Becoming a boxing referee is more difficult than it appears. This is primarily due to the fact that, while referees enforce objective rules, they frequently must do so through subjective decisions. This can include deciding whether to warn a fighter for a rule violation or deduct a point; striking a balance between breaking up excessive clinching without disrupting the fight’s natural flow; and determining when a fighter has taken too much punishment to continue safely. In some cases, especially with shorter fights, a referee may also be required to choose a winner if the fight ends in a draw, which will require them to assess the fight as it unfolds rather than simply officiate it.
If you want to work as a boxing referee, you should know that it is rarely a full-time job. Given the amount of time they must devote to the event, a referee is usually fairly well compensated for each fight. Individual referees, on the other hand, are extremely unlikely to receive enough assignments to make boxing their sole source of income. Payoffs for referees are frequently fixed, regardless of the importance or revenue of the fight. The referee in one high-profile Mike Tyson fight, for example, was paid a standard fee of $350 US Dollars (USD).
As a boxing referee, you’ll get assignments based on where you live. Officials are usually assigned by the relevant state athletic commission in the United States. In other countries, such appointments may be made by a government agency or an independent supervisory body.
Unlicensed boxing may be available for work in some areas. This is not to say that boxing is illegal; it simply means that it is not supervised by the appropriate governing body, such as in events designed to allow amateur boxers to compete for sponsorship. Before participating in such events, make sure you are comfortable with the organizers’ professionalism and that doing so will not jeopardize your chances of receiving assignments from the supervisory body.
The most common system is that a governing body or commission assigns referees to fights from a pool of accredited officials, though selection procedures vary by location. You must demonstrate that you can officiate with the required level of competency in order to be accepted into this pool and become a boxing referee. In most cases, this means you’ll need several years of consistent experience refereeing amateur boxing matches for which you won’t be compensated.
To improve your chances of becoming a successful boxing referee, research those who have done well in the field. Remember that these aren’t always the referees who get the most attention: some would argue that a referee who does a good job goes largely unnoticed. Expert referees can be studied at work by focusing on them during a fight, though this may be easier in person than on television, where the cameras will be on the fighters. Armando Garcia contributes a regular column to the SecondsOut website, which is well worth reading if you’re interested in learning more about the art.