Knockdown
In boxing and combat sports, when a fighter is put to the canvas or otherwise ruled down and the referee administers a count.
Definition
A knockdown occurs in boxing when a fighter is sent to the canvas by a legal blow, or is held up only by the ropes, and the referee begins a count, typically to eight before allowing the bout to continue. Under the standard ten-point-must scoring system, a round in which one boxer scores a knockdown is usually scored 10-8 rather than 10-9, so knockdowns strongly influence the judges' cards.
A knockdown is not the same as a knockout: after a knockdown the fighter can beat the count and continue, whereas a knockout ends the contest. Multiple knockdowns in a round can trigger a "three-knockdown rule" stoppage in some jurisdictions, and a "flash knockdown" describes a quick fall from which the fighter rises immediately. The concept applies across combat sports that use a count, with rules varying by governing body.
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Officiating
- RefereeThe primary on-field official who enforces the rules, controls play, penalises fouls, awards restarts, and blows the whistle to start and stop a match.
- JudgeA judge is an official who scores performance in judged sports, awarding marks for execution and difficulty rather than counting goals or timing a race.
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- Tier A — evergreen educational
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- Content updated
- 2026-09-01
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