid supporters of rival football clubs meeting one another. Athletes from communities that are at odds with each other can also be considered, for instance because their countries of origin are at war. So the NVB makes the sporting assessment of the matchmaking. The VA will only intervene if there are possible public order and safety issues.
The VA carries out the risk assessment on public order and safety in close contact with local authorities. The VA also remains the first point of contact for municipalities with questions about combat sports events and combat sports schools.
Looking ahead
The clarification of the agreements has been added as an annex to the covenant that the federation and the regulator concluded earlier. Should any uncertainty about particular tasks or responsibilities arise in the sector later on, agreed steps will follow to resolve it together. The VA and the NVB remain in structural contact about the division of tasks and about new developments. With these constructive efforts, both organisations are confident that the work will run more and more smoothly in practice.