Olympic Boxing Rules, Scoring and Judging By Andrew Eisele Updated October 12, 2016. What are the rules for boxing at the Olympic Games ? Several rule changes were made in 2013 that affected the Games from 2016 onward. These included allowing professional boxers to qualify, eliminating headgear for men, raising the minimum age to 19, and changing the scoring system. Qualifying for Olympic Boxing Unlike most sports, slots are limited for Olympic boxing and just because you qualified nationally does not mean you are going to the Games. Professionals qualify through their ranking and an international Olympic qualifyer tournament. Amateur boxers qualify for the Olympics through performances at regional tournaments in Europe, Asia, the Americas, Africa and Oceania, or at a world qualifying tournament. More: How to Become an Olympic Boxer Olympic Tournaments The boxers are paired off at random for the Olympic Games, without regard to ranking. They fight in a single-elimination tournament, with the winner advancing to the next round and the loser dropping out of the competition.

continue reading below our video How Boxing Is Scored: Amateur Winning boxers progress through the preliminary rounds to the quarterfinals and semifinals. The two semifinals winners fight for the gold and silver medals, while both losing semifinalists receive bronze medals. Men's bouts consist of a total of three rounds of three minutes each. Women's bouts consist of a total of four rounds of two minutes each. There is a one-minute rest interval between each round. Contests are won by knockout or on points. Scoring was switched to the 10-point must system as of the 2016 Olympic Games. Scoring for Olympic Boxing Through 2012 Before 2016, Olympic boxing matches were scored by hits. A panel of five judges pressed buttons when they believed the boxer had delivered a scoring hit with a marked part of the glove on the opponent's head or body above the belt. The electronic scoring system counted a point when three or more judges scored a hit within one second of each other. Under this system, the total points at the end of the bout determined the winner. Ties were determined first by who took the lead with better style, and if still a tie, by who showed the better defense.

Scoring for Olympic Boxing 2016 and Onward As of the 2016 Olympic Games, scoring is done with the traditional 10-point must system that is commonly used in boxing. Rather than the total points, each round is scored by the five judges and a computer randomly selects three of their scores to count. Each judge must award 10 points to the boxer they judge to have won the round within 15 seconds of the end of the round. The judging criteria are the number of target-area blows landed, domination of the bout, technique and tactical superiority, competitiveness, and infringement of the rules. The winner of the round gets 10 points, while the loser gets a lower number from six to nine points. Nine points would denote a close round, eight points a clear winner, seven points total dominance, and six points overmatched. After the final round, each judge adds their round scores to determine a winner. In an unanimous decision, all of the judges gave the same boxer two or more rounds. If there is a disagreement among the judges, it is a split decision. Fouls When a boxer commits a foul, he faces a caution, a warning or, in extreme cases, disqualification.

Two cautions for a particular offense mean an automatic warning, and three warnings of any kind mean disqualification. Some of the more common fouls include hitting below the belt, holding, pressing an arm or elbow into the opponent's face, forcing the opponent's head over the ropes, hitting with an open glove, hitting with the inside of the glove and hitting the opponent on the back of the head, neck or body. Others include passive defense, not stepping back when ordered to break, speaking offensively to the referee and trying to hit the opponent immediately after the order to break. Down and Out During a bout, a boxer is considered down if, as a result of being hit, he touches the floor with any part of his body besides his feet. He also is down if he is even partly outside the ropes or hanging on them helplessly from being hit, or if he still is standing but is judged to be unable to continue. When a boxer is down, the referee starts counting from one to 10 seconds. The count now is timed electronically, with a beep sounding for each number, but referees often still choose to call them out.

The referee also is required to signal the count to the downed boxer by holding a hand in front of him and counting with his fingers. If the boxer is still down after the 10 seconds, the opponent wins on a knockout. Even if a boxer gets back on his feet immediately, he is obliged to take a mandatory eight-count. After the eight seconds, the referee will give the command "Box" if he feels the match should continue. If the boxer gets to his feet but falls again without receiving another blow, the referee starts counting at eight. A boxer who is down and being counted can be saved by the bell only in the final round of the final. In all other rounds and bouts, the count continues after the bell sounds. If any boxer takes three counts in one round or four counts in the bout, the referee will stop the fight and declare the opposing boxer the winner. Three doctors sit at ringside and each has the authority to stop a bout if medical reasons appear to necessitate it. If the referee has to stop a bout in the first round because a boxer has suffered a cut eye or a similar injury, the other boxer is declared the winner.

If it happens in the second or third round, though, the judges' point tallies up to that time determine the winner. If both boxers go down at the same time, counting continues as long as one remains down. If both remain down at 10, the boxer with the most points is declared the winner. Other ways a boxer may be declared the winner during a bout include the referee stopping the bout because the opponent is taking too much punishment, or the opponent being disqualified or withdrawing, perhaps because of injury. Also, the opponent's seconds could decide he is suffering too much punishment and throw in the towel. Rules for Olympic Boxers Boxers are required to shake hands before the first round and after the results have been declared. The age limits for Olympic boxing are a minimum age of 19 (raised from 17 in 2013) and a maximum age of 34. Boxers must be clean shaven or facial hair restricted to a small mustache no longer than the length of the upper lip. Beards are banned. Before every bout, a medical examiner must declare the boxers fit. Boxers must weigh in every day. Boxers must wear boxing gloves conforming to AIBA standards.

