Amateur boxing is practised at the collegiate level, at the
Olympic GamesThe Olympic Games is a major international event featuring summer and winter sports, in which thousands of athletes participate in a variety of competitions. The Olympic Games have come to be regarded as the world’s foremost sports competition where more than 200 nations participate...
and
Commonwealth GamesThe Commonwealth Games is an international, multi-sport event involving athletes from the Commonwealth of Nations. The event was first held in 1930 and takes place every four years....
, and in many other venues sponsored by amateur
boxingBoxing, also called pugilism, is a combat sport in which two people fight each other using their fists. Boxing is supervised by a referee over a series of between one to three minute intervals called rounds...
associations. Amateur boxing bouts are short in duration and fighters wear head protection, so this type of competition prizes point-scoring (based on number of clean punches landed) rather than physical power. Bouts comprise three rounds of three minutes in men, and four rounds of two minutes in women, each with a one-minute interval between rounds.
Men's senior bouts changed in format from four, two minute rounds to three, three minute rounds on January 1, 2009.
Competitors wear protective headgear and gloves with a white strip across the knuckle. A punch is considered a scoring punch only when the boxers connect with the white portion of the gloves. Each punch that lands on the head or torso is awarded a point. A
refereeThe referee in the boxing is the individual charged with enforcing the rules of that sport during a match.-The role of the referee:Referees have the following roles:*Gives instructions to both boxers before the fight...
monitors the fight to ensure that competitors use only legal blows (a belt worn over the torso represents the lower limit of punches - any boxer repeatedly landing "low blows" is disqualified). Referees also ensure that the boxers don't use holding tactics to prevent the opponent from swinging (if this occurs, the referee separates the opponents and orders them to continue boxing. Repeated holding can result in a boxer being penalized, or ultimately, disqualified). Referees will stop the bout if a boxer is seriously injured, if one boxer is significantly dominating the other or if the score is severely imbalanced. Bouts which end this way may be noted as "RSC" (referee stopped contest) with notations for an outclassed opponent (RSCO), outscored opponent (RSCOS), injury (RSCI) or head injury (RSCH).
History
Amateur boxing emerged as a sport during the mid-to-late 19th century, partly as a result of the moral controversies surrounding professional prize-fighting. Originally lampooned as an effort by upper and middle-class gentlemen to co-opt a traditionally
working classWorking class is a term used in the social sciences and in ordinary conversation to describe those employed in lower tier jobs , often extending to those in unemployment or otherwise possessing below-average incomes...
sport, the safer, "scientific" style of boxing found favor in schools, universities and in the armed forces, although the champions still usually came from among the urban poor.
The Queensberry Amateur Championships continued from
1867-Association football:England* Formation of the Sheffield FA, which continues to promote its own Sheffield Rules. The Sheffield FA establishes the local Youdan Cup, the first organised football tournament, which is won by Hallam FC....
to
1885-American football:College championship* College football national championship – Princeton Tigers-Association football:England* FA Cup final – Blackburn Rovers 2–0 Queen's Park at The Oval...
, and so, unlike their professional counterparts, amateur boxers did not deviate from using gloves once the Queensberry Rules had been published. In the United Kingdom, the
Amateur Boxing AssociationThe Amateur Boxing Association of England is the governing body of amateur boxing clubs in England. There are separate organisations for Scotland and Wales with boxing in Northern Ireland being organised on an All-Ireland basis. The Association was founded in 1880...
(A.B.A.) was formed in
1880-American football:College championship* College football national championship – Princeton Tigers and Yale Bulldogs Events* Walter Camp becomes an influential figure at the Massasoit House conventions where rules are debated and changed...
when twelve clubs affiliated. It held its first championships the following year. Four weight classes were contested, Featherweight (9
stoneThe stone is a units of measurement that was used in many North European countries until the advent of metrication. It value, which ranged from 3 kg to 12 kg, varied from city to city and also often from commodity to commodity...
), Lightweight (10 stone), Middleweight (11 stone, 4 pounds) and Heavyweight (no limit). (A stone is equal to 14 pounds.) By
19021902 in sports describes the year's events in world sport.-American football:College championship* College football national championship – Michigan Wolverines and Yale Bulldogs Events...
, American boxers were contesting the titles in the A.B.A. Championships, which, therefore, took on an international complexion. By
1924-American football:NFL championship* Cleveland BulldogsCollege championship* College football national championship – Notre Dame Fighting Irish and Penn Quakers -Association football:England...
, the A.B.A. had 105 clubs in affiliation.
Boxing first appeared at the Olympic Games in
1904The 1904 Summer Olympics, officially known as the Games of the III Olympiad, was an international multi-sport event which was celebrated in St. Louis, Missouri, in the United States from 1 July 1904, to November 23, 1904, at what is now known as Francis Field on the campus of Washington University...
and, apart from the Games of
1912The 1912 Summer Olympics, officially known as the Games of the V Olympiad, were an international multi-sport event held in Stockholm, Sweden, between 5 May and 27 July 1912. Twenty-eight nations and 2,407 competitors, including 48 women, competed in 102 events in 14 sports...
