What is illegal in boxing?
B · Beginner · Fouls and penalties · 6 of 7A boxer may hit only with the knuckle part of a closed glove, on the front or sides of the head and body above the belt. Everything else is a foul: low blows, hitting with the head, elbow or open glove, hitting the back of the head, holding, pushing, and hitting an opponent who is down.
How it works
| Kind of foul | Examples from the rules |
|---|---|
| Wrong part of the glove or body | Head, shoulder, forearm or elbow; open glove; inside of the glove; wrist or side of the hand; pivot or backhand blow |
| Wrong target | Below the belt; the back, especially the back of the neck or head (the rabbit punch); the kidneys |
| Grappling | Holding; holding and hitting; locking an arm or head; pushing; pulling; tripping; wrestling or throwing in the clinch; lying on the opponent |
| Unfair tactics | Using the ropes to attack; hitting an opponent who is down or getting up; ducking below the opponent's belt; a straight lead arm held out to block the opponent's view |
| Not boxing | Completely passive defence; deliberately falling, running or turning the back to avoid a blow; faking |
| At the break | Not stepping back when told to "break"; trying to hit straight after the break without stepping back |
| Conduct | Kicking, butting, biting, strangling, spitting; spitting out the gumshield on purpose; speaking without permission; aggression towards the referee |
The referee may answer a foul with a caution, a warning or disqualification, depending on how serious it was.
Tricky cases
Is clinching a foul?
It depends on what the boxer does in it. The referee breaks a clinch with the command "break". Holding, holding and hitting, wrestling and lying on the opponent are fouls.
Is purely defensive boxing allowed?
No, not if it is "completely passive defence" behind a double cover, or running or turning away to avoid blows.
Can a boxer hit an opponent who has one knee on the floor?
No. Attacking an opponent who is down, or in the act of rising, is a foul.
Why the rule exists
Each foul is either dangerous, such as blows to the back of the head, or a way of avoiding a boxing contest, such as holding or running. The list keeps the bout to clean punching.
Where it differs
| Where | What changes | Source |
|---|---|---|
| World Boxing rules | As above | WB 8.5 |
From the rule book
World Boxing Competition Rules, Rules 8.1, 8.5 and 8.11. Approved November 2024. Checked 14 October 2026. Official document: World Boxing Competition Rules (PDF).