Gloves weigh 10 ounces and feature a white strip to mark the main hitting area. Competitors wear either red or blue. Headgear was eliminated for men in 2013 as studies found the risk of concussion was higher for those who wore headgear. Olympic Boxing Rings Bouts are conducted in a square ring measuring 6.1 meters inside the ropes on each side. The floor of the ring consists of canvas stretched over a soft underlay, and it extends 45.72 centimeters outside the ropes. Each side of the ring has four ropes running parallel to it. The lowest one runs 40.66 cm above the ground, and the ropes are 30.48 cm apart. The corners of the ring are distinguished by colors. The corners occupied by the boxers are colored red and blue, and the other two corners, called "neutral" corners, are white. Glaring Differences Between Amateur Boxing and the Pros Glaring Differences Between Amateur Boxing and the Pros Written by Lee Cleveland at Jul 24, 2012 - 11:55AM ET in News View Comments Perhaps no Olympic contest is more significant in shaping the careers of athletic prospects than boxing.

Muhammad Ali, Sugar Ray Leonard, Evander Holyfield, Oscar De La Hoya, Wladimir Klitschko and Amir Khan, among others, used their Olympic success as a platform for stardom. However, with the 2012 Olympics just around the corner, casual fans of the sport must keep one thing in mind: Although amateur and professional boxing have many similarities, there are several weighty differences that make these two pugilistic endeavors, in some ways, very, very different. Skill Level As with most sports, the money factor is a key differentiator with respect to the skill levels of professionals and amateurs. Athletes who get paid for competing, regardless of sport, are usually more skilled and far more experienced than those who don't - And boxing is no different. As in tennis and American football and basketball, a step-up to the pro ranks in boxing often represents a step-up in class and level of competition. Professional pugilists will, on the average, be older, savvier, stronger and more polished than their amateur peers. Can an Amateur Boxer Compete With a Pro in a Prizefight? Unlike most team sports, there is no threshold for becoming a professional boxer.

There's no draft or formalized recruitment process and an individual can turn pro with relative ease and without any amateur experience. Failing a physical is the biggest obstacle a young person may have en route to obtaining a pro license. As a result, a top-level amateur with solid experience could conceivably compete with and even dominate a novice pro with a limited amateur pedigree and/or minimal professional experience. But all things being equal, a well-trained professional boxer with solid experience in the pro ranks is in a different class altogether. Courtesy of Golden Boy Promotions/Hogan Photos Head Gear In the amateurs, head gear is always worn during a match while in the pros, the use of head gear is primarily reserved for sparring. Head gear is supposed to reduce the impact of blows and help minimize the occurrence of cuts over the eyes, forehead and cheek. And in addition to giving the ears a little added protection, headgear is also supposed to reduce trauma to the head after a fall. Can headgear keep a fighter from being badly hurt, knocked unconscious or sustaining brain damage?

The answer is a resounding, "No!" Standing-Eight Count A precautionary count during which the referee allows a boxer time to recover from a heavy blow or series of blows is customary in amateur boxing and the Olympics. Although standing-eight counts were sometimes employed in the pro ranks as late as 1999, the Association of Boxing Commissions outlawed in its 'Unified Rules of Boxing' in 2001. Ring Size There are no set rules for the size of a boxing ring in the pro ranks. However, amateur rings have a minimum size of 16 x 16 feet and a maximum of 20 x 20 feet. Number of Rounds In professional matches for men's boxing, rounds are three minutes long and the bouts can be scheduled anywhere from a minimum of 4 rounds to a maximum of twelve rounds. But in the Olympics/amateurs, bouts are scheduled for 3, three-minute rounds for men and 4 two-minute rounds for women. Olympic Boxing - Objective and Scoring The old adage, "Hit and don't be hit" is boxing's second golden rule and it always applies, regardless of rank or pedigree. Of course, "Protect yourself at all times," is the first.

However, the criteria for how punches are scored is entirely different, Olympic/amateur vs pro. Computer scoring was introduced to the Olympics in 1992. Five judges use an electronic counter to keep track of the number of legal scoring blows by each boxer. One device is used for each boxer. At the end of the round, the number of scoring punches is added up and at the end of the bout the boxer who scored the most legal punches is declared the winner. Hence, in the Olympics, a fighter can lose two close rounds but still win the bout by dominating one. Also, a scoring blow in Olympics/ amateur boxing must land directly with the knuckle part of the closed glove on the front or side of the opponent's head or body and must also be above the belt. In addition, in the Olympics/amateur ranks, a soft right jab that lands cleanly is worth every bit as much as a pulverizing left hook. Amateur fighters aren't given any additional credit for hard-punching, knockdowns, effective aggression or for staggering or wobbling an opponent. Simply put, landing more clean punches than your opponent over the course of three rounds should make you the winner in the Olympics. N.B.

