Rules of American Boxing

These USA Boxing Technical Rules, as adopted from the AIBA Technical Rules, applying to AOB are the only Technical Rules, boxing members, clubs and boxing family must follow and respect in all of their competitions sanctioned by USA Boxing. No Local Boxing Committee or Affiliated Organizations may develop its own Technical Rules that are contradictory to the USA Boxing Technical Rules.

DEFINITIONS “Advancing Competition” means a competition where winners advance to another level, i.e. state, regional and national tournaments. “AIBA” means the International Boxing Association; “Affiliated Organizations” shall be those not-for-profit sports organizations which meet the requirements of applicable federal law, that register as affiliated organizations and that conduct, on a level of proficiency appropriate for the selection of athletes to represent the United States in international athletic competition in the sport of AOB, a national program or regular national athletic competition in the sport of AOB. 

“AIBA Competitions” means all competitions of AOB, APB and WSB; “AOB” means AIBA Open Boxing; “APB” means the professional boxing competition named AIBA Pro Boxing; “Bout” means a boxing contest between two Boxers taking place as part of a competition; “Boxer” means any Boxer who participates in a competition and who is registered by USA Boxing; the term Boxer refers to Boxers of both genders; “Coach Certification” means the permission to act as a Coach in USA Boxing Competitions, 

after the person passes examinations and obtains a certificate granted by USA Boxing; “Confederation” means a group of National Federations, recognized by AIBA and belonging to the same continent; “Disciplinary and Complaint Rules” means the rules published by USA Boxing in relation to the general standards of conduct required of a Boxer and/or of any person involved in a USA Boxing Competition, and the sanctions which may be imposed in relation to any breach of such standards of conduct; “Field of Play (FOP)” means the competition area which extends for approximately 20 feet outside the platform of the ring for AOB; “Gloves” means equipment that is worn on the hands in order to protect them during the competition;

 “Individual Physical Contact Sport” means any of the following sports in any of their forms: Aikido, Boxing (except AOB, APB and WSB), Cage Fighting, Judo, Ju-jitsu, Karate, Kendo, Kickboxing, , MMA, Sambo, Sumo, Taekwondo, Wrestling, Wushu and such other sports as may be deemed by AIBA to be an individual physical contact sport; “Judge” means the person who allocates points during a Bout based on each Boxer’s performance in the ring in respect of the USA Boxing Technical Rules and of the AOB/USA Boxing Competitions Rules; 

“Local Boxing Committee (LBC)” means member organizations of USA Boxing that promote and administer AOB and Olympic-style boxing at the local level under the jurisdiction of USA Boxing; “Medical Rules” means the rules published by USA Boxing in relation to the medical standards required to be observed by all registered members of USA Boxing prior to, during and after any competition, as stated in the USA Boxing Medical Handbook;