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Amateur boxing

Boxers wear athletic shirts, red outfit for a higher-ranked contender, blue for a lower-ranked. No substances are allowed to be used internally and externally except for water and blood stopping agents

Amateur boxing is a variant of boxing practiced at the collegiate level, at the Olympic Games, Pan American Games and Commonwealth Games, as well as many associations.

Amateur boxing bouts are short in duration, comprising 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. This type of competition prizes point-scoring blows, based on number of clean punches landed, rather than physical power. Also, this short format allows tournaments to feature several bouts over several days, unlike professional boxing, where fighters rest several months between bouts.

A referee 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 do not use holding tactics to prevent the opponent from punching (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 have to stop the bout if a boxer is seriously injured, or if one boxer is significantly dominating the other.[1]

Olympic-style boxing is now an official term used for all amateur boxing events sanctioned by the AIBA.[2] Until 2016, only amateur boxers were allowed to compete at the Olympic boxing events. In June 2016, the AIBA amended its rules to allow for professional boxers to participate in the Summer Olympics. In the United States, collegiate boxers usually switch to professional boxing after playing at the Olympics or other amateur boxing events of international importance. However, this practice is not typical in all countries. Olympians are often compared to top-ranked professionals in terms of skills, and as a rule receive a quick start in world professional rankings for granted upon turning pro.[3]

  1. ^ Andrew Eisele Olympic Boxing Rules Archived 2012-02-06 at the Wayback Machine About.com, 2005
  2. ^ "Congressional Record, Volume 154 Part 16". Government Printing Office – via Google Books.
  3. ^ "Dozens of pro boxers to take their swings at Olympic gold". USA Today. Archived from the original on 2023-04-12.