COACHES
MUST READ
AIBA Open Boxing
New Technical & Competition Rules
Angel Villarreal
AIBA Technical & Rules Commission Member
AOB/WSB/APB Supervisor
Ray Silvas
AIBA Referee & Judge Commission Member
AOB/WSB/APB Supervisor

To adapt the same Technical & Competition rules for the 3
AIBA programs




AOB = AIBA OPEN Boxing
WSB = AIBA World Series Boxing
APB = AIBA Professional Boxing
The Technical Rules are effective March 11, 2013
3
Reason for Changes


Implement the no head guard rule for AOB like WSB and
APB
 Officially June 1, 2013
All AIBA programs will implement the 10 point must
scoring system
4
Youth (17-18)
Elite (19-40)
Weight Divisions
10
10
Rounds
3, 3-minutes,
1 minute rest
3, 3-minutes,
1 minute rest
Headgear & Jerseys
Yes
No/Yes Jerseys
Gloves
10
10 & 12 ounce
Olympic Qualifying
Events
No
Yes
Highest Level
Competition
Youth Olympic Games
Olympic Games
Weights: 49 kg/108 lbs; 52 kg/114 lbs; 56 kg/123 lbs; 60 kg/132 lbs; 64
kg/141 lbs; 69 kg/152 lbs; 75 kg/165 lbs; 81 kg/178 lbs; 91 kg/201 lbs;
91+ kg/201+ lbs
6



A general physical & weigh in will be conducted prior to
the draw
Boxers must be clean shaven (no mustaches allowed or
jewelry on body
At the general weigh-in a boxer shall not exceed the
maximum of the boxer’s weight class nor be below the
minimum of boxers weight class
7



Zero tolerance on any weight over designated weights
At the daily weigh-in (once the tournament starts), only the
maximum weight limit should be controlled, not the
minimum weight limit
A boxer will have only one opportunity to weigh in on the
official scale
8


If a boxer is wearing a dressing on a cut, wound, abrasion,
or laceration or blood is swelling on the scalp or the face
including the nose or ears, the decision will be made by
the ringside doctor examining the boxer on the day the
boxer is competing
A test scale must be available and calibrated; the test scale
must be the same as the official scale or the difference will
be noted on the scale
9
10

For all competitions other than Elite Men (female, men
and youth, etc.), it is mandatory for athletes with long
hair to use a cap or hair net under the headgear
11


AOB - 10oz for Weight Categories

49kg – 64kg
Elite
108 - 141
AOB - 12oz for Weight Categories

69kg – 91+kg
Elite
152 – 201+

All other categories (female, youth and junior) – 10 oz gloves

AOB - Velcro Closure

The only licenses approved for AIBA competition gloves:
 Top Ten/Adidas/Wesing/FBT
12

In all AOB competitions, boxers must use bandages from one of the
AIBA official boxing equipment licensees

The bandages of each boxer must be checked and marked by the
equipment manager at the equipment check table

Specifications

Bandages must not be longer than 4.5m (14.76 feet), and not shorter
than 2.5m (8.2 feet); Bandages must be 5.7cm (2 1⁄4 inches) wide

Bandages must be made of stretchy cotton material with a velcro
closure

USAB gauze and tape rules apply in the USA
13



3 coaches are allowed in the corner
 Only 2 may mount the ring apron
 Only 1 may enter the ring
Coaches are allowed to give instructions in the corner
and during round
Coaches can still be removed from the corner by the
supervisor
15


For a 1st violation on any of above prohibited activities, Seconds will
receive a caution
For a 2nd violation on any of above prohibited activities, Seconds will
receive a warning and be placed just outside of the FOP area but be
allowed to remain the Competition Venue

For a 3rd violation on any of the above prohibited activities, Seconds
will be removed by the Supervisor for the rest of the day

If the Seconds are removed for a second time, Seconds will be
completely suspended from the competition
16



Instruction will be given in a controlled manner from the
corner
No touching the ring during round
Coaches will only be able to use clear bottles of water in
the corner
17

In the event of a cut the seconds can use the following items
during the rest period:







