Marquess of Queensberry Rules

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A caricature of John Douglas, Marquess of Queensberry, the caption reads "A good light weight"



The boxing code was written by John Graham Chambers, a Welshman, and drafted in London in 1865, before being published in 1867 as "the Queensberry rules for the sport of boxing".[3][4] This code of rules superseded the Revised London Prize Ring rules (1853), which had themselves replaced the original London Prize Ring rules (1743) of Jack Broughton. This version persuaded boxers that "you must not fight simply to win; no holds barred is not the way; you must win by the rules".[5]

One early prize fighter who fought under Marquess of Queensberry rules was Jem Mace, former English heavyweight champion, who defeated Bill Davis in Virginia City, Nevada under these rules in 1876. In 1889, the Queensberry rules came into use in the United States and Canada.[6]


  2. No wrestling or hugging allowed.

Differences from modern rules[edit]

Current modern rules per the Association of Boxing Commissions are as follows.[citation needed]

Boxing match[edit]

A boxing match consists of a determined number of three-minute rounds, a total of up to 12 rounds (formerly 15). A minute is typically spent between each round with the fighters in their assigned corners receiving advice and attention from their coaches. The fight is controlled by a referee who works in the ring to judge and control the fight, rule on the ability of the fighters to fight safely, count knocked-down fighters, and rule on fouls. There are three judges at ringside to score the fight and assign points to the boxers, based on connecting punches, defense, knockdowns, and other more subjective measures. Because of the open-ended style of boxing judging, many fights have controversial results. Each fighter has an assigned corner of the ring, where his or her coach, as well as one or more “seconds”, may administer to the fighter at the beginning of the fight and between rounds.

Each boxer enters into the ring from his assigned corner at the beginning of each round and must cease fighting and return to his corner at the signaled end of each round.

Deciding the winner[edit]

If the fight goes to the conclusion of the scheduled number of rounds without a stoppage, the fighter with the higher score at the end of the fight is ruled the winner and the three judges rule it as, a. unanimous decision b. split decision and c. draws. A boxer may win the bout before a decision is reached through a knockout.

Win by Knockout (KO)[edit]


Win by Technical Knockout (TKO)[edit]

A “technical knockout” (TKO) is possible as well, and is ruled by the referee, fight doctor, or a fighter’s corner if a fighter is unable to safely continue to fight, based upon injuries or being judged unable to effectively defend himself. There is also the “three-knockdown rule”, in which three knockdowns in a single round result in a TKO. A TKO is considered a knockout in a fighter’s record.

Standing eight count[edit]




Other rules[edit]

Boxers are prohibited from hitting below the belt, holding, tripping, pushing, biting, spitting on or wrestling their opponent. Boxers typically wear shorts or trunks with the waistband raised so the opponent is not allowed to strike the groin area. They also are prohibited from kicking, head-butting, or striking with any part of the arm other than the knuckles of a closed fist. They are prohibited as well from hitting the back, the back of the head/neck (commonly called a “rabbit-punch”), or the kidneys. They are prohibited from holding the ropes for support when punching, holding an opponent while punching, or ducking below the level of the opponent's belt. If a “clinch” – a defensive move in which a fighter wraps his/her arms around those of the opponent and holds on to create a pause – is broken by the referee, each fighter must take a full step back before punching again. Alternatively, the referee may direct the fighters to “punch out” of the clinch. When a boxer is knocked down, the other boxer must immediately cease fighting and move to the furthest neutral corner of the ring until the referee has either ruled a knockout or called for the fight to continue; however, once a fighter is knocked down, the referee must count to eight seconds before the fight can continue.


  2. ^ Dunning, Eric. Sport matters: sociological studies of sport, violence, and civilization, Routledge, 1999.
  3. ^ "Queensberry Rules" at The Oxford Dictionary of Phrase and Fable
  4. ^ Baker, William Joseph (1998). Sports in the Western World. Retrieved 2010-12-10. 
  5. ^ 17, sect. 5, pt. 1
  6. ^ Black Belt. October 1999.  Missing or empty |title= (help);