(1) Each participant shall wear an individually fitted mouthpiece. The mouthpiece shall be in the participant's mouth at all times during a round. A backup mouthpiece shall be available in case of loss or damage.

(2) If the mouthpiece was ejected as a result of natural fight action, no points will be deducted. The referee shall wait until the flurry during which the mouthpiece was ejected has subsided. He shall then take time out, direct the participant whose mouthpiece remains in place to retire to a neutral corner, take the participant to his own corner, direct that the mouthpiece be rinsed and replaced in the participant's mouth and then order the fight to immediately continue.

(3) If the referee believes that the contestant spit out or allowed the mouthpiece to fall out of the contestant's mouth the referee shall:

(a) upon the first occurrence, wait until the initial flurry subsides, proceed as in (2) and warn the contestant that a point will be deducted if the contestant subsequently spits out or allows the mouthpiece to fall out of the contestant's mouth;

(b) upon the second occurrence, wait until the initial flurry subsides, proceed as in (2) , warn the contestant that he or she will be disqualified if the contestant subsequently spits out or allows the mouthpiece to fall out of the contestant's mouth. The referee shall direct each judge to deduct a point from the contestant's score and shall notify the board representative; and

(c) upon the third occurrence, disqualify the contestant who deliberately spit out or allowed the mouthpiece to fall out of the contestant's mouth. The opponent shall be declared the winner due to disqualification.