Steri Strip
Vaseline
Surgical and adrenaline (1/1000)
Collodion
Thrombin Solution
Micro Fibrilan Coloagen
Gelfoam
18
19
20
 The new scoring system is based on a 10 point must system that
can be used either with a similar electronic scoring system as in
the past or a manual mode (paper scoring)
 When the electronic scoring system (ESS) is available, 5 judges will
enter the field of play, their position around the ring will be
randomly selected by ping pong balls numbered 1 through 5
 When using the manual system, 3 judges will enter the field of
play, their position around the ring will be randomly selected by
ping pong balls numbered 1 through 3
21

Just before starting the bout, the ESS will randomly select 3 judges
out of the 5 to score the bout, only the scores of these 3 judges
selected will be counted

When using the manual system, all 3 judges will be live

When using the ESS system, the judges will not know if they are live
until the end of the bout when their names and scores are announced

At the end of each round, when using the ESS the judges will have 15
seconds to enter their score into the ESS scoring pad
22




The judge will select a winner after each round by hitting the red or
blue button on the scoring pad or manually writing it on the score
card, all judges will declare their winner, but only the 3 live judges
scoring the bout will decide the outcome
Each of the judges must determine the winner of the round and
award a score of 10 - 9 or less, but not lower than 6, every round
must have a declared winner no ties
Whether it is electronic or manual scoring, the supervisor will apply
any warnings associated with the bout and make the proper
adjustments manually on score cards
With the the electronic scoring, they will inform the ESS tech to apply
the warning and it will be noted in the equation
23



With manual scoring the proper adjustments will be made once the
score cards have been collected (the judge’s full concentration must be
dedicated to the bout without distractions)
If the bout is tied, the scoring pad will light up and blink indicating to
the judge they have to select a winner
In the event of a tie when using the manual system, when the score
card is turned in for the final round, a winner must be declared on the
score card
24



If the computer system goes down prior to the bout
starting, the supervisor will give the referee 5
scorecards to pass out to the judges; the supervisor
will randomly select through the blind selection
process (ping pong balls) 3 of the 5 judges to score
the bout
If the scoring system goes down after the beginning
of the first round, score cards will be handed out to
all the judges, but only the 3 live judges scores will
determine the winner
When scoring manually this will not be an issue
25
26

A boxer will be given value for the following scoring
methodology:
 Number of quality blows landed on the target area
 Domination of the bout
 Competitiveness – not giving up and continues to be
competitive in the bout
27
Scoring Criteria



Technique
 Clean, effective scoring blows with good style and
form
Strategic and Tactical
 Maneuver himself in the position to score
 Out maneuver an opponent by ability to cut off
the ring
Infringement of the Rules set forth by USA Boxing
28

The following scores are based on the new scoring criteria:




10
10
10
10
–
–
–
–
9
8
7
6
(Close Round)
(Clear Winner)
(Total Dominance)
(Overmatched)
 The difference between the 10 point must system in AOB
versus professional boxing is that a knock down in
professional boxing will automatically win you the round
 In AOB/USAB it’s just part of the equation and evaluation of
the total performance of the round
29



Elite men (19 – 40) after a maximum of three 8
counts in one round the bout will be stopped
No limit of the amount of 8 counts in a bout
without exceeding 3 in a round
Women, youth and juniors will have a maximum
of three 8 counts in one round and 4 in the bout
30


In the event a boxer is knocked down at the end of a
round, referee must continue the count until the boxer
gets up
Should the referee count up to 10 the boxer will be
deemed to have lost the bout by KO, the bell will not save
the boxer
31
32

Points / Split or Unanimous

Technical Knock-Out – TKO

Technical Knock-Out Injury – TKO-I
33

Disqualification – DQ

Knock-Out – KO

Walk-Over – WO
34
Points – Total Score

Unanimous Decision – 3 Judges – same winner

Split Decision
2 Judges – same winner and 1 Judge – Tie
2 Judges – same winner and 1 Judge – other winner
35



If an injury caused by an unintentional foul occurs and
as a result the contest is stopped by the referee, the
judges will record the points gained by each boxer up to
the time of the termination of the bout
The boxer who is ahead on points will be declared the
winner of the bout on points in accordance with the
scoring system
The round in which the bout is stopped will be scored,
even if it is a partial round
36

