The Rules and Regulations of Professional Boxing
Despite the fact that different authorized bodies and state commissions apply their own differences, the widely agreed standard is the UNIFIED RULES of the ASSOCIATION OF BOXING COMMISSIONS (A.B.C.).
The main regulatory profile of the A.B.C. consists of:
- 1. Each competition may vary in terms of the number of rounds, but the duration of each round must be three minutes with a one-minute break in between.
- 2. The referee of a bout (often called the “third man in the ring”) is the only official allowed to stop the fight. This may come with advice from the commissioner or the ringside physician, but the referee is the only one who can stop the fight.
- 3. The fight is established and determined by three front-row judges.
- 4. A ten-point system is a standard scoring procedure in any controlled match. This means that any fighter who wins the round should automatically receive 10 points, and their opponents fewer, depending on how badly they lose the round.
- 5. Any boxer who is knocked down during the course of a bout must take a mandatory eight-count to get back on their feet, to recover and be considered physically and mentally capable of continuing.
- 6. Every athlete must wear a mouthpiece during the bout. If, for any reason, a boxer does not put the mouthpiece back in during the round or it is knocked out during the round, the referee must stop the action and reinsert it.
- 7. There is no standing eight-count. (This practice is sometimes used to allow a referee to temporarily stop the fight and apply an eight-count to gain time to assess a fighter).
- 8. The Three Knockdown Rule is not in effect. (This regulation is sometimes used to protect a fighter from avoidable punishment, assuming that if they have been knocked down three times in any round, they are not performing, and the fight is automatically stopped).
- 9. Assuming a boxer is knocked completely out of the ring, they are allowed twenty seconds to re-enter. This must happen without intervention from their corner or spectators. Any unauthorized contact with the fighter may result in a loss of points and/or is subject to judgment by the referee.
- 10. A fighter who is knocked down and receives a ten-count cannot be saved by the bell in any round. (This means that if a fighter falls and the bell rings to end the round, the round continues until the fighter recovers, is assessed by the referee, and is deemed capable or incapable of continuing. The sound of the bell DOES NOT automatically stop all actions and outcomes).
- 11. Any injury (cuts, swelling, broken bones, etc.) incurred from a legal punch that is serious enough to end the fight results in a Technical Knock Out (T.K.O.) of the injured boxer.
- 12. Injuries sustained from intentional or unintentional fouls are treated differently. All regulations and full descriptions can be found here.
- 13. A fighter who is unexpectedly hit below the belt (below the waist) will be given appropriate time to recover. The maximum allowed time is five minutes.