Computer scoring is reserved only for Olympic competition. Non-Olympic amateur competition abides by the same standards only without the use of computer scoring. Prizefighting - Objectives and Scoring Prizefighting utilizes a 10-point system by which the winner of the round must be given 10 points, while the loser of the round must be given nine or fewer. There are 3 judges instead of 5 and there is no computerized-tallying scoring system. Fighters can hit each other anywhere above the belt as long as it is on the side or front of the head or body. And as in the amateur game, it's illegal to strike an opponent below the belt or on the back of the head and in the kidneys. In stark contrast to Olympic boxing, prizefight scoring is open-ended and scores are rendered purely based on the judges' opinions using four criteria: Effective Aggression, Defense, Ring Generalship, and Clean and Hard punching. Effective Aggression Essentially, an effective aggressor is the fighter making the fight happen. He's effectively pursuing and throwing punches while his opponent is backpedalling or on the defense. In order to be "effective" one must have success landing consistently while moving forward.

Defense In prizefighting, as in the amateurs, the ability to hit the opponent without being hit in return is key. Defense may include ducking, dodging, bobbing and weaving, parrying, blocking, slipping, and sidestepping, as well as effectively utilizing the clinch. In prizefights, judges are impressed with fighters who can protect themselves well in the heat of battle. Ring Generalship Thefighter who dictates the tempo of the bout or is seemingly in control of the action is the ring general. An effective ring general makes his/her opponent fight their fight instead of their opponent's. Clean and Hard Punching A "clean" blow is one that lands flush without being partially blocked or parried. Pros are rewarded for knockdowns and are given extra credit for landing harder punches and/or staggering or wobbling an opponent. Because damaging blows and their true value are difficult to assess, scoring a prizefight can be highly subjective. Last year, for example, many viewers believed Juan Manuel Marquez should have been awarded a decision victory over Manny Pacquiao despite landing fewer punches than PacMan. Marquez's shots, according to some, were cleaner, more eye-catching and much harder than his opponent's.

Expect a Faster Pace Since amateur fights are scheduled for only three rounds, bouts are fought at faster pace than in the pro ranks. Prizefighters, on the other-hand, must pace themsleves to go 4, 6, 8, 10 or 12 rounds. Secondly, because the pro game rewards fighters more for hard, jolting punches, professionals tend to 'sit on their punches' a lot more than amateurs thus slowing the pace of the pro game even more. Pure Boxers vs Brawlers in the Olympics Don't expect to find many Rocky Marcianos in the Summer Games. As previously stated, amateur boxing favors the classic hit-and-don't-be-hit style of fighting. Technique, speed, punch volume and precision will be far more important than punching power, brute force and durability. Amateur boxing is aptly suited for fast-starters and slick stylists like Sugar Ray Leonard, Muhammad Ali, Roy Jones Jr, Pernell Whitaker and Amir Khan. Needless to say, fighters with styles like Marcos Maidana, Arturo Gatti, Marvin Hagler and Julio Cesar Chavez Sr are few and far between in the Olympics.

And while fighters with plodding styles can have abundantly successful amateur careers and win Olympic Gold, slick, technical boxers tend to have much greater success as world class amateurs and Olympians. The Caveat: The Heavyweight Puncher Despite their brawling ways, heavyweights George Foreman, Joe Frazier and David Tua had success in the Olympics without being classic hit-and-move stylists but all three pugilists had one thing in common... Devastating punching power. A heavyweight with explosive, one-punch knockout power is "pure gold" at any level. After all, knockouts, fear and intimidation are very much a part of the amateur and pro games. Furthermore, George Foreman, Joe Frazier and David Tua, like most Olympic medalists who became top contenders or world champions on the pro level, competed at lower weights as amateurs and threw more punches versus their glory days as professionals. If you're going to be a brawler in the Olympics, being a heavyweight certainly gives you your best chance for success. Mercy Rule Had Khan vs Garcia earlier this month been an amateur contest, the bout may have been stopped in the second or early in the third round.

In the Olympic amateur ranks, a boxer cannot trail by more than 20 points (15 for women) at anytime without the bout being stopped. It's called an "RSCOS" (referee stopped contest for outscored opponent). Although its not ruled a knockout, its somewhat similar to a "soft" technical knockout in professional boxing. In the pro ranks, of course, there is no mercy rule. A fighter can be dominated round-after-round yet be allowed to continue to fight. So don't forget... amateur boxing and even Olympic amateur boxing is, in many ways, altogether different than prizefighting. BBC Sport Academy | Other Sport | Boxing | Ding! Ding! Round one! Ding! Ding! Round one! Around the Academy: Ding! Ding! Round one! Everyone is familiar with that famous boxing cry but how many rounds are there in an Olympic boxing bout? And how long do they last? Well, the bout is fought over four rounds of two minutes each. The rounds are pretty intense so there is a break of one minute between each one. This allows the boxers to sit down in their opposite corners and take a breather .

Their trainer can give them a pep talk as the boxer gets a cooling drink of water. And a doctor might have to patch up a cut or two to allow the fight to continue. Then it's Ding! Ding Round two! and the boxers must be ready to resume the battle for points! Boxing Rules & Regulations | iSport.com Boxing Rules & Regulations Boxing Rules & Regulations At its earliest stages, the sport of boxing had very few rules and regulations. The object during the time of the Ancient Greeks and Romans was simply to outlast the opponent. In this case, “outlasting” meant numerous things, such as surviving while your opponent lay dying on the ground. Over the course of time and many blood-ridden fights, however, rules and regulations were implemented. This was done in order to make the sport fair and civilized, while still allowing the object of the game to continue: Hit and don’t get hit. Although boxing’s rules and regulations differ slightly among different bodies and organizations, the sport has a number of common features that are easily identifiable. In its most simplistic form, boxing is a sport that takes place in a square-shaped ring between two athletes.