Boxer retires

Coach throws the towel into the ring

Doctor recommends to referee or
supervisor to terminate the bout
37

Outclassed

Low Blow

Boxer out of ring for more than 30 seconds
38


In the event of a boxer being knocked out of the ring,
the boxer should be allowed thirty (30) seconds to come
back into the ring without anyone’s assistance
In case the boxer is not able to come back into the ring
within the above mentioned timeframe, the opponent
shall be declared the winner of the bout by TKO
39


Injury by correct punches in any round i.e. boxer gets hit
in the nose from a correct punch and they cannot control
the nose bleed, the bout would be stopped
Unfit to continue – Injury (not necessarily by punch i.e.
twisted ankle, shoulder pops out of place)
40

3 Warnings in bout

Flagrant Foul - Warning or DQ

Low Blow – Warning or DQ
41


After a low blow, if the offended boxer does not complain and the low
blow was not hard or intentional, the referee makes a sign to signal the
foul without interrupting the bout
After a low blow, if the offended boxer complains about the severity of
the blow, the referee has 2 options:
1) Disqualifying the offender immediately, if an intentional and
hard blow has been landed
2) Start an 8 count
42

After the 8 count, the Referee has 2 options:
1) If the boxer is fit to continue, the referee will issue a warning
to the offender and the bout continues
2) The boxer is unfit to continue, the referee gives a certain
amount of time to recover with a maximum of up to one and a
half (1 1/2) minutes (90 Seconds)
43

After the above mentioned time frame, the referee has two
options
1) If the boxer is fit to continue, the referee will give a
warning to the offender and the bout continues
2) The boxer is unfit to continue, his opponent shall be
declared the winner of the Bout by TKO
44
Low Blow
DQ
8 - count
Boxer can
continue
= “Warning ”
= Box
Boxer cannot
continue
Boxer can
continue
= Warning  Box
= 1 ½ min. rest period
Boxer cannot
continue
= Opponent wins by TKO
45



Unfit to continue before the count of 10
when the boxer is down
The referee suspends the count and
summons the doctor in the ring when the
boxer is down
Double KO

Both boxers will lose the bout by KO
46
 When a boxer is present in the ring fully attired for boxing
and the opponent fails to appear after being announced and
a maximum period of one minute has elapsed after the bell
has been sounded the referee will declare the present boxer
the winner by walkover
 If the supervisor knows in advance that a boxer will not be
present, he will cancel the procedure mentioned above and
the announcer will announce the official result to the public
47

A tiebreaker will be needed in the following 3 situations:

1 judge is tied & 2 judges select different winners

2 judges are tied & 1 judge selects one winner

3 Judges are tied
48


In the event a boxer is knocked down at the end of a
round, referee must continue the count until the boxer
gets up
Should the referee count up to 10 the boxer will be
deemed to have lost the bout by KO, the bell will not save
the boxer
49


Gumshield Out – 3 times out due to correct blows will
warrant an automatic warning
If the gumshield is deliberately spit out the boxer will
receive an automatic warning
50



Cautions will be issued at the discretion of the referee,
there will be no limit on the number of cautions that can
be issued
Warnings will carry the weight of one point
If a boxer receives a referees warning the supervisor will
record the warning in the scoring systems and each
warning will reduce the total score of the offending
boxer by one point
51

The boxer will be Disqualified after 3rd warning

The referee can DQ a boxer at anytime for a flagrant foul

The supervisor or R/J evaluators have the right to
caution, remove and disqualify a second who has
infringed the rules
52



Elite men (19 – 40) after a maximum of three 8
counts in one round the bout will be stopped
No limit of the amount of 8 counts in a bout
without exceeding 3 in a round
Women, youth and juniors will have a maximum
of three 8 counts in one round and 4 in the bout
53

In the event of no Loss of Consciousness (LOC), a
minimum restriction of 30 days

In the event of LOC for less than one (1) minute, a
minimum restriction of 90 days

