Either way, when your opponent hits the mat, your fists should stop flying. If they can get up and keep fighting, great. When someone’s knocked down, that’s their time to recover. Not to mention, it’s just bad sportsmanship. This can get you a hefty penalty, or even get you disqualified. If you hit someone who’s knocked down, you’re breaking one of the biggest rules in boxing. But it’s super important to pull your punches and give them a chance to get up. You’re in the zone, your adrenaline is pumping, and suddenly your opponent hits the deck. Now, if you’re the one throwing the punches, it can be tough to stop in the middle of a combo.

If they’re down, they’re clearly not ready. The whole point of boxing is to test your skills against someone who’s ready to test theirs against you. If you go in swinging when they’re already down, that’s just not fair. They’re obviously not ready to dodge or block any punches. Just picture it: your opponent is already down on the mat. This is one of those rules that’s really important, not just for playing fair but also for keeping everybody safe. Hitting an opponent who’s already knocked down? Total no-go in boxing. If you do it on purpose, you could get disqualified. What matters here is if you meant to hit behind the ear. However, if a punch hits the ear and also the back of the ear or head by accident, it’s usually considered okay. Even though lots of knockouts happen this way, these punches are still not allowed if you mean to hit there. Because of the size of boxing gloves and the fact that your opponent is moving, a punch meant for the side of the head can often end up behind the ear or on the back of the head. These are also against the rules, and for good reason. Of course, nobody likes a punch in the groin, but a punch to the lower belly can be just as bad and leave a boxer doubled over in pain. A lot of newbies get this wrong and land heavy, illegal hits. And remember, we’re talking about the belly button as the belt line, not the waist or the groin.

So here’s the rule: keep your punches above the belly button. This is because the lower belly, where there’s not a lot of muscle to protect you, has a lot of important body parts. These punches aren’t just bad sportsmanship, they can also seriously hurt the opponent. This term usually makes people think about the groin, but it actually includes the whole area below the belly button. ‘Below the belt’ punches are a big no-no. This is why certain moves, like hitting below the belly button or landing a punch behind the ear, are totally not cool. In the world of boxing, playing fair and keeping things safe are super important. Hitting an opponent below the navel or behind the ear So, buckle up, folks, we’re in for an intense ride. From what these punches are, why they’re considered too dangerous, to the penalties dished out if you’re caught using them. Expect a deep dive into all the need-to-know details. In this article, we’re going to get down and dirty with these illegal punches. They’re picked straight from the ABC bylaws and agreed upon by boxing commissions across the United States and Canada. If you decide to use any of these, you’re looking at a warning at best, or point deduction and even disqualification at worst.īrought together by the Association of Boxing Commissions (ABC), a North American non-profit that works towards organizing professional boxing and mixed martial arts contests, we have a collection of these forbidden punches. Deemed overly risky, these punches pack the potential to inflict serious and long-lasting harm on a fighter. Jumping straight into the world of boxing, there are certain punches that are simply off-limits.

Jab boxing moves