The boxers look to “knock out” the opponent or out-point the opponent by landing clean punches on the body and head without receiving more blows in return. Here are more of the sport’s general rules and regulations, followed by some specifications for different governing bodies. Equipment Gloves This is the most noticeable piece of required equipment for boxers. Boxing gloves provide padding and are worn to protect the hands and wrists of the boxer, as well as the head and body of the opposing boxer. Professional boxers use gloves of varying sizes, but the majority of professional organizations require boxers to wear gloves of either 8 or 10 ounces. Both boxers must agree on the weight of the gloves prior to the fight. In most amateur bouts, boxers wear ten-ounce gloves in lighter weight classes, and 12-ounce gloves in heavier weight classes. Prior to putting their gloves on, they are required to have their hands wrapped with cotton wraps or gauze. The Rest A mouthpiece has to be worn in order to protect the mouth and teeth, and also to absorb some of the force of blows to the head. Amateur boxers must also wear approved headgear for protection.

Protective cups are to be worn at all levels to shield the groin area. Boxers at all levels are also required to wear loose-fitting trunks and soft-soled shoes. Finally, at the amateur level, boxers must wear a sleeveless jersey of a different color than the waistband of the trunks. Match Procedure Prior to a match, each boxer is assigned a corner that is referred to as either the red corner or blue corner. The boxer and his team, made up of the boxer’s head trainer, assistant trainer, and cutman, meet in the assigned corner prior to the fight and between rounds. A match is composed of a number of two- or three-minute rounds separated by one-minute rest periods. A bell is rung to signify the start of each round. To signify that there are ten seconds remaining in each round, a ring official uses a hammer to hit a wooden table at ringside. Several officials will take part in regulating a bout. The officiating team consists of judges who sit ringside, and a referee who is in the ring with the boxers. Judges are responsible for scoring the bout.

The referee is the only person who can officially stop a bout; although, a medical professional, the boxer’s corner, or the boxer himself can signal to the referee that they would like the bout to be stopped. Other responsibilities of the referee include: Giving instructions to boxers prior to the fight, breaking up clinching boxers, counting to ten for a downed boxer, and determining when a foul should be punishable by point deduction. Standard Rules Boxers must always be standing on their feet in order to exchange punches. Punches thrown by a boxer must land above the waistline of the opposition. Punches are the only legal way to hit the opponent. Only the knuckle portion of the glove is allowed make contact with the opponent. Punches must not land on the back of the opponent, including the areas of the kidneys and the back of the head. A boxer hit with an unintentional low blow (a punch below the waist) has up to five minutes to recover and will be considered knocked-out if he is unable to recover. The head of a boxer must always be above the waistline of the opponent. When a referee breaks up clinching boxers, both boxers must take a full step back before throwing a punch.

When a boxer gets knocked down, his opponent is restricted from hitting the downed boxer and must go to a neutral corner while the referee makes the ten-count. The ten-count gives the downed boxer the opportunity to get back to his feet to continue fighting. Once a boxer stands after being knocked down, he must be approved to continue by the referee. If the boxer is unable to recover from the knockdown, his opponent will win by way of knockout (KO). Slipping or falling is not considered a knockdown, but a boxer who has slipped or fallen still cannot be hit while down. If a boxer cannot continue due to injury from an intentional foul, the boxer who committed the foul will be disqualified. If an intentional foul occurs and does not stop the fight, the referee must take points away from the boxer who committed the foul. Boxers who commit unintentional fouls receive a warning from the referee, who can also deduct points from a boxer if the boxer continues to commit the foul. Unintentional fouls that end a fight immediately can result in either a ‘no-contest’ ruling or a declared winner. In professional boxing, a no-contest would occur if less than four rounds of the match have been completed.

Neither boxer would be declared winner. If the fight has gone past four rounds, then a winner will be declared. The winner, in this case, would be the boxer who has the most points at the current stage of the match. A declared winner via points wins by ‘technical decision.’ A ‘technical draw’ could also occur if the boxers have the same amount of points. A referee can choose to stop a fight at any point to protect a boxer from severe injury. The boxer will lose by ‘technical knockout’ (TKO). Professional Boxing Although different boxing organizations have their own policies, there are rules and regulations that span the entire professional boxing world. Rounds in professional boxing are always three minutes long with a one-minute rest period between rounds. The number of rounds varies in professional boxing, but championship fights always consist of twelve rounds. Professional bouts always have one referee and three judges scoring the bout. Scoring in professional boxing is quite different from scoring at the amateur level. Scoring is based on four criteria: Clean punching Ring generalship Defense The 10-Point-Must System is always used by the judges. This system assigns ten points to the winner of each round.

