What must a boxer wear in the ring?
Officials' detail · Gloves, kit and the ring · 3 of 4A boxer wears a vest and shorts or a skirt in their corner's colour, red or blue, with the belt line marked in a contrasting band, light boots and a gumshield. Men must wear a groin protector. Jewellery, piercings and hard contact lenses are not allowed.
How it works
- Uniform: mostly red or blue, by corner. Shorts or skirt no shorter than mid-thigh, not covering the knee and not worn above the belt line.
- Belt line: a contrasting band 5 to 10 cm wide, from the navel to the top of the hips, not covering the navel.
- Footwear: light boots or shoes without spikes or heels. Socks must not cover the knee.
- Gumshield: compulsory, form-fitted, any colour. A boxer with dental braces may box with a fitted gumshield.
- Gumshield out: a warning for spitting it out on purpose without being hit, and a warning the third time it falls out.
- Groin protector: compulsory for men, optional for women.
- Breast protector: optional for women, with no metal except the back fastening. It must not cover the target area.
- Hijab: allowed for women boxers, in black, as a sport scarf with a fitted long-sleeved shirt and full-length tights under the uniform.
- Soft contact lenses are allowed, hard ones are not. A boxer who loses a lens and will not box on without it loses by abandonment.
- No piercings, jewellery or extra pads on the upper body.
- Kinesiology tape only from the waist down and on the back of the body.
Tricky cases
The gumshield fell out. Does the boxer lose a point?
Not the first two times. The third time brings a mandatory warning, which costs a point.
Can a boxer wear a hijab?
Yes. Women boxers may wear a black sport hijab with long sleeves and tights under the competition kit.
Can a boxer wear glasses or contact lenses?
It depends. Soft contact lenses are allowed and hard ones are not. The rules make no provision for glasses.
Why the rule exists
Red and blue make the two boxers easy to tell apart, and the marked belt line shows the referee and judges where the target area ends.
Where it differs
| Where | What changes | Source |
|---|---|---|
| World Boxing rules | As above | WB 8.9; WB 13.4 to 13.11 |
From the rule book
World Boxing Competition Rules, Rules 8.9, 9.4.3 and 13.4 to 13.11. Approved November 2024. Checked 14 October 2026. Official document: World Boxing Competition Rules (PDF).