In the event of LOC more than one (1) minute, a
minimum restriction of 180 days

Any Boxer who suffers a second LOC within three (3)
months of resuming boxing after a first LOC will have
the previous medical restriction doubled
55
Three Knockouts - A Boxer who has been knocked out as
a result of head blows during a contest or the referee has
stopped the contest due to the boxer having received hard
blows to the head, making this Boxer defenseless or
incapable of continuing three times in a period of 12
months, will not be permitted to take part in competitive
boxing or sparring for one (1) year from the third
Knockout
56

Any Boxer who suffers three (3) LOCs within 12 months will be
suspended for a minimum of 18 months from the date of the third LOC

Any Boxer who has a medical restriction must not train or spar during
the restricted period

All protective measures will also apply if a Knockout and/or concussion
occur during training or anywhere else. The Coach will be responsible
to report to the National Federation.
57
58





A protest must be submitted by the team manager or the person with the
highest position in the delegation or coach of the boxer no more than 30
minutes after the completion of the bout
A protest during the Finals of a competition must be submitted within 5 minutes
of completion of the bout. The award ceremony will be postponed until the
results of the evaluation are announced
The protest must be made in writing and handed to the supervisor giving clear
reasons for the protest and specifying which rules were violated. The protest
must only challenge the performances of the referee
No protest against judges’ decisions will be accepted
The protest fee is $500.00. An administrative fee of $150.00 will be deducted
from this amount and the remaining amount will be refunded if the protest is
upheld. If the protest is rejected, the entire fee will not be returned to the party
protesting
59




The supervisor has the right to accept or reject the protest. The
supervisor will inform the parties involved if the protest has been
accepted or not. If the protest is rejected before being reviewed, the
protest fee will be fully refunded
The evaluation must be conducted by the supervisor or deputy
supervisors, if applicable referees’ evaluator and judges’ evaluator
immediately after the session is completed
The supervisor or deputy supervisors must immediately inform both
team managers verbally and thereafter in writing but no later than the
weigh-in and medical examination of the next day
A video recording of the protested bout must be used in all AOB
competitions to analyze the bout. Once a decision is taken, it is final and
no further review will be allowed
60
61



Each judge will independently judge the merits of the
two boxers using the new scoring system criteria
No judge will speak or give any sign to a boxer or to
another judge or anyone else during the bout
No judge will leave their seat until the results have been
announced to the public
62
Judges

Duties:
‒ Primary duty is to judge the bout according to criteria and
rules
‒ Judges should judge independently and without bias
‒ Bring referee’s attention with anything the Referee may not
have noticed as loose ropes, etc. Action should be done
between the rounds
‒
May not speak to anyone during a bout
‒
May not give any sign to a boxer or judge
‒
May not leave seat until the decision is announced to the
public
‒
Will use the 10 point must system for judging
63
Judges

Legal Scoring Blow






Knuckle surface
Legal scoring area of body
Weight of body or shoulder
While not infringing a rule
Clearly connected
Must have clear vision of punch
64
Judges

Tips / Hints(1):
‒ Never rely on past performance, reputations or titles earned by a
particular athlete.
‒
‒
Boxers who swing their blows are liable to connect the target
area with the inside of the glove
Considerable amount of swinging blows do not connect with the
knuckle part of the glove, and are therefore foul blows
−
Judge must not award points whenever a foul has been
committed
65
Judges

Tips / Hints (2):
‒
‒
‒
Infighting may be described as the exchange of
several blows when the Boxers are close together
The Judges need to consider the combination
blows
DO NOT give credit for blows delivered if the
boxer is infringing the rules
66
Judges

Tips (3):
‒
‒
DO NOT be influenced by the crowd or by the corners
DO NOT engage in conversations or other distractions during the
contest - You need total concentration
‒
Give your undivided attention to the competing boxers
‒
Be prepared to advise the referee if needed
67
The referee may now use a touch by hand to stop
and break the bout or to separate the boxers
68



The referee will signal to the supervisor to start the bout
only after checking to make sure all officials and ring
doctor are in place
If the gum shield falls out a third time from correct blows
the boxer will receive a mandatory warning
Boxers must have a headgear and vest that is either red
or blue depending on assigned corner
69
70

Boxers will still wear jerseys

A boxer can not have tape on any part of their uniform

No electronic devices are allowed on the field of play by
referees, judges or coaches