The loser receives 9 points for a close round, 8 points if he was knocked down or dominated, and 7 points if he was knocked down twice. If a round is even, both boxers receive 10 points. The boxer with more accumulated points at the end of the match is the winner, as long as two of the three judges are in agreement. If at least two judges have the match as tied, then a draw will be declared. Standard rules apply for KOs and TKOs. Weight classes for professional boxers may be referred to differently from one organization to the next. However, the same 17 weights make up the weight divisions of all major boxing organizations. The weights are as follows: 105 pounds (47.6 kilograms) Unlimited (above 200 lbs) USA Boxing & Olympic Boxing There are slightly different rules for boxers under the age of 17 who would like to fight under the organization ‘USA Boxing.’ The rules for the younger age groups can be found in the hyperlink to the USA Boxing rulebook at the bottom of this page. USA adult boxers must be between the ages of 17 and 34.

USA Boxing matches are composed of three or four two-minute rounds. Olympic boxing always consists of four two-minute rounds. Boxers in USA and Olympic boxing are not permitted to have head hair more than five inches below the headgear. Also, boxers must be cleanly shaven other than a mustache of minimal length. A thin layer of petroleum jelly may be used on the face of the boxer, but the jelly is not to be used on the headgear. Petroleum jelly is used in order to allow incoming punches to slide off the face more easily. Amateur bouts always have one referee and five judges. Unlike professional boxing, which takes into account several factors, amateur boxing is scored solely on the idea of clean punches. Clean punches are punches landed on the upper body or head with the knuckle of the boxing glove. For USA Boxing bouts, each judge has two counters during each fight, with which he/she counts punches for each boxer. The boxer who has accumulated the most points at the conclusion of the fight on the majority of the judges’ scorecards is declared the winner. In Olympic boxing, a participant receives a point if three of the five judges press their electronic button within a second of a combination or punch.

Judges press the button based on what they believe to be “clean punches.” Amateur bouts that the referee stops will be recorded as one of the following: RSC: Referee stopped contest with notations for: RSCO … outclasses opponent 91+ kg NCBA Boxing The National Collegiate Boxing Association has academic standards that need to be followed by boxers and teams. A boxer must be enrolled as a full-time student in a college that is registered under the NCBA. Boxers have four years of eligibility from their first match. NCBA boxers are allowed to have up to and no more than five crossover bouts on local amateur boxing shows during each NCBA season. Unlike other amateur bouts that occasionally use 10-oz. gloves, the NCBA always uses 12-oz. gloves for competition. Matches always consist of three two-minute rounds. In addition to individual champions, the NCBA also crowns a team champion based on performance at the national level. NCBA boxing is scored the same as USA bouts.

The NCBA weight classes are: 112 lb A non-boxing fan's guide to Mayweather-Pacquiao — the biggest match in years - Vox A non-boxing fan's guide to Mayweather-Pacquiao — the biggest match in years share When Floyd Mayweather and Manny Pacquiao fight this Saturday in Las Vegas at 11:30 pm ET, it'll be the biggest boxing match in decades. After years of delays, backroom negotiations, and anticipation , the two biggest stars in boxing will face each other for the first time. In an era when boxing's prominence is fading, this is one of few matches in recent memory to pop up on the mainstream radar. This means non-boxing fans might be hearing a lot about an idiosyncratic, oftentimes confusing sport. In boxing, after all, matches are negotiated by the athletes, to be broadcast for a huge fee, with a mysterious agglomeration of different championship titles at stake. These seven numbers will help you make sense of the fight — and the sport as a whole. 5 years Manny Pacquiao celebrates are defeating Oscar De La Hoya in 2008.

(JEWEL SAMAD/AFP/Getty Images) This is how long it's been since Mayweather and Pacquiao were first tentatively scheduled to fight, in March 2010. Back then, Mayweather was a dominant figure who'd recently defeated the legendary Oscar De La Hoya. He then retired, only to return to boxing with another resounding victory. Pacquiao was an undersized fighter who'd become a national hero in his native Philippines with a string of surprising upsets, including his own defeat of De La Hoya the year prior. The two boxers had become the sport's best-known figures, and their representatives reportedly came close to agreeing on the terms for a marquee fight. there are no tournaments forcing top boxers to compete But boxing isn't like other sports. There are no playoffs or tournaments forcing the best teams or players to compete. Instead, boxers negotiate all the terms of a fight, much like political candidates hashing out the mundane details of a televised debate. And negotiations for the 2010 fight fell apart over drug testing: Mayweather reportedly wanted blood drawn the day before the fight, and Pacquiao, who claimed to be afraid of needles, wanted only urine testing during the 30 days before the bout.

Mayweather accused him of doping , and a defamation lawsuit ensued . It took five more years — which included a pair of losses for Pacquiao — for the fight to finally happen. Now both boxers are in their late 30s, and many fans say they're well past their prime. Still, they're two of the best boxers in the world, and certainly the top two in their weight class (welterweight, which goes from 140 to 147 pounds). $300 million Mayweather, holding lots of cash. (Ethan Miller/Getty Images) This is the projected total earnings to be split between Mayweather and Pacquiao, easily an all-time record. It'll mostly come from pay-per-view revenues, ticket sales, and sponsorships. Mayweather is reportedly guaranteed $120 million , while Pacquiao is only guaranteed $80 million. They'll both end up getting more than that (with the exact number based on pay-per-view sales), but regardless, Mayweather will take home most of it — and it doing so will remain the world's highest-paid athlete .

