Boxing Dictionary Article

Boxing Rules Throughout The History Of The Sport

The rules in boxing have come a long way from fighting with bare knuckles, biting and throwing wild punches. There were no rules, essentially, it meant whoever was left standing, won. Boxers died in the ring, and it was a relatively common occurrence. The fights were fought in rings with spectators who often joined in the fights which ended up in a free for all.

Boxing is a very brutal, physical sport that some people have compared to the martial arts without skill. The essential goal is to knock out your opponent before you are. Or, at the very least to inflict harm on another which can cause severe injuries.

The first rules in boxing were the London Prize Ring Rules which was a list of 29 rules, that Jack Broughton originated in the late 1700’s and then were expanded upon in the 1800’s. The rules allowed holds and throws and if a man went down for 30 seconds, he had an additional eight seconds to clear his head and return to fight.

The rules were very lenient however, the primary rule was boxers were forbidden to continuously strike their opponent if they went down. Also, there was not hitting below the waist.

The rules were then revised to the Marquee of Queensberry involved the dramatic change of fist fighting to glove fighting. A timer was introduced and rounds were limited and structured. The count down was changed from 30 seconds to 10 seconds, to allow someone to get up if they were knocked down. Most of the rules remain today with some slight modifications.

The rules were written by John Chambers who was a member of the British Athletic Club and he was a sportsman. The rules involved the use of a 24 inch ring. No hugging or throwing your opponent. Each round was approximately three minutes long. A man who ends up in the ropes and is unable to recuperate is considered down. The rules also included, broken or damaged gloves must be replaced so no bare knuckles were exposed.

Today the rules have changed somewhat and the stakes are certainly a great deal higher! Some boxers have made millions of dollars in one fight.

Today boxers wear a head guard, a gum shield, heavy gloves, protectors and high top soft soled boots. The ring is a canvas floor over felt or rubber. Most generally, there are five judges who award points. Points are awarded by strikes which are clean on legal parts of the body and points are deducted if they blows are not legal.

There are slightly different rules for amateurs and professionals. The United States have different rules than other countries. The rules for amateurs are pretty much the same throughout the world.