This removes all impropriety of anyone disbursing
information from the field of play
Referee and judges may use surgical gloves
71

Duties (1):
‒
Primary Duty: The safety of for both boxers throughout
the bout
‒
To see that the rules and fair play are strictly observed
‒
To maintain control of the contest at all its stages
‒
To prevent a weak boxer from receiving undue and
unnecessary punishment
72

Duties (2):
‒
When the Referee has disqualified a boxer or
stopped the Bout, the Referee shall first
inform the Supervisor which Boxer has been
disqualified or the reason for which the Bout
was stopped
‒
The Referee may consult the Ringside Doctor
in respect of any injury to a Boxer
73

Center Ring Instructions
‒ Short and to the point
‒ Confirm Authority
‒ Careful with the Heads
‒ Establish Waistlines
‒ Bout Specific Concerns
74

During Bout: Movement & Positioning
‒
‒
‒
Neutral, easy and calm
Strive for the right distance between yourself and
the boxers
Stay Alert
75

During Bout: Movement & Positioning
‒ Shortening your distance when:
- Difficult and tough bouts
- Boxers infighting
- Ability of one boxer is in doubt
- Boxers moving towards/fighting on ropes
- There is a good deal of noise
- Sounds signalling that 10 seconds are left in
the round
76

During Bout: Movement & Positioning
‒ Stay at the dominant or “open” side
‒
‒
‒
Positioning when both boxers are of the same
stance:
You can work both sides
If one of the boxers appears to be fatigued or
weak, work that open side whenever possible
77

During the Bout: One Minute Rest Period
‒ Full one-minute rest period
‒ Critical for boxers and their team
‒ Avoid interruptions
‒ Make eye contact with your team
‒ Observe and evaluate boxer
‒ Tidy yourself
‒ Be ready for the start of the next round
‒ Make sure corners are clean before starting the next round
78

Fouls
‒ Has to decide about following:
‒ Accidental or Intentional foul
‒ Type of foul
‒ Point deduction
‒ Possible disqualification
‒ Continue bout or not
‒
You don’t always have to call time; do it especially for
potentially harmful and unsafe situations
79

Tips (1):
Six Characteristics distinguish a great referee:
Good Judgment
Knowledge of the Rules
Movement and Positioning
General Ring Mechanics
Identify right time to start an eight count
Identify the right time when to declare a TKO or KO

80

Tips (2):
‒
‒
‒
‒
Priorities of the duties:
‒
Safety of the boxers
‒
Uphold the rules
‒
Prevent either boxer from receiving any unnecessary
blows
Never allow spectator or any outside source to influence
decision
Be strict without being severe (Boxing is a sport)
Never try to intimidate a boxer by ‘finger pointing’ when
issuing a caution or warning
81

Tips (3):
‒ Be sure to use the ‘whole’ hand as this projects a better image
and will maintain respect form the competitors
‒ In the ring, be as discreet as the bout allows you
‒ Move alertly around the ring:
‒ Avoid remaining in one position for long period thus
obstructing the view of the Judges and onlookers and
indeed not seeing as much of the contest as you should
‒ Never give commands, if Boxers have their back to you:
‒ Ensure you are in a correct position where the boxers
fully understand your instruction, actions, or signals
82

Tips (4):
Distinguish between “infighting” and “clinching
A clinch occurs when one or both boxers lead and for a moment
their arms become locked together:


This is not a foul
A foul occurs when a boxer does not make
an attempt to disengage from the clinch and
continues to hold
83

Tips (5):
‒ Do not walk backwards; always move in a forward
direction when possible
‒
Do not give the command “BREAK” too quickly or too
often
-
‒
“BREAK” command should be given when the boxers
are slow in getting out of a clinch
At the command “BREAK”, insist that “Both” boxers take a
full step backwards
84

Tips (6):
‒ Avoid saying Stop or Break too often, unless it is because
of a head butt
‒
‒
After the verbal command of “Break”, it may be
necessary to use the hands to touch and separate the
Boxers
At the end of the round, call “Stop” and wait for the
Boxers to retire to their corners:
-
Do not turn your back on the Boxers, but move to the
center of the ring, turn and back into the neutral
corner
85

