FAQs

Date: September 28, 2013
Q&A on Rule Questions for new USA Boxing Rulebooks

Q - Who can box without headgear?
A- Any boxer ages 19 to 40 who competes in the Elite Men’s category. At no time will a boxer without headgear box someone with headgear. No boxer will ever be forced to box without headgear. If a male boxer, ages 19 to 40, wishes to box with headgear, they must compete in the senior division.

Q - What is the Senior Division?
A- The Senior division is for men, ages 19 to 40, who wish to compete with headgear. The senior division will always compete with headgear. (i.e., local, state, regional and national events) An athlete may choose to change divisions and compete without headgear in the men’s elite division at their discretion. (Only the elite level athletes, who box without headgear will be able to advance to international competition).

Q - Can a Youth boxer box a Senior and/or Elite boxer?
A – Yes, they can compete against a senior or elite boxer, if it is not in a tournament format. A Youth boxer can box an elite boxer all the way up to 28 years of age, but the Senior/ Elite boxer must always box under the competition and technical rules of the younger age division, which includes wearing headgear.

Q - What size gloves do the Prep boxers 8 to 14, Junior Boxers 15 to 16, Youth Boxers 17 to 18, and Senior boxers use?
A- All divisions other than the men’s elite division use 10 oz gloves. In the Elite men’s division, they use 10 oz gloves in the 108 lbs-141 lbs weight classes, and they use 12 oz gloves in the 152 lbs to 201+ lbs classes.

Q - Tell me how a bout is judged by the official? What is the judge looking for from my boxer?
A - Each judge will independently score the merits of the two (2) boxers using the scoring system based on the following criteria which are weighted equally:

Number of quality blows on target area
Domination of the bout
Competitiveness
Technique and tactics superiority
Non-infringement of the rules.
After each round, the judge must apply the following criteria to score the round:
10 vs. 9 – Close round
10 vs. 8 – Clear winner
10 vs. 7 – Total dominance
10 vs. 6 – Overmatched

Q - If my boxer is losing the round by a wide margin and knocks the opponent down in the last 30 seconds, will my boxer win the round?
A – No, the boxer scoring the knockdown would probably not win the round since they lost the majority of the round. This is not like the professional scoring system where a knockdown wins you a round. The judges have to judge the total performance of the boxer from the first second to the last and then make an evaluation as to who was the superior boxer in that total round.

Q - Once an athlete (ages 35-40) declares which division they will be in (elite or masters), do both divisions require a yellow passbook or does an elite boxer get a white book?
A - Only the master boxer gets a yellow passbook; all other boxers have a white passbook.

Q - Do master athletes still need the required medical paperwork as before?
A. Yes, the medical procedure for the master boxer hasn’t changed.

Q – What are the Compulsory Count limits for boxers?
A. – For elite and senior men, three standing eight counts in one round or no limit in the bout, and in all other categories three in a round and four in the bout.

Q - In California and Florida or any other state where you are not allowed to compete without headgear, does that mean all male boxers 19-40 are considered senior boxers?
A - Yes, but when they go to the USA Boxing National Championships they can choose what category they want to compete in, either elite or senior. If they choose elite, they will box without headgear in the national competition.

Q - Does this mean at the local level everyone wears 10oz gloves?
A - Yes, if you box with headgear