The difference is mostly due to the fact that Mayweather is the bigger draw (in boxing, this is called the "A-side"), as he typically brings in more money through pay-per-view. He's also undefeated throughout his career. As a result, Pacquiao had more to gain by fighting Mayweather than vice versa, giving Mayweather more leverage during the negotiations. If the pair had fought back in 2010, the purse would have reportedly been split 50-50, but the two fighters are no longer on level ground. Mayweather is considered the favorite . $99.99 ( Comcast ) This is the amount you'll need to pay to see this fight in HD on TV (it's $89.99 for standard definition). An estimated 3 million to 4 million homes are expected to pay to tune in. Unlike most sports in the US, boxing's biggest matches aren't available on broadcast TV or even cable. Starting in the 1980s, fight organizers began selling TV rights to companies that sold the fights directly to subscribers for increasingly high prices.

"it hurts the sport because it narrows our audience" In the short term, this arrangement makes sense for fighters, promoters, and TV networks (including HBO, which carries most of boxing's biggest fights today). They can make way more through pay-per-view than through selling the TV rights to networks that would broadcast the bouts for free, supported by commercials. But in the long term, pay-per-view is cutting off new fans from boxing matches and is one of the biggest factors in the decline of the sport. Viewers can simply watch other sports for free — and they are. "I can't tell you that pay-per-view helps the sport, because it doesn't. It hurts the sport because it narrows our audience, but it's a fact of life," then–HBO Sports president Ross Greenburg told Thomas Hauser for his 2008 book The Boxing Scene . "But if HBO stopped doing pay-per-view, the promoters would simply do it on their own." $10,859.55 MGM Grand Garden Arena, during a fight in March.

(Alex Trautwig/Getty Images) This is currently the average resale price for a ticket to the bout at the MGM Grand casino in Las Vegas — again, easily an all-time record. Tickets originally went on sale for prices ranging from $1,500 to $10,000. But the resale market has been especially hot because very few tickets ever went on sale to the public. The venue seats nearly 17,000 people, but about 16,500 were directly given to sponsors, the fight promoters, casino high rollers, and the fighters themselves for friends and family. This left a tiny number of tickets for a large number of rich people who wanted to attend — and they sold out within 60 seconds . The crazy prices, though, also reflect a huge amount of pent-up interest in this long-awaited fight. Tickets for the weigh-in — an event at which the two fighters are weighed, do some talking, and go back home — went for an average of $155 . 7 allegations of assault Mayweather is led away to serve a three-month jail sentence in 2010.

(David Becker/Getty Images) It's impossible — and irresponsible — to talk about this fight without mentioning Mayweather's lengthy and appalling history of violence against women. He has been accused of assault seven different times, by five different women, as detailed in this harrowing piece by Louisa Thomas at Grantland . Mayweather has pleaded guilty twice, serving brief jail sentences both times. In other instances, he's benefited from his accusers changing their stories before or during the trial, insisting that Mayweather was merely holding them back as they attacked him. In the most well-known instance, in 2010, Mayweather allegedly showed up at his ex-girlfriend's house at 5 am, punched her in the head, and tried to break her arm. When their 9- and 10-year-old children entered the room, he threatened to hit them if they left the house or called the police. The fact is that Mayweather, the world's highest-paid athlete, has gotten relatively little punishment during his history as a serial abuser of women. Some are calling for people to boycott the fight over it , but this story still isn't getting nearly as much attention as it should be.

3 championship belts Mayweather and Pacquiao, with one of several belts on the line. (Ethan Miller/Getty Images) This is the number of championships at stake in this fight: the welterweight titles as decided by the World Boxing Council, the World Boxing Organization, and the World Boxing Association. The fact that three championship titles exist for the exact same weight class might be the most bizarre aspect of boxing. And there are actually more: in total, there are 111 belts for 17 weight classes, handed out by a mess of different organizations. Over the years, these for-profit organizations (and many others) have proliferated, each creating their own rankings and championships. And as these groups gain credibility, fighters pay them fees to sanction fights. over the years, sanctioning organizations have proliferated To most boxing fans, this has ultimately rendered all of them meaningless (and, some say, has also helped kill the popularity of the sport). "Belts are a dime a dozen, meaningless straps churned out by meaningless sanctioning bodies in order to collect a portion of each paper champion's purse," Connor Ruebusch at SB Nation's Bad Left Hook writes .

But many fans pay more attention to a non-sanctioned idea: that of lineal championships , which can be earned only by beating the fighter who previously held the lineal championship. Because Mayweather beat "Sugar" Shane Mosley in 2010, he currently holds the lineal welterweight crown. To Ruebusch, this crown gives this fight more importance than any number of belts. "The wearers of the crowns — there are eight currently in the sport — are the closest things boxing has left to true champions," he writes. 12 rounds Mayweather hits Marcos Maidana during a May 2014 fight. (JOHN GURZINSKI/AFP/Getty Images) This is how long the fight will probably last. During each three-minute round, if one fighter knocks the other down and he can't get up before the referee counts to 10, the fight is over in a knockout. It can also end in a technical knockout (TKO), if the referee, doctor, or either fighter's corner calls the fight for safety reasons. In all likelihood, though, it'll go the full 12 rounds, to be scored by a panel of three judges to determine the winner.