, has always been part of them. From 1972 to 2004,
CubaThe Republic of Cuba is an island nation in the Caribbean. The nation of Cuba consists of the main island of Cuba, the Isla de la Juventud, and several archipelagos. Havana is the largest city in Cuba and the country's capital. Santiago de Cuba is the second largest city...
and the
United StatesThe United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
won the most Gold Medals; 29 for Cuba and 21 for the U.S. Internationally, Olympic boxing spread steadily throughout the first half of the 20th century, but when the first international body, the Fédération Internationale de Boxe Olympique (International Olympic Boxing Federation) was formed in
ParisParis is the capital and largest city in France, situated on the river Seine, in northern France, at the heart of the Île-de-France region...
in 1920, there were only five member nations.
In
1946-American football:* All-America Football Conference begins play. Cleveland Browns win the championship by beating New York Yankees 14-9.* Chicago Bears win the NFL crown by defeating the New York Giants 24-14 in New York.-Association football:England...
, however, when the
International Amateur Boxing AssociationThe International Boxing Association is a for-profit organization that sanctions professional boxing matches and awards world and subordinate championships.- Origins :...
(A.I.B.A.) was formed in London, twenty-four nations from five continents were represented, and the A.I.B.A. has continued to be the official world federation of amateur boxing ever since. The first World Amateur Boxing Championships were staged in
19741974 in sports describes the year's events in world sport.-Alpine skiing:* Alpine Skiing World Cup** Men's overall season champion: Piero Gros, Italy** Women's overall season champion: Annemarie Pröll, Austria-American football:...
.
Computer scoring was introduced to the Olympics in 1992. Each of the five judges has a keypad with a red and a blue button. The judges must press a button for which ever corner they feel lands a scoring blow. Three out of the five judges must press the button for the same boxer within a one-second window in order for the point to score. A legal scoring blow is that which is landed cleanly with the white knuckle surface of the glove, within the scoring area (middle of the head, down the sides and between the hips through the belly button, and the boxer can't be committing a foul (slapping, ducking head, wrestling, holding, etc). As long as the punches land within the scoring area, they are legal and that includes body punches, as well as those to the face. When computer scoring is used, and one opponent is leading by 20 points at any time before the fourth round, the referee is notified and the bout is stopped on an RSCOS - meaning the referee stopped the contest as the opponent was outscored.
Recent developments in sports technology for boxing has introduced systems like the
Automated Boxing Scoring SystemThe automated boxing scoring system is a research and development project being developed by a group of Australian institutions and private companies. It aims to provide a training aid and unbiased scoring for the sport of Amateur Boxing and potentially other Combat and Martial art sports.-...
which uses instrumented boxing gear to send information back to a ring-side computer for the purposes of scoring. The system was developed to overcome the shortcomings of the computer scoring system, however the automated system has not been introduced as the official scoring system yet and could take some time to become accepted by boxing officials.
Rules and regulations (United Kingdom)
Amateur boxing has a minimum age that states that you must be at least 11 years old to compete, but there is no minimum training age.
Seniors
1. A Boxer becomes a Senior on his 17th birthday. When he reaches his 34th birthday, he will no longer be allowed to box, and his ME3 must be returned to his Association for cancellation.
Round Duration
2. Boxers will box 3 x 2 minute rounds and males may box 4 x 2 minute rounds or 3 x 3 minute rounds by agreement. Females may box 4 x 2 minute rounds by agreement. In Open Championships and Internationals, males will box 3 x 3 minute rounds and females 4 x 2 minute rounds. In every case there will be an interval of one minute between rounds.
3. A Senior Boxer may participate in a maximum of 18 contests per season excluding Championships and International matches.
Classification
4. There shall be three classes of Senior Boxers. The appropriate classification being:
(a) Novice
A Novice is a boxer who has not competed in any stage of an Open Senior Championship. A Novice Boxer must not compete against an Open Class Boxer other than in recognized Championship.
(b) Intermediate
An Intermediate is a Boxer who has:
(a) entered and competed in an Open Senior Championship but has not won a Regional Association Title,
(b) won a Novice Class ‘B' Title,
(c) won a CYP Class C Title, or
(d) returned from professional boxing.
~s
(c) Open
An Open is a Boxer who has:
(a) won an ABAE Senior Championship Regional Association Title.
(b) boxed at Senior level for his Country.
A Regional Association Executive Committee may upgrade a Boxer who in their opinion, is clearly above the prevailing standard for his current level of classification. Similarly, a boxer may be downgraded if his ability, in their opinion is below the standard prevailing in his current
classification.
