Here are the basic rules:

• The two opponents are to wear padded gloves and they must fight in a ring;
• The boxers fight in following sessions, called ‘rounds’, which continuance is up to three minutes;
• The number of rounds depends on the competition level – the Olympic matches have only three rounds, while the professional heavyweight fights can continue up to much higher number. The number of rounds is decided before the beginning of the fight;
• For the duration of each round, the boxers punch and strike one another. Holding is not allowed;
• A fighter is considered a winner of the boxing match when the opponent is knocked out and does not get up before the referee counts out loud to ten;
• If there is no knock out, the scores of a panel of judges, awarded for each boxer’s performance, are to be used in order to determine the winner;
• There is a short break between the rounds for the period of which the fighters as a rule go to the corner of the ring assigned to them, where they get advices from their trainers and they can have some water as well as some help in they need it.