Types Of Boxing Rules

r>There are basically two different sets of boxing rules - one for amateur boxing matches, and one for professional boxing, but different types of rules for each type of boxing exist in different countries. There are even a different set of rules that govern the sport during the Olympic Games.

The main differences in the rules between professional and amateur boxing are the number of rounds and the time allowed for each round. The way the match is judged for each round is also different. Here are the basic principles for boxing:

Boxers compete in weight classes. The class of a boxer is determined by their body weight. The weight classes are straw weight, fly weight, bantam weight, feather weight, lightweight, welterweight, middleweight, light heavyweight, and heavyweight.

The match is held in a square ring that is marked off with at least three ropes. For amateur matches the ring may be 16 - 20 square feet. For professional boxing, the ring may be from 16 to 24 square feet. The floor of the ring should have felt or foam rubber covered by canvas.

Each boxer's hands are wrapped with cloth bandages, and then covered with padded leather gloves. In some states in the US, gloves without thumbs are required to reduce potential eye injury. Boxers are attired in trunks and light weight boxing shoes. A mouthpiece is required to protect the teeth, and an athletic cup is required to protect the groin area. In amateur matches, protective head gear is worn, but professionals fight without protective head gear.

Professional matches are made up of 4 to 15 rounds, with each round lasting three minutes. There is a one minute break between rounds. Amateur matches are usually three rounds lasting three minutes each, or five rounds lasting two minutes each.

Each match - both professional and amateur - is monitored by a referee. The referee is the only person allowed inside the ring with the boxers during rounds. It is his job to make sure that both fighters are following the rules, and he has the authority to disqualify a fighter for serious violations of the rules, or for too many lesser violations. There are also judges that sit outside the ring and score the matches. Amateur matches require five judges, but other boxing matches usually only have two or three judges. A timekeeper is also required. He or she signals a bell at the beginning and end of each round. A physician is also required at sanctioned events.

The boxing rules are quite simple. Hitting below the belt - or the belt line - is not admissible. You cannot hit your opponent in the back of the head. You cannot hit an opponent who is down. You cannot hit an opponent who is on his knees, or even on one knee. Kicking, tripping, holding, hitting an opponents eye with a thumb, wrestling, head butting, and hitting with the elbows, the forearm, or the inside of the glove is not allowed. These are all called fouls, and the referee warns a fighter when he has fouled. Judges deduct points for fouls, and too many fouls can get a fighter disqualified.

Furthermore, when one fighter is knocked down, the other fighter must go to the farthest neutral corner. Each fighter is assigned a corner that he and his coaches and managers use between rounds. These are not neutral corners. When a fighter is knocked down, the referee begins the count. In most cases, if the boxer gets back up before the referee reaches the count of ten, the fight continues.

However, in some matches there is a mandatory eight count, which means that the fight cannot resume until the referee reaches a count of eight. In amateur boxing matches, if a boxer is knocked down three times in one round, the other boxer wins on a TKO (technical knock out). If the referee reaches the ten-count after a knockdown, the other fighter wins.

If there is not a knockout or a TKO, the fight is scored by the judges. This is called a decision. Some professional matches end in a draw - with no declared winner. Draws are not allowed for amateur matches - a winner must be declared. The decision is based on a point system or a round system. The round system has the judges individually determining a winner after each round. At the end of the fight, the boxer who won the most rounds, as judged individually by the judges, wins the match.

With the point system, points are awarded based on performance. There are several different point systems, but the most commonly used is the 20 point system. Each judge awards the winner of a round twenty points, and the loser receives up to nineteen points for that round - based on his performance. If there was no determined winner, each fighter gets 20 points. At the end of the match, all the judges points are tallied, and the fighter with the most points wins.