Juniors
1. A boxer is a junior from his 11th birthday (at which age he is eligible to hold an ME3), until his 17th birthday.
2. (a) Boxers under the age of 17 years MUST NOT concede more than 12 months in age, except where necessary for specific International Events.
(b) Novice boxers aged 17 years can compete against boxers aged 16 years provided 43
there is no more than 12 months difference in age.
(c) It is recommended that Junior boxers do not concede age, weight and experience in a contest. The final decision for any contest is the responsibility of the OIC.
Rounds Duration
2. Unless the conditions for Championships or other authorised events prescribe otherwise the duration of bouts for Junior boxers will be as follows:
Both boxers aged over 11 years and under 14 years: 3 x 1.5 minute rounds
One boxer aged 13 and the other 14 years: 3 x 1.5 minute rounds
Both boxers aged 14 years: 3 x 2 minute rounds
One boxer aged 14 years and the other 15 years: 3 x 2 minutes rounds
Both boxers aged 15 years or over: 3 x 2 minute rounds, or 4 x 2 minutes by
agreement.
3 x 3 minute rounds by agreement (male boxers only)
United States amateur boxing organizations
Amateur boxing can be considered any amateur fight at a local boxing gym, but there are several tournaments that take place to determine amateur champions.
There are several different amateur sanctioning bodies in the United States, including the
Amateur Athletic UnionThe Amateur Athletic Union is one of the largest non-profit volunteer sports organizations in the United States. A multi-sport organization, the AAU is dedicated exclusively to the promotion and development of amateur sports and physical fitness programs.-History:The AAU was founded in 1888 to...
(
AAUThe Amateur Athletic Union is one of the largest non-profit volunteer sports organizations in the United States. A multi-sport organization, the AAU is dedicated exclusively to the promotion and development of amateur sports and physical fitness programs.-History:The AAU was founded in 1888 to...
) of the United States, the Golden Gloves Association of America, and
USA BoxingUSA Boxing is the national governing body for Olympic-style amateur boxing. It is overseen by the United States Olympic Committee and the International Amateur Boxing Association , who sets its rules....
.
The
Golden GlovesThe Golden Gloves is the name given to annual competitions for amateur boxing in the United States. The Golden Gloves is often the term used to refer to the National Golden Gloves competition, but it also can represent several other amateur tournaments, including regional golden gloves...
is an amateur boxing tournament that is fought at both the national level and the regional level. Although the Golden Gloves typically refers to the National Golden Gloves, it can also refer to the
Intercity Golden GlovesThis amateur boxing tournament is considered by many boxing aficionados as one of the three most elite Golden Gloves titles, along with the Chicago Golden Gloves and the New York Golden Gloves....
, the
Chicago Golden GlovesThis amateur boxing tournament is considered by many boxing aficionados as one of the three most elite Golden Gloves titles, along with the Intercity Golden Gloves and the New York Golden Gloves. The tournament is also more formally known as the Chicago Tribune Charities Golden Gloves Tournament of...
, the
New York Golden GlovesThe New York Golden Gloves is a boxing tournament considered by many boxing aficionados as one of the three most elite Golden Gloves titles, along with the Chicago Golden Gloves....
, and other regional Golden Gloves tournaments. The winners of the regional tournaments fight in a national competition annually.
Some of the champion boxers include: (City they are fighting in, may not be where they live)
Kimberly Nelson
Portland, OregonPortland is a city located in the Pacific Northwest, near the confluence of the Willamette and Columbia rivers in the U.S. state of Oregon. As of the 2010 Census, it had a population of 583,776, making it the 29th most populous city in the United States...
Nick Anesi
Durango, ColoradoThe City of Durango is a Home Rule Municipality that is the county seat and the most populous city of La Plata County, Colorado, United States. The United States Census Bureau said that the city population was 16,887 in 2010 census.-History:...
Stephen Wasser Jr.St.Louis, Missouri
Andresea Legateniz
Orlando, FloridaOrlando is a city in the central region of the U.S. state of Florida. It is the county seat of Orange County, and the center of the Greater Orlando metropolitan area. According to the 2010 US Census, the city had a population of 238,300, making Orlando the 79th largest city in the United States...
Kali Andrews Washington, D.C
USA BoxingUSA Boxing is the national governing body for Olympic-style amateur boxing. It is overseen by the United States Olympic Committee and the International Amateur Boxing Association , who sets its rules....
also sanctions a national tournament to determine who will compete on the United States National boxing team at the Olympic Games.
Canadian Amateur Boxing Association
Since 1969, amateur boxing in Canada has been regulated by the CANADIAN AMATEUR BOXING ASSOCIATION (Boxing Canada)and the various Provincial Associations.
Amateur boxing in the province of British Columbia is sanctioned and regulated by the British Columbia Boxing Association.
Some of the main tournaments include Provincial Championships, Golden Gloves, Silver Gloves, Emerald Gloves and Buckskin Gloves.
External links