Amateur boxing

Amateur boxing is the variant of boxing practiced in clubs and associations around the world, at the Olympic Games, Pan American Games and Commonwealth Games, as well as at the collegiate level.

Amateur boxing bouts comprise three rounds of three minutes, with a one-minute interval between rounds, for men and women. Men's senior bouts changed in format from four two-minute rounds to three three-minute rounds on January 1, 2009. Women's senior bouts changed in format from four two-minute rounds to three three-minute rounds on December 19, 2016. Amateur boxing rewards point-scoring blows, based on the number of clean punches landed, rather than physical power. Also, the amateur format allows tournaments to feature several bouts over several days, unlike professional boxing, where fighters typically 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.

Amateur boxing is sometimes called Olympic-style boxing (now an official term), although this is not to be confused with boxing at the Summer Olympics, where boxers compete under the amateur rules but can be both amateurs and professionals.