Section 1370.90  Knockdowns

a)         A contestant shall be considered by the referee to be knocked down when any part of his/her body other than his/her feet is on the ring floor, and if he is hanging over the ropes and unable to defend himself, or rising from a down position.

b)         A contestant hanging over the ropes is not officially "down" until so pronounced by the referee.

c)         When a contestant is knocked down, the referee shall order the opponent to retire to the farther neutral corner of the ring, pointing to the corner, and immediately pick up the count from the timekeeper and continue counting over the contestant who is down.

d)         The referee shall announce the passing of the seconds, audibly, accompanying the count with motions of his/her arm, the downward motion indicating the end of each second.

e)         There shall be a mandatory 8-count.  Any contestant who is knocked down shall not be allowed to resume boxing until after the referee has finished counting eight.  The contestant may take this count either on the floor or standing.

f)          Three knockdowns in one round shall be regarded as justifiable reason for the referee to halt a contest.  The referee may allow a fight to continue after a boxer has been knocked down three times, if in his/her judgment the boxer is able to continue.

g)         If the contestant taking the count is still down when the referee calls the count of "10", the referee shall wave both arms to indicate that he/she has been knocked out and has lost the bout.

h)         Should the opponent fail to stay in the farther corner, the referee shall cease counting until he/she has returned to it; he/she will then go on with the count from the point at which it was interrupted.

i)          A boxer who is knocked unconscious must not be moved or touched by anyone, except at the direction of the physician.

j)          The bell does not save the boxer in any round.

k)         If any contestant fails to answer the bell after his/her rest period between rounds, the referee shall declare his/her opponent the winner by a technical knockout in the round coming up.

l)          The referee may in his/her discretion stop a bout to protect a badly beaten boxer.  The referee may stop a contest if he/she considers it too onesided, or if a boxer can no longer protect himself/herself.  In cases where a boxer sustains a cut eye or any other injury which in the judgment of the referee may incapacitate the boxer, the referee may call the physician into the ring to examine the boxer.  In such cases the referee shall be guided by the physician's advice.

m)        No manager or second shall bring about the termination of a contest by tossing in a towel.  The manager or second shall notify the physician or referee that the bout needs to be stopped.  Seconds cannot walk into the ring.

(Source:  Amended at 25 Ill. Reg. 4229, effective March 13, 2001)