The scoring system is extremely complicated , but in short, the judges will decide which boxer won each round, and the guy who won more rounds (according to the majority of the judges) is declared the victor. If all three judges split the rounds equally between both boxers, the fight is a draw. WATCH: SB Nation's fight night preview show Was this article helpful? London 2012 Olympics: boxing guide - Telegraph London 2012 Olympics: boxing guide Read Telegraph Sport's guide to the boxing event at the London 2012 Olympics. Team GB Photo: PA Male Olympic boxers will compete in 10 weight classes, from light flyweight to super heavyweight, while female boxers will contest three weight divisions (flyweight, lightweight, middleweight). The male bouts are contested over three three-minute rounds - compared to professional fights which last 12 rounds. Female bouts take place over four two-minute rounds. The fighter who knocks out an opponent or scores the most points wins. Boxers score one point for every punch they land with the marked part of their glove on their opponent’s head or upper body.

If three of the panel of five judges hit electronic buttons within a second of each other the boxer is awarded a point. Any boxer who moves more than 12 points ahead of an opponent automatically wins. This system differs from professional boxing where points are awarded based on each boxer’s overall performance in a round, not for each individual successful punch. The boxer judged to have won the round (normally the fighter who lands the most quality shots) is given 10 points, while the loser receives nine points. If the fight goes to points, the winner is the one with the highest accumulated score (i.e. the fighter who won the most rounds) as decided by the judges. Each boxer is given a corner, labelled red or blue. This is also the colour of the clothing they wear to fight. All fighters must also wear protective headgear, a key difference from professional boxing.

Events/discipline Men’s light flyweight 49kg, men’s flyweight 52kg, men’s light welterweight 64kg, men’s welterweight 69kg, men’s light heavyweight 81kg, men’s heavyweight 91kg, men’s super heavyweight + 91kg Gold medals available Image 1 of 2 The scoring system has its detractors, who claim that it discourages boxers from throwing combinations and rewards the tactic of taking a single shot at an opponent and then moving swiftly out of range. A solid defence and good counter-attacking skills often prove fruitful in Olympic boxing, meaning fights are often very tactical with both fighters waiting for the other to move forward. Often boxers who are leading a contest will slow down the pace of the down by holding onto their opponents - something which is discouraged and can lead to a fighter being docked points. What to say “I’m looking forward to seeing the latest Cuban sensation.” What not to say “Hang on, that can’t be right. I’m sure those two are women.” If it were a TV programme, it would be Danny Dyer’s Deadliest Men. A host of characters whose pint you hope never to spill.

Boxing has featured in every Olympics since the 1912 Stockholm Games, when Swedish law banned it. This will be the first time in the sport’s 108-year history that women will compete. Many Olympic boxers have gone on to scale the heights in the professional sport, with Cassius Clay - later, of course, Muhammad Ali - the most notable. Great Britain are fourth in the overall medal table having won 48 medals, behind the former Soviet Union (51), Cuba (63) and the United States (109). Jargon Ring apron: The canvas area outside the ropes where judges choose the winners of rounds and where the boxers' cornermen sit. Throw in the towel: The traditional way to concede defeat; a boxer's cornermen will throw a towel into the ring when he feels his charge cannot continue. Southpaw: A left-handed boxer, who leads with the right hand. Belt: An imaginary line around a boxer’s midriff, below which his opponent is not allowed to hit. Jab: A straight, arm-length punch thrown from the boxer’s leading hand. Uppercut: An upwards-thrown punch designed to hit an opponent’s chin.

Hook: A sideways-thrown punch in which the boxer swings his arm from the shoulder with the elbow bent. Slap: An illegal blow landed with the open part of the glove (not the knuckle area). Standing eight count: A precautionary measure taken by the referee to allow a boxer to recover after receiving a heavy blow/series of blows. Legends Teofilo Stevenson and Felix Savon, of Cuba; Muhammad Ali (then Cassius Clay), gold medal winner in Rome in 1960; Lennox Lewis (then fighting for Canada); Sugar Ray Leonard; Oscar De La Hoya; Joe Frazier. Random fact Iranian boxer Ali Kazemi turned up for his light heavyweight bout at the 1992 Barcelona Olympics without his gloves and was duly disqualified. Trading hits: Britain's James Degale fights Mohamed Hikal of Egypt in the preliminary rounds of Beijing 2008 Photo: AP Medals targeted? Women Finally Get Their Chance to Box in Olympics - The New York Times The New York Times Olympics |Women Finally Get Their Chance to Be Contenders in Olympic Boxing Search Continue reading the main story Photo Quanitta Underwood of the United States evaded a left thrown by Natasha Jonas of Britain in their lightweight match Sunday.

