When a referee enters a boxing ring, he must be ready to prevent two aggressive opponents from flouting the rules to win. The role of a boxing referee is crucial to any fight. In a close match, he might be the crowd’s darling, enemy, or victor, depending on his choices. Becoming a boxing referee requires the right training background to work. So let’s get into it.
To become a boxing referee, you must first register with your local boxing board to work as a professional boxing referee. It’s usually best to start as a volunteer referee and work your way up first. You must put effort into enough training. Referees for boxing matches need to be extremely fit and able to stand all day.
It’s better to start working out because being a referee demands you to be in good physical form and powerful enough to separate boxers when necessary. Before beginning to referee, you should have great interest and enthusiasm in boxing, familiarize yourself with the rules, and observe boxing contests.
Since boxing referees must be able to read and apply the rules appropriately, rule knowledge is crucial. A referee must know all facets of the sport, including its laws, how it operates, what transpires in certain scenarios, etc.
Being a professional boxing referee isn’t the easiest thing in the world, but it is very doable. There’s no reason why you can’t if you have all the required abilities and traits.
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How to become a boxing referee
To become a boxing referee, you must put a lot of time and work into training. But it is possible, especially if you want to do it.
You must be at least 18 years old and willing to go through training to work as an amateur boxing referee. Although amateur boxing is not well-known as professional boxing, it’s a fantastic method to begin and gain expertise. However, contact your local boxing board for registration information to become a boxing referee.
Visit the USA Boxing website, and speak with local and state boxing officials to learn more about how to get into boxing locally. Work toward being a professional boxing referee by attending as many clinics and getting as much on-the-job training as possible.
At regional professional boxing tournaments, observe other referees in action and approach them for advice after fights.
You will need to learn as much as possible about their professional experiences to follow in their footsteps.
Like a fighter must establish himself and rise through the ranks, a referee must become well-known by consistently putting out top-notch performances. Always display a passion for the game, an exceptional eye for detail, and conscientious professionalism. Recognize all facets of being a boxing referee, and respect your obligation to maintain the fight’s integrity.
You may learn all about boxing and refereeing regulations and the fundamental physical conditioning required to be a good referee if you select the correct training course.
But also realize that a correspondence course won’t make you a professional boxing referee. It calls for patience, spare time, and sound financial standing. Although it is not a full-time job, it can be a lucrative full-time hobby. Even the top officials work regular jobs. Here are the steps you can follow in detail below:
Step 1: Acquire a Foundational Education
It’s important to earn the necessary credentials from school before becoming a professional boxing referee. This entails obtaining a strong set of GCSEs, including math and English in grades 4 through 9, and enrolling in college A-level or vocational programs.
Gaining the necessary credentials shows the boxing board in your state your fundamental abilities and competence. It may help you get a spot on additional courses to train as a boxing referee.
Step 2: Get Certifications for Boxing Referees
Instead of following a set training program, boxing referees select from various certification alternatives. Numerous organizations, including the World Boxing Association, USA Boxing, the Association of Boxing Commissions, and the International Professional Ring Officials, provide seminars and classes oriented toward new referees and seasoned officials seeking ongoing education.
You can cover the fundamentals of boxing refereeing in these classes and more complex subjects, including the referee’s proper posture in the ring and the different fouls. The boxing organization issues you a certificate of completion once you’ve finished the course and passed the exam.
You must complete the basic boxing referee training programs because having an appropriate certification on your resume may help you advance faster in your profession.
Step 3: Watch the Matches and Play the Game
It’s necessary to be well-versed in boxing and understand the game if you wish to work as a professional boxing referee. Even if you have no interest in participating, going to local events can help you build relationships with local coaches and players and create fresh opportunities to earn local boxing refereeing experience.
To referee boxing matches, you must have prior experience. Only experience as a boxing referee can prepare you for every situation; classes cannot achieve that. Don’t intend to enter the ring as a professional.
Instead, improve your skills by sparring with other people in a nearby boxing gym. A step-up would be amateur contests like Golden Glove competitions. Observing referees at the highest level of competition can also teach you more about protocol.
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Step 4: Offer to Officiate Amateur Matches
By offering your services as a referee in amateur games, you can obtain experience. Ask around places amateur matches hold if they are seeking a new referee. If you are well-known to the local clubs and fighters—either because you play yourself or frequently attend games—you have a better chance of getting hired as a referee for an amateur league.
You can learn whether you enjoy refereeing and build leadership and conflict-resolution abilities that can benefit your profession by officiating amateur boxing sports.
Step 5: Speak with Regional Boxing Referee Societies
The best approach to find refereeing roles in boxing is to get in touch with your local boxing referee society. From this point on, you can inquire about openings to officiate games in your neighborhood and land your first job as a boxing referee.
You might initially only be able to referee unpaid games, but this is a crucial phase in your career as it allows you to get experience, hone your skills, and network.
Step 6: Get a State License
Before obtaining a license to work as a boxing referee, most states demand some training. A certificate from a boxing association will usually do. Check with your state’s licensing office before enrolling in a course because certain states favor certifications from particular organizations. They may request you take a second state exam to ensure you possess the knowledge necessary to referee boxing contests properly.
