How Is Boxing Scored?

Who scores a boxing match?

In championship fights, 3 judges will decide the match’s outcome. They’ll each score every round individually, as well as the entire match. Judges will be licensed by whatever organization is putting on the fight, meaning that a USA championship match with have judges licensed by USA Boxing. In major championships, fighters’ (and judges’!) hometowns are taken into consideration to avoid bias. So in a fight between an American and a Frenchman, you probably won’t see an American judge—they might select English judges instead. In non-championship matches, there may be just a single judge deciding the outcome. But in most cases, 3 are needed. While judges assign scores, refs officiate the match and decide when something is a foul.

How does the point system work in boxing?

Boxers are scored on a 10-point system, or “10-Point Must System.” Most rounds are scored “10-9.” In boxing, the larger number (“10”) beats out the smaller number (“9”). So in this case, the fighter who earned a “10” is the winner!

The most effective fighter in each round gains a point advantage. There are a few categories that the judges will evaluate fighters on (which we’ll cover later), but on the whole, the fighter who lands the most punches and inflicts the most damage will gain a point advantage.

When a boxer falls (also called a "knockdown"), they lose a point. When a boxer falls, the judge starts a ten-second countdown, and at some point, the boxer gets up on their feet again, that's called a "knockdown." Even though isn't a full knockout, it still negatively affects the boxer's score. If one fighter gets a “knockdown”, at the end the result will be “10-8”. If that same fighter gets a second “knockdown” in the same round, the result will be "10-7". And, if that same fighter gets a third knockdown in the same round, the result will be "10-6". "6" is the minimum score he can get. If both fighters get a “knockdown” in the same round, their deductions will cancel each other out, meaning that the end result could still be “10-9” (not “9-8”).

The judges may award a two-point lead if a fighter really dominated. Even if neither fighter experienced a knockdown, the judges may still award a two-point lead if one fighter landed significantly more powerful punches than the other. This, though, is rare—if a fighter wins a two-point lead, then their win was major. This may happen when both fighters had knockdowns but one fighter’s knockdown was interrupted when the round’s time expired (meaning that they might've gotten lucky—with more time, they may have faced a full KO).

The referee will instruct judges to deduct a point for fouls. When a fighter intentionally breaks the rules, they give their opponent a point advantage. This could be hitting the navel, hitting behind the ear, headbutting, biting, abusive language—and much more. A fighter’s fouls can also be incidental. Though they won’t lose a point for this the first time, if they repeatedly log accidental fouls (especially for the same offense), the referee could still choose to deduct a point.

What do judges look for when scoring a fight?

Effective aggression. Shows of aggression are important (it is boxing, after all!), but judges value a fighter’s ability to throw punches that actually land. If one fighter throws 100 punches (and effectively lands only 10 of them) while their opponent lands 10/10 blows, the second fighter earns the advantage. Even though both fighters did the same damage, the second fighter was more effective.

Ring generalship. Unofficially called the “ring general,” one fighter usually manages to set the tone, style, and pace of a round or match. This is probably the hardest category to spot if you’re not super familiar with the sport. If you’re having trouble, pay attention to which fighter seems to draw the other one into each spar.

Defense. When people think of boxing, they think of throwing punches—but it's equally important to avoid opponent's punches. Judges value a fighter’s ability to duck, perry, bob and weave, and block. Not only does a solid defensive fighter earn favor from the judge, but they also save their strength for the rest of their fight. Plus, they can actually hurt their opponent’s “effective aggression” evaluation—because if the other fighter lands less punches, they’re less effective.

Hard and clean punches. Judges want fighters’ punches to land “flush,” or powerfully and in the right location. This one can be hard to spot to the untrained eye. Sometimes a punch seems solid, but it was actually partly blocked and forced to slow down or change course slightly. The more hard and clean punches a fighter lands, the higher the judges will rate them. The sound isn’t enough to determine whether a punch was hard and clean. When glove strikes glove, that can make a loud noise—but it isn’t a clean punch. One of the best ways to tell if a punch landed flush is by where it hits. If it lands in an effective spot (squarely on the chin or cheek, for example), that’s a sign that it landed flush. Then, the opponent’s reaction is a good sign as well. If they wobble, fall, or stagger backward, there’s a good chance that the punch landed flush, too. If you want to be a good boxer, you should look at details of previous fights and take notes on wins and losses that you have had. Have a strong support system, such as teammates, friends, or family. Besides this, you should have good coaches and work ethics.

The Final Decision

All 3 judges decide the outcome via a split or majority decision. If one fighter gets knocked out and doesn’t rise by the ten-second count, that’s an automatic lose. If this doesn’t happen, the full 10 or 12-round match will run its course, and all 3 judges will award separate scores for every round. This means that a fighter can earn a max of 120 or 100 points. The potential results are: Unanimous decision: All 3 judges had the same fighter earn the most points, and that fighter wins. Split decision: 2 judges had one fighter earn more points, and the last judge had the other fighter earn more points. The fighter with 2 judges’ support wins the match. Majority decision: 2 judges had one fighter earn more points, and the last judge had the match as a draw. The fighter with 2 judges’ support wins the match. Draw: When 2 judges rule the fight a draw, the match’s result is a draw. Majority draw: When one judge favors one fighter, another judge favors the other fighter, and the final judge believes the match was a draw—the match’s result is a draw.