Credit Jed Jacobsohn for The New York Times LONDON — For much of the match, the North Korean boxer seemed intent on wrapping her arms around her Russian opponent as if her strategy were to dance cheek to cheek. Occasionally, they traded blows, and the Russian slightly got the better of that. She won the bout, 12-9. And there it was: history. On Sunday, for the first time, women boxed in the Olympics. The day was special, and the most special part of it was that it seemed so normal. There were 12 fights, many of them thrilling. Terrific athletes, pursuing medals, punished each other with jabs and connected with uppercuts. The crowd stamped and cheered. They saw more than women’s boxing. They saw what they always want to see: good boxing. Why had it taken so long? Boxing was the last all-male sport in the Games. Its exclusion was the legacy of gender stereotypes — that and male-dominated, hard-arteried boxing commissions that sometimes insisted premenstrual anxiety made females too unstable to box. “Women have been oppressed for how many years now?” said Gloria Peek, who is 61 and a United States coach.

“Even now, there are still so many crazy ideas. People think if a woman tries boxing, she’ll turn into Arnold Schwarzenegger and lose her femininity and never have kids. It’s just a way to keep the girls out.” She added: “The fact is a woman’s inner strength makes this sport perfect for them. Women don’t crumble easy. They come back again and again.” Advertisement Continue reading the main story The winning fighters were a Russian, a Venezuelan, an Indian, a Bulgarian, a Briton, two Chinese, a Brazilian, a New Zealander, a Kazakh, a Swede and a Nigerian. They each go on to the quarterfinals, which begin Monday. The losers were a North Korean, two Brazilians, a Pole, a New Zealander, an American, a Romanian, a Kazakh, a Tunisian, a Kenyan, an Australian and an Azerbaijani. Afterward, most of the fighters wanted to talk about their fights, what worked and what did not. Still, they obliged reporters who wanted to know their views of the historic day. “I’m really proud,” the lightweight Alexis Pritchard of New Zealand said. The statement did not seem momentous enough.

She added: “There are many countries out there that still don’t have equality. It’s very sad.” The Russian flyweight Elena Savelyeva insisted, “There is no discrimination against female boxers in my country.” The Indian flyweight Mary Kom, a national hero, said, “Women have been waiting, waiting, waiting, for the day women’s boxing will be included in the Olympics.” Quanitta Underwood of the United States lost a 21-13 decision to Natasha Jonas of Britain. Underwood, a lightweight, tried to fight craftily at first, waiting for openings, and was behind by only 7-6 after two of the four rounds. “Then I just decided to go after her,” she said. That proved a mistake. Jonas hit her with the staccato energy of a flamenco dancer. The decibels spiked in the pro-British crowd. Photo Jonas won a 21-13 decision after four rounds. Credit Jed Jacobsohn for The New York Times Underwood, 28, has spoken often of the importance of women boxers in the Olympics. But on Sunday, absorbed in disappointment, she said: “Making history is not enough.

I gave up half my life for this and it just doesn’t feel like the reward of being here is enough.” Advertisement Continue reading the main story Two other American women — Marlen Esparza and Claressa Shields — drew byes in the first round and will have bouts on Monday. Underwood, a Seattle native, is the best known of the three. She has a nightmarish personal story, which she has publicly shared. As she grew up, her father repeatedly raped her and her old sister. But that abuse did not lead her to boxing. Her athleticism did. She was a star sprinter and basketball player in high school who came to boxing at 19. Please verify you're not a robot by clicking the box. Invalid email address. Please re-enter. You must select a newsletter to subscribe to. Sign Up Privacy Policy “I don’t hit the heavy bag because I am angry,” she said earlier this year. “I hit it because I am training.” Women’s boxing was banned in Britain until 1996. USA Boxing, the amateur governing body, had a males-only policy until 1993, when a 16-year-old named Dallas Malloy sued for discrimination.

A federal judge said to let her fight. The International Boxing Association approved women’s boxing as an Olympic sport in 2009 — five years after “Million Dollar Baby” won an Oscar as best picture. But the International Olympic Committee was reluctant to increase the number of boxers in London. In a compromise, the men’s weight divisions were pared to 10 from 11, still allowing 250 men to fight. The women were restricted to 36 split evenly among three classes: flyweight (112 pounds), lightweight (132) and middleweight (165). Some of the world’s best boxers could not expand or contract into those weights and are unrepresented here. With only a dozen fighters in each division — and some women drawing a bye — a single win can guarantee a medal. Both semifinal losers receive bronze. On Monday, Jonas will fight Katie Taylor of Ireland, the sweetheart of her country and possibly the most famous amateur boxer in the world. Advertisement Continue reading the main story “I would just do anything to see that bout, but I can’t get a ticket,” said Bekki Lindores, 25, of Hertfordshire, who was in the crowd Sunday.

For others, the event was simply something to do. John Riordan, 46, a London tunnel miner, said, “I don’t even agree with women’s boxing.” He was with friends, each eating a pulled pork sandwich. They asked him why he felt that way. He seemed flummoxed. Last week, he watched women play handball, and they sometimes collided with more force than he expected to see in the ring. So Riordan reconsidered. “You know,” he said, “I guess it’s just that it’s new.” A version of this article appears in print on August 6, 2012, on Page D3 of the New York edition with the headline: Women Finally Get Their Chance to Be a Contender. Order Reprints | Today's Paper | Subscribe

Question: How many rounds are there in an Olympic boxing match?
Answer: 4