Rules Covering Amateur Boxing in Illinois

The rules of amateur boxing make it a much different sport from professional boxing. In professional fights, the purpose is to deliver devastating blows to the opponent and attain a knockout. On the other hand, the winner of an amateur fight is the boxer who accumulates the most points during the course of the match. A knockdown does not result in more points. Thus, amateur boxers do not hit as hard or with as much aggression. They fight much more technically and focus on landing as many quick, scoring blows as possible.

  1. Attire

    • Amateur boxers in Illinois are required to wear specific attire to ensure their safety and deter any long-term physical effects. All boxers must wear a top to keep the gloves from absorbing sweat. During a fight, gloves can easily become slippery and dirty when they make contact with the opponent's body. Furthermore, all fighters must use head gear and mouthpieces. Mouthpieces guard the teeth, while head gear protects the ears and cushions head shots. The gloves used during amateur fights must be 10 ozs. The professional ranks use 8-ozs. gloves, which allow the boxer to punch faster and harder. Since the gloves are heavier in amateur fights, the shots become must less devastating.

    Scoring

    • Amateur boxing fights use different rules to score a match than professional fights. In the professional ranks, the judges assign each round to a fighter. The fighter who wins the most rounds will win the decision. Conversely, the judges in amateur boxing fights do not assign rounds to any fighter. The winner of the fight is simply the boxer who accumulates the most points during the course of the fight. A scoring blow is defined as a shot that is delivered with a closed fist and lands directly on the face or anywhere on the body above the belt. If a fighter hits the opponent's arms or shoulders, the punch will not be counted as a scoring blow. A knockdown is not given any more points than a normal scoring blow. However, points can be taken away if there is a foul, such as a punch below the belt or behind the head. If the both fighters have the same score at the end of the fight, the winner will be the boxer who exhibited a more aggressive, clean, and confident style of fighting as determined by the judges.

    Fight Schedule

    • Amateur fighters participate in fights more often than professional boxers. The vast array of safety precautions in amateur boxing paired with the scoring system makes amateur boxing a much less violent and aggressive sport. As a result, amateur boxers sustain much less physical damage and are able to recover from a fight fairly quickly. Amateur boxing prepares boxers for fighting scenarios and conditions their bodies for the physical stress of a professional fight. Most amateur boxers fight every few weeks, as opposed to professionals who may fight twice a year. The overall rules of the sport are designed to minimize damage and maximize experience in the ring.