For instance, Wisconsin requires applicants for a referee license to present a medical report that a doctor has approved.
Additionally, they must pass a knowledge test from the Department of Safety and Professional Service and complete a trial referee program. As of 2021, the exams cost $75. If they provide proof of their credentials when applying for a Wisconsin license, licensed referees from other states who wish to operate in Wisconsin may be exempt. The cost of a license is $15 per year.
Washington demands a $65 application fee, a passport photo, a letter of recommendation from a sports official, the findings of a physical examination, and the revelation of any serious felonies or misdemeanors.
Additionally, candidates must disclose whether they have experienced retaliatory licensing, certification, or permit actions within the last five years.
Step 7: Gradually Advance and Work Your Way Up
The only way to become a professional referee is to start by officiating amateur games. This implies that developing a career as a professional referee requires an actual talent for refereeing and years of dedication to and interest in the sport.
In most sports, you may work up to become a professional referee within a few years if you are committed to honing your refereeing abilities and seizing opportunities to officiate larger and more prestigious matches.
Can boxing referees get hit?
Referees must be able to settle disputes on and off the field, which could occasionally entail dealing with aggressive boxers who disagree with their choices. In other situations, it might entail having the ability to settle disputes between players rapidly. Because of this, sometimes referees find themselves amid conflict and may get hit.
Boxing referees can get hit in the heat of a fight. In January 2022, Iago Kiladze, a heavyweight boxer, struck referee Samuel Burgos after he stopped his match with Viktor Faust, but the official simply laughed it off. The referee, Burgos, stopped the fight because Kiladze was off-balance from all the damage he had taken.
The Ukrainian heavyweight was fighting Faust on the undercard of the main event, which was a win by Luis Ortiz over Charles Martin in the heavyweight division.
Kiladze and Faust had an epic battle. They both knocked each other out five times in the first half of the fight and did it again in the second half.
The people inside Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino were booing, so Kiladze got angry and threw a punch that hit the referee while he was yelling at them.
Nevertheless, the referee did his work because referees must be able to resolve disputes with coaches, boxers, managers, and other staff members who may disagree with their judgments during a game. This is just one of the various examples that boxing referees do get hit.
Is being a boxing referee worth it?
Being a referee in a boxing match is a more involved process than one may think. That’s because, even if they’re upholding the rules, referees often have to make calls that depend on their values and preferences.
Being a boxing referee can be worth it if you are passionate about being a boxing official. However, know that a boxing referee rarely works full-time, so you have to keep that in mind if you wish to pursue that career. Referees are usually paid a fair amount for each fight, given how much time they spend on the event.
But it is very rare for a single referee to get enough jobs to depend on boxing as their only source of income. Referees usually get paid the same amount, no matter how important or profitable the fight is.
One high-profile Mike Tyson fight had a referee who got a standard fee of $350 US Dollars (USD).
Boxing referees must determine whether or not to remove points from a fighter for a rule violation and balance the need to break up excessive gripping with the fight’s natural flow.
They also determine when a boxer has suffered too much damage to continue. In some regions, especially for shorter fights, the referee may also be tasked with choosing a victor in the event of a draw, necessitating continuous evaluation of the action.
Is becoming a boxing referee hard?
According to the Association of Boxing Commission, a boxing referee’s responsibility is to ensure that the fight goes by the laws and rules of the overseeing Athletic Commission; the relevant rules of the Association of Boxing Commissions, and any permitted special rules.
Becoming a professional boxing referee is a challenging task. Being a boxing referee is one of the hardest and most scrutinized sports jobs. The boxing referee’s responsibility is to ensure the participants’ safety; as such, you must never allow any competitor, manager, or boxer involved or anyone else to intimidate you.
At all times, the referee must be in control. Let the competitors know you will give them your best effort and anticipate the same in return because every match is significant to them.
Final words
Knowing the basic prerequisites before you start your training to be a boxing referee is essential. Find out what the local boxing board or commission demands in your area before enrolling in a course. You must understand the sport and be in good physical condition.
Different boxing referee training programs exist, but they all aim to provide you with the necessary knowledge and credentials. The course you take will depend on your degree of refereeing experience, your local boxing board or commission, and other factors.
You can improve your chances of making it as a boxing referee by learning from the best in the business. Remember that the referee is always the boxer’s protector; hence, you must maintain physical and mental readiness.
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Resources
- USA Boxing. [ http://www.usaboxing.org ]
- World Boxing Association. [ https://www.wbaboxing.com/ ]
- Ring Officials Certifications [ https://www.abcboxing.com/ring-officials-certification-program/ ]
- Combative Sports Participation. [ https://www.dol.wa.gov/forms/611016.pdf ]
- Mirror.co.uk. A heavyweight boxer punches a referee. [ https://www.mirror.co.uk/sport/boxing/heavyweight-boxer-punches-referee-boxing-25840029 ]
- ABC boxing [ https://www.abcboxing.com/ring-officials-certification-program/#:~:text=The%20referee%20must%20be%20in,expect%20the%20same%20in%20return. ]