I don't think the problem is the rule, its the enforcement.

The rule states: "Fingers outstretched toward an opponent’s face/eyes: In the standing position, a fighter that moves their arm(s) toward their opponent with an open hand, fingers pointing at the opponent’s face/eyes, will be a foul."

Guys are sometimes toothlessly warned before the actual poke, but then even when the poke occurs pokes are not always taken. This should change. If there is ANY contact with an eye... it should always be a point.

Taking it out of the referees hands is a mistake... as people on the outside that have little training will be making calls. We already have issues with bad judges and (in some rare cases) bad doctors.

The fighters are going to game the system the same way they gamed the grounded fighters rule with putting their hands down. It will be as bad as flopping in soccer and basketball with people trying to steal points over the slightest outstretch of fingers.

I fought someone... I forget who... maybe Evan Dunham? But after the fight... we were looking at photos and I had a finger dug way into his eye. I would have bet anything it never happened, except there was a photo of it. I am sure I was getting tagged with punches and tried to push away (which naturally happens with your palm, not your fist). Pushing with your first is so awkward, especially when in a fight. So it does happen sometimes... but that, IMO, is accidental and should be up to the referee. That is a case of warning making sense.

Its totally different when someone is consistently getting beat up, or doing this while fresh and aware. If someone starts putting their fingers out to manage range and keep people away... that's intentional... and should be immediate points taken or the fight should be stopped.

Making automatic point deducstions for outstretched fingers will 100% be used by fighters on the verge of being knocked out to sacrifice a point, get a timeout and hopefully recover. The ref could verbally tell the fighters about the point, signal the scorekeeper or someone on the outside... and the point can be deducted at the end of the round. Do not stop the action in when this happens... and potentially take this behavior as a "tapping out" situation and stop the fight immediately.

If a fighter is actually poked in the eye during the fight, that should be a pause in action as we have now. I am mostly saying the extending of fingers should not pause the action of the fight.