A standing eight count, also known as a protection count, is a

boxing Boxing (also known as "Western boxing" or "pugilism") is a combat sport in which two people, usually wearing protective gloves and other protective equipment such as hand wraps and mouthguards, throw punches at each other for a predetermine ...

judgment call made by a

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during a bout. When invoked, the referee stops the action and counts to eight. During that time, the referee will determine if the boxer can continue. When the count reaches eight, the referee often moves back two steps and instructs the boxer to walk towards him and hold his arms out. This helps the referee determine if the boxer is functioning and alert enough to continue. If the boxer is unsteady on his feet, or seems unable to focus on the referee, the bout is ended on account of a

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. Typically, a boxer can take up to three standing eight counts in a round.
The standing eight count is designed to protect boxers by allowing the referee to step in and give an overwhelmed fighter an eight-second respite
The standing eight count was instituted in 1982 after the death of boxer Kim Duk-koo. The

Association of Boxing Commissions The Association of Boxing Commissions (ABC) is a North American not-for-profit professional boxing and mixed martial arts (MMA) organization that organizes contests and record-keeping. It is governed by delegates of state, provincial, and tribal at ...

later eliminated the standing eight count in 1998 and it is usually not invoked in professional bouts today. A standing eight count is different from a mandatory eight count, which is only assessed once a fighter is knocked down.

External links

Standing Eight Count
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Sports Pundit

References

{{Boxing-stub Boxing rules and regulations