Section 1370.100  Fouls, Injuries, Loss of Mouthpiece

a)         Fouls

1)         If one of the contestants shall fall to the ring floor, or otherwise indicate an unwillingness to continue because of a claim of a low-blow foul, the contest may be terminated, and the referee may award the contest to his opponent.

2)         In the case of an accidental foul so determined by the referee, the referee shall determine whether the contestant who has been fouled can continue. If the boxer's chances have not been seriously jeopardized as a result of the foul, the referee may order the bout continued after an interval of not more than 5 minutes rest.

3)         The following actions in a boxing contest shall be considered fouls:

A)        Hitting below the belt;

B)        Hitting an opponent who is down;

C)        Holding an opponent with one hand while hitting with the other;

D)        Holding or clinching after the referee orders the contestants to break, or hitting on the break;

E)         Wrestling or kicking;

F)         Butting with the head or shoulder;

G)        Hitting with open gloves, hitting with the butt of the hand, wrist, or elbow and all back hand blows;

H)        Roughing on the ropes;

I)          Hitting in the back or kidney area;

J)         Hitting on the back of the head or neck;

K)        Jabbing the opponents eyes with the thumb of the glove;

L)         Hitting after the bell has sounded ending a round;

M)       Conduct that in the opinion of the referee is unsportsmanlike;

N)        Hitting with a back hand; and

O)        Hitting with an open glove.

4)         In case of an accidental foul, the referee shall determine whether the contestant who has been fouled can continue or not.  If his/her chances have not been seriously jeopardized as a result of the foul the referee may order the bout continued after an interval of not more than 5 minutes rest.

5)         Any contestant who deliberately fouls his/her opponent during a contest will be penalized with loss of points or disqualified depending upon the severity of harmlessness of the foul and its effect upon the opponent.

b)         Injuries (Cuts)

1)         When an injury (cut) is caused by a fair blow and the severity is such that the contestant cannot continue, the injured boxer shall be declared the loser by a technical knockout.

2)         Should a boxer intentionally foul his/her opponent causing an injury so severe that the injured boxer cannot continue, the offender shall be declared the loser by disqualification.  If under the same circumstances (intentional fouling) the contest can continue, the referee shall penalize the offender by deducting points, depending upon the severity of the offense. In this case the referee shall notify the judges and Department that the injury has been caused by an intentional foul so that, if in the subsequent rounds the same injury should become so severe that the contest has to be suspended, the decision will be awarded as follows:

A)        Technical Draw:  If the injured boxer is behind on points or is even on the score cards of the judges.

B)        Technical Decision:  If the injured boxer is ahead in points on the score cards of the judges.

3)         In the case of a contestant who injures himself/herself trying to foul an opponent, the referee shall not take any action.  The injury will be considered as produced by a fair blow from his/her opponent.

c)         Loss of mouthpiece.  When a mouthpiece is knocked out of a boxer's mouth, the referee may call time when he/she deems there is a lull in action (not in the heat of battle).  The referee may have the cornerman replace the mouthpiece. This action may be done one time per boxer during the bout without points being deducted from the boxer whose mouthpiece came out, at the discretion of the referee.

d)         Cessation of contest because of unexpected reasons.  Should unexpected or accidental reasons determine the cessation of a contest before completion of the scheduled rounds, a technical decision shall be awarded to the contestant who is ahead in points on the scorecard of judges and the referee, provided that at least 4 rounds have been completed when the cessation occurs.  If the cessation occurs before 4 rounds have been completed, the decision will be a technical draw.

e)         The referee shall exercise immediate authority, direction and control over the contest to which he/she has been appointed and shall enforce the rules of the Professional Boxing Act.  The referee shall be the only person authorized to determine injuries, to decide if injuries were produced by a foul and if the foul was intentional or accidental.

f)          The referee shall have the power to stop a contest and render a decision at any stage if he/she considers it to be one-sided or if either contestant is in such condition that to continue the fight might subject the contestant to serious injury.

g)         In the case where a boxer receives a cut eye from a fair blow or an accidental butt or any other injury that a referee believes may incapacitate the boxer, the referee is empowered to stop the contest and consult the ringside physician concerning the advisability of allowing the bout to continue.

h)         A referee shall abide by the decision of the physician.

(Source:  Amended at 26 Ill. Reg. 13624, effective September 3, 2002)