Outcomes

A contestant can be declared the winner of a bout in one of these ways:

	On points: The most common outcome, judges' scores determine who wins. If scores are even, the judges select a winner based on better aggressiveness, or style & defence.
	Referee stops contest: The referee stops the contest if one boxer is injured or unable to continue (including unable to resume within 10 seconds of being down), or if a boxer receives a standing eight-count three times in a round or four times in a bout. Also, if the referee considers the match to be completely one-sided, it is stopped and the superior contestant wins.
	By retirement of opponent: If the opponent (or their second) concedes the bout (literally "throws in the towel") or fails to resume after the round break. This is normally because of injury or because the boxer is outclassed.
	By disqualification of opponent: if a contestant is disqualified, the opponent wins. If both are disqualified, there is no winner.
	By walk-over: where an opponent fails to appear after his name has been called over the public address system, the bell sounded and a period of three minutes has elapsed, the other boxer is the winner by a "Walk-over".

No contest: if the match is called off because of external factors such as damage to the ring, lighting failure, or similar, the contest is abandoned (there is no winner).

Cautions for fouls may be given without stopping the contest. Three cautions for the same foul require a warning. However a warning need not be preceded by cautions.

Warnings require the contest to be stopped, the infringement to be demonstrated, and the offender to be identified to the judges. The judges may inflict scoring penalties as a result.

Disqualification is mandatory on the third warning to a boxer in one bout.

Being "down": The boxer is "down" when, as a result of being hit, any part of the body apart from the feet touches the floor, or when s/he is hanging helplessly on the ropes or is partly outside the ropes. It is not permitted to hit a contestant who is "down" or in the act of rising. A boxer who cannot rise by the count of ten loses the match.

This page was last updated on 02 January 2006