Amateur boxing "cannot be compared with pro boxing, where everyone wants to only see knockdowns and blood," said Melanie Ley, member of USA Boxing. "In amateur boxing, the goal is to outpoint your opponent, not flatten him."
Winning by points is the most common type of win in amateur boxing, Ley said. The points win is based upon the judges' scores for each boxer. Two out of three or three out of five judges will determine the winner. If a judge has the boxers scored evenly, the judge must select a winner based on aggressiveness, better defense and best style (except under electronic scoring), according to www.amateurboxing.com on the Web.
Ley said boxers also can win bouts by retirement, disqualification, when the referee stops the contest, and by walkover (when a scheduled opponent does not enter the ring).
A boxer can win by retirement if his or her opponent informs the referee that he or she doesn't want to continue, or the coach "throws in the towel."