Tips (7):
‒ The Referees have to maintain control of the bout at all
times to prevent cuts, injuries and concussions
‒
Acknowledge clashing of the heads
‒
Caution or Warn Boxers for Head Butting
‒
In case of an accidental clash of heads, allow one or both
boxers to recover, then continue the bout without standing
8-count, only Caution the two Boxers
86

Tips (8):
‒
‒
‒
‒
‒
‒
‒
Read the rules and the manual thoroughly before each
assignment
Practice the application of the rules in sparring sessions
Attend seminars
Keep physically fit and follow a clean lifestyle
Be physically and mentally ready to officiate
Tone up and stretch before each of your bouts
Carefully watch the boxers during each round and in the
intervals, keep an eye on the Ringside Doctor, Coaches,
Judges, and the Supervisor during the intervals as well
87
Four Words of Command




Stop – when calling for a temporary stop and when ordering
boxers to stop boxing
Break – when breaking a clinch upon command each boxer shall
take a step back before continuing to box
Time - when the referee needs to interrupt the bout for a longer
period than 10 seconds using the command time will stop the
clock
Box - when ordering boxers to resume boxing
88
89

Stop clock when referee says “Time”

Resume time when referee says “Box”

Signal 10 Seconds before the end of the round

Signal 10 Seconds before start of the next round
90



Assist referee with the count
The timekeeper must regulate the time for:
(a) low blow
(b) boxer out of ring
(c) LOC (loss of consciousness)
(d) Must have extra stop watch
The timekeeper will be seated directly at the side of the ring next to
the gong operator
91

Duties Official Announcer:
‒
‒
‒
‒
‒
Announce the entrance of the Boxer
Announce the Referee and Judges
Announce 10 seconds before the end of rest-period “Seconds Out”
Announce the number of each round right after the start of
each round
Announce the final results at the end of the bout after
receiving the official results from the Supervisor
93
94

Supervisor (Chief of Officials)

Deputy Supervisor (Ring Captain)

Referee/Judge Evaluator
96
•
Duties:
‒
‒
Meet together with the Supervisor, Referees and Judges,
before and after the matches
Review with the Supervisor or the Deputy Supervisor any
accepted Protests
97


At all events, the R&J Evaluators will evaluate the Referees
and Judges.
This evaluation process will have different objectives:
‒
To select R&Js that will be used for next sessions
‒
To select R&J’s, whose performances are the best
98
99
100
•
During the bouts, ensure controls the FOP

Approves the referees and judges for each bout
Checks the positions of each judge in each bout
Enters the warnings in the scoring system according to the
warnings issued by the referee
Confirms that the result of the bout is correct

Gives the official result to the announcer



101
102
RULE
AOB
Elite Men
Count Limits Max 3 in 1 round
No limit in1 bout
Count Limits
Max 3 in 1 round
Women,
Youth &
Max 4 in 1 bout
Junior
Seconds on
Ringside
3
APB
WSB
Max 3 in 1 round
No limit in 1 bout
Max 3 in 1 round
No limit in 1 bout
N/A
N/A
3
3
103
RULE
Gloves
AOB
Elite Men
APB
WSB
10 oz
49,52,56,60,64
10 oz
49,52,56,60,64
10 oz
52 and 60
12 oz
69,75,81,91,+91
12 oz
69,75,81,91,+91
12 oz
69, 81, 91, +91
Laces
Velcro as per
AOB
10 oz
all other age
classifications
Gloves
Closure
Velcro as per WSB
104
RULE
AOB
APB
WSB
Bandage
4.5 meters
stretchy cotton
Vest
YES
NO
NO
Headguard
Elite Men
No headguard
Effective on June 1
Grace period
NO
NO
12 meters gauze 12 meters gauze
2.50 meters tape 2.50 meters tape
Annual Medical
Submission online Submission online Submission online
Certificate
105
RULE
AOB
APB
WSB
Competition
Officials
Supervisor
Supervisor
Supervisor
Deputy Supervisor(s)
Ringside Doctors Ringside Doctors
ITOs
R&J
Management
System
Unique for all programs
Coaches
Management
System
Unique for all programs
106
107