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What are the low-blow rules in boxing?

What are the low-blow rules in boxing?

Yahoo18-07-2025
A low blow is when a boxer hits their opponent below the belt line, which is not allowed.
The belt line is defined by each boxer's hip line and is identified before a fight by the referee.
The hip line indicates where a boxer wears their belt, and a hit there is considered legal.
The rules state that if the low blow is intentional, the boxer who has been hit must continue before a reasonable time (five minutes) has passed, unless the referee disqualifies the offender.
A boxer who has been hit by an accidental low blow must continue within five minutes or they will lose the bout by abandonment.
If the boxer on the receiving end does not complain and the low blow was not hard or intentional, the referee should signal the foul without interrupting the bout.
The referee can deduct points or disqualify a boxer who hits their opponent with a low blow.
Earlier this year, Adam Azim was deducted two points for low blows in his win over Sergey Lipinets.
What happened in Usyk vs Dubois?
Daniel Dubois floored Oleksandr Usyk in the fifth round of their first encounter in 2023.
But it was deemed a low blow by the referee and Usyk was given almost four minutes to recover.
Dubois was not deducted a point, Usyk regained control and won by knockout in the ninth round.
"I should be a world champion right now. It wasn't justice," Dubois told BBC Sport after the fight in Poland.
Dubois and Usyk will face each other again at Wembley Stadium on Saturday, 19 July.
This article is the latest from BBC Sport's Ask Me Anything team.
What is Ask Me Anything?
Ask Me Anything is a service dedicated to answering your questions.
We want to reward your time by telling you things you do not know and reminding you of things you do.
The team will find out everything you need to know and be able to call upon a network of contacts including our experts and pundits.
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