Boxing Judging

[steve689]

Just a quick question. I was recently mulling over some old Boxing News copies and read a story about how a former pro was doing an ABA Boxing judging course. Also a while back the Wolverhampton gym were offering judging lessons to people in the area.

I'm not saying i could become the next Patricia Morse-Jarman or anything but how do you get into amateur or pro judging? I noticed there's a lot of trialist referees knocking about as well at the moment. Any ideas?

[dondada]

I asked my pal Howard Foster about the pro side of it recently and he confirmed for me that you have to be a ref first.

Not only does it take ages but there's no way I'd fancy being a ref. A very hard job and all you get is grief.

The ams might be different though.

[Wales]

The gym I attend is putting some of the lads through reffing / judging courses at the moment. I think (although I was only half listening) that you go through a course learnign all the rules etc.. then you do some dummy judging at am events comparing your scores with that of the judges there already.

[jamesmcdonnell]

Ian, I think it's the same with judging. I was interested in being a judge and contacted the BBBofC and I think also the ABAE also. Unfortunately there seems to be no way of avoiding being a ref.

Stupid situation really, but understandable given that all the fights used to be judged by referee's here.

[Autobarn]

Whereas in America it seems you can be a ref if you're a politician's wife or someone in a position of power/with right connections.

[SticknMove]

I knew a quite a few guys who became referees in the amateur game (my brother became one). But that was before the new point scoring system was introduced. The way they went about it was by being affiliated to an amateur boxing club. The club would put them forward for a judging course. That was the first port of call back then. You could train to become a judge first and a referee afterwards if that's what you wanted.

Needless to say there was a lot of mini politics going on within that little arena and I for one wouldn't like it at all.

[chesh]

Just a quick question. I was recently mulling over some old Boxing News copies and read a story about how a former pro was doing an ABA Boxing judging course. Also a while back the Wolverhampton gym were offering judging lessons to people in the area.

I'm not saying i could become the next Patricia Morse-Jarman or anything but how do you get into amateur or pro judging? I noticed there's a lot of trialist referees knocking about as well at the moment. Any ideas?

As long as you don't become the next Eugenia Williams!

Seriously, though, I'm sure you could be a good judge without having been a ref first. Due to serious back problems, I couldn't be a ref, but, having watched boxing for 40 years, I'd like to think I'd make a good judge, even if I did score DLH-Mayweather for DLH and Margarito-Williams a draw!

[steve689]

I must confess it has interested me and i thought they would be crying out for fresh blood as Terry mentioned, especially here in Northern Ireland. I was hoping it would be possible without becoming a referee, i had never really fancied reffing for all the grief you get and knowing when to jump in etc

I have never been too keen on the amateurs so maybe my interest will fade away at this point

[1southpaw]

i think it takes over 18 months to be a ref there are loads of different things you have to pass it was on the bbboc web site i was thinking of doing it my self but it wasan't worth the agg

[jamesmcdonnell]

One official says that it is easier to join the Masons as a gofer than getting judging/ref position with the BBBoC. They make it very hard despite needing fresh blood.

Yep, I heard the same, takes ages to qualify, and there is a waiting list from what the guy at the BBBofC told me.