Playing by the Rules: A Complete Guide to Boxing Fouls

What counts as a ‘foul’ in boxing? This question is addressed by The International Boxing Association (AIBA), specifically its document on Technical Competition Rules (2019), which lists a total of 49 rules grouped under four sections:

1. Rules for Competition Management (Rules 1-17)

2. Rules for Scoring (Rules 18-24)

3. Rules for Competition Officials (Rules 25-40)

4. Rules for Competition Equipment and Uniforms (Rules 41-49)

The Rules for Scoring section contains the rules for Fouls (21), outlined as follows:

Fouls

• 21.1. Types of Fouls

  • 21.1.1. Hitting

    • 21.1.1.1. Below the belt (low blow), with the head, shoulder, forearm or elbow

    • 21.1.1.2. With an open glove, the inside of the glove, wrist or side of the hand

    • 21.1.1.3. The back of the opponent, especially on the back of the neck or head

    • 21.1.1.4. With a kidney punch

    • 21.1.1.5. With a pivot blow / backhand punch

  • 21.1.2. Holding

    • 21.1.2.1. Holding and hitting

    • 21.1.2.2. Locking the opponent’s arm or head, or pushing an arm underneath the arm of the opponent

  • 21.1.3. Tripping

  • 21.1.4. Kicking

  • 21.1.5. Butting

  • 21.1.6. Strangling

  • 21.1.7. Pulling

  • 21.1.8. Biting

  • 21.1.9. Faking / simulating

  • 21.1.10. Pushing

    • 21.1.10.1. Opponent’s face with an arm or an elbow

    • 21.1.10.2. The head of the opponent back over the ropes;

  • 21.1.11. Attacking whilst holding the ropes or making any unfair use of the ropes;

  • 21.1.12. Lying on, wrestling and throwing in the clinch;

  • 21.1.13. Attacking an opponent who is down or who is in the act of rising;

  • 21.1.14. Ducking below the belt of the opponent;

  • 21.1.15. Completely passive defense by means of double cover and intentionally falling, running, or turning the back to avoid a blow;

  • 21.1.16. Speaking;

  • 21.1.17. Not stepping back when ordered to break;

  • 21.1.18. Attempting to strike opponent immediately after the Referee has ordered “break” and before taking a step back;

  • 21.1.19. Assaulting or behaving in an aggressive manner towards a Referee at any time;

  • 21.1.20. Gumshield falling out

    • 21.1.20.1. Spitting out the gumshield intentionally without receiving a correct punch will cause the Boxer to receive a mandatory warning;

    • 21.1.20.2. If the gumshield falls out after the Boxer has received a correct punch, and if this happens for the third time, the Boxer will receive a mandatory warning;

  • 21.1.21. Keeping the advanced hand straight in order to obstruct the opponent’s vision

Reference

AIBA, 2021. AIBA-Technical-Competition-Rules-. [online] IBA. Available at: <https://www.iba.sport/aiba-technical-competition-rules/> [Accessed 31 August 2022].

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