Who are the officials at a boxing bout?
A · Advanced · The bout, the boxers and the officials · 1 of 2Five judges sit at ringside and score every round on their own. A ringside doctor advises on injuries. A technical delegate and deputy oversee the competition, approve the scores and the officials' draw, and are the authority behind the bout decisions.
How it works
- Judges score independently and may not speak or signal to anyone until they have left the field of play.
- They stay in their seats until the decision is announced.
- Judges are drawn electronically for each bout and must be neutral: different nationalities from each other, the referee and both boxers.
- If the scoring system fails, the referee collects the five scorecards by hand.
- The deputy technical delegate approves the scores before they are announced and is told the reason for any stoppage.
- Referee and judge evaluators review the officials' performance daily, and poor performance can bring sanctions.
- Other officials include the draw commissioner, timekeeper and gong operator, equipment manager and cut technician.
- Everyone involved must accept the World Boxing code of conduct.
Tricky cases
Can the judges discuss a round before scoring it?
No. Each judge scores independently and may not speak or give any sign to another judge.
Can a judge come from the same country as one of the boxers?
No, unless it proves impossible to avoid, in which case the technical delegate must approve the selection and record the reason in writing.
Why the rule exists
Neutral officials picked by draw, scoring apart and reviewed every day are the rule book's guard against biased or careless decisions.
Where it differs
| Where | What changes | Source |
|---|---|---|
| World Boxing rules | As above | WB 6; WB 7.4; WB 10; WB 12 |
From the rule book
World Boxing Competition Rules, Rules 6, 7.4, 7.5, 8.3.16, 10 and 12. Approved November 2024. Checked 14 October 2026. Official document: World Boxing